There was a suicide homicide bomb in Dimona yesterday.
Today I listned intently to the radio, watched TV and read the newspaper. Every single soundbyte and every ounce of coverage included the emphatic statement “this is the first suicide attack in Israel for over a year”.
Wrong! This is the first suicide attack where the terrorist has actually managed to detonate their bomb. There have been a number of thwarted attacks, including one over the Jewish new year where detonator belts were uncovered in Tel Aviv. Let’s not extend the dignity of describing an attack that murders people as one that is “successful”, but lets be absolutely clear that the lack of dead bodies and severed limbs does not mean that the attempts of terrorists to strap bombs to themselves and kill as many innocent people as possible have stopped.
Perhaps there is another point to make as well. If this is to be acknowleged as the first human bomb terrorist murder for so long, then it implies that the security of Israel’s defence forces, and the much maligned security wall must be having a positive impact on reducing the terror. Well, what do you have to say about that Ed O’Loughlin? You can’t have it both ways.
It was widely reported that this attack was carried out by the Fatah-linked Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Yet I have not seen anyone stop to question why Israel’s partner for peace, Abbas, is chairing a movement that “claims responsibility” for attacks. I have not heard anyone question why billions of dollars should be paid to an organisation that sancitons and perpetrates terror.
Then there is the human impact of the attack. Although the general press did not describe the scene, the Israeli press did provide eye witness accounts “We heard a big explosion, and people began running, a shopowner who gave her name as Ravital told Army Radio. I saw pieces of bodies flying in the air. Witnesses described the explosion as massive. A large number of rescue services and police crews rushed to the shopping center. Magen David Adom said at least 20 ambulances had arrived on the scene and were evacuating people to hospital.”
Only hours later, the headlines have shifted now to “Israeli air strike on Gaza after suicide bombing“. Now we are back to the blame the victim syndrome.
Our media continue to send out reports that are full of innuendo, and half-truth. They lack perspective and context. It is incumbent on any intelligent consumer of the news to be fully informed and call into question the implications of not reporting terrorism for what it is and what it represents – sheer unobliterated baseless immoral murder.