Revenge Is The Word In The Background

[Violet_Crumble]

by Amira Hass
February 08, 2006



The young woman who came into the corner grocery in the Jenin refugee camp did not hide her hostility when told there was an Israeli guest. It seemed that it was even difficult for her to sit in the same room as the guest, whom the grocer honored with sweets and jokes while commented on the various political parties running in the elections. Without any prelude, the young woman asked the guest, "So, what do you think about 'sacrifice operations?' "

It was clear she was not interested in an answer, but only wanted to deliver a lecture on why she thinks it is the proper response.

"So a dead Palestinian girl is okay? And to bomb us in our homes is okay?"


What really angered her, more than anything else, was the answer that revenge is not a liberation struggle. The grocer hushed the young woman, saying "That's not how to speak to guests."

When the young woman left, the grocer said that the young woman's brother, a member of Fateh, committed an attack in Israel and was killed. Another brother was killed when the IDF invaded the refugee camp in April 2002.

In similar arguments from Rafah to Jenin, the terms used for suicide attacks are "response," or "answer." Sometimes, for example in the context of Qassam fire, the sentence, "we also have the right to defend ourselves," comes up as an explanation. The more forthright and sincere, meaning those who don't deceive themselves and others about the capacity for "defense," say, "we also have the right to frighten you, like you always frighten us with your shelling and bombings and sonic booms. Your citizens should also feel threatened."

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=22&ItemID=9693