The media love a strong image. But exactly 21 years to the day after the brutal, barbaric lynching of two Israeli reserve soldiers, this one wasn't republished yesterday.
This is the important story, so key to understanding modern Israel, the media failed to retell.
This is the important story, so key to understanding modern Israel, the media failed to retell.
21 years ago yesterday, two Israeli reserve soldiers, Vadim Nurzhitz and Yossi Avrahami, took a wrong turn and ended up in Ramallah. The two reservists were detained by Palestinian Authority policemen and taken to a local police station.
Rumours quickly spread that Israeli undercover agents were in the building, and an angry crowd of over 1,000 Palestinians gathered outside the station calling for the death of the Israelis.
Before long, enraged rioters overcame the police and stormed the building.
Before long, enraged rioters overcame the police and stormed the building.
The soldiers were beaten, stabbed, had their eyes gouged out, and torn limb from limb. As this was happening, one man came to the window and triumphantly showed his blood-soaked hands to the crowd, which erupted in cheers.
The crowd clapped and cheered as one of the soldier's bodies was then thrown out the window and stamped and beaten by the frenzied crowd. One of the bodies was set on fire.
Soon after, the crowd dragged the two mutilated bodies to Al-Manara Square in the city center as the crowd began an impromptu victory celebration.
Only months earlier, Israel and the Palestinians had been negotiating a peace agreement at Camp David.
Only months earlier, Israel and the Palestinians had been negotiating a peace agreement at Camp David.
Israel made massive concessions, offering the Palestinians far more land than ever before - but the unprecedentedly generous offer was rejected by Arafat, much to the intermediaries' dismay.
Instead of forging a lasting peace, the next few years were marked by horrific violence as waves of Palestine suicide bombers attacked Israeli buses, shopping centers, universities, restaurants and clubs.
The vicious lynching of two Israeli soldiers in a more liberal-minded Palestinian city showed Israelis that while peace is surely the objective, such hatred and violence on the Palestinian side remain massive obstacles to peace.
It is hard to overstate the profound effect this barbaric act had on the Israeli consciousness.
Two decades later, this picture of a Palestinian showing off his blood-soaked hands to a joyous mob remains seared in the Israeli consciousness.
Two decades later, this picture of a Palestinian showing off his blood-soaked hands to a joyous mob remains seared in the Israeli consciousness.
For many, this image is the most-recognized of the Second Intifada.
It's a compelling photo and horrific story. But it's not consistent with the narrative that Israel mercilessly oppresses the helpless Palestinians. And so it's been totally overlooked by the media today.
It's a compelling photo and horrific story. But it's not consistent with the narrative that Israel mercilessly oppresses the helpless Palestinians. And so it's been totally overlooked by the media today.
Twenty-one years on, Israel has managed to totally staunch the waves of suicide bombings and shootings inside of Israel, pushing back Hamas so that its most effective attacks nowadays come in the form of intermittent, intense bursts of rockets launched into Israel from Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian leadership continues to glorify such vicious acts of hatred by naming public schools and streets after convicted murderers and paying murderers and their families generous salaries.
It is up to us to remember these stories and continue telling them so that journalists, common people and politicians alike do not forget the brutality Israel faces.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
