Those Post-Tragedy Images…Before?

No, let me start right off by saying I do not expect anything to happen. I’ve got pancakes on the stove as I write this. What this is, is another post that shows how the human mind wanders – and how that meandering of thoughts differs here in Israel than in other places because of the reality we live.

I’m heading down to Eilat for a few days today. The kids are being wonderful, all pitching in to deal with the house, pets, etc. Aliza doesn’t want me to go. No, I do not believe Aliza’s upset to be a premonition of things to come.

As I was mixing the batter for the pancakes (Aliza’s lunch, something to nosh on the trip down), I thought of two movies I had seen – one about the Entebbe hijacking (the separation of Jews/Israelis, the release of the non-Jewish passengers and finally the daring, amazing rescue by the Israeli army) and the second movie – in stark contrast – was of the Munich terrorist attack on the Olympic village (the holding of the Israeli athletes, the bungled attempt by the Germans to save them – and the resulting death of ALL the hostages and SOME of the terrorists).

Three pancakes later, what do these two acts have in common – well, other than the obvious – both against Jews, both by and in the name of Palestinians, etc….not much except…both had movies made of the them – Hollywood realizing sometimes fact sells more than fiction.

The movies began not with the attack, but some earlier moments in the lives of those involved. The purpose was both melodramatic and effective. Before you see them in crisis, learn who they are. Let’s build the connection you feel…before we knock them off…or at least terrorize them.

They showed the people packing, saying goodbye to their families, traveling, joking – all unaware that their lives were about to be changed.

And thus my imagination…silly, right? To imagine a movie in which they show some actress wearing an old black skirt and a print shirt making pancakes and checking her packing list…yes, silly.

There are warnings of increased terrorist activity in Sinai – along the Egyptian-Israeli border. Again, I really don’t see anything happening – I’m not worried at all. I’ll be traveling down the Jordan-Israel border, not near Egypt at all; I’ll be staying in the city of Eilat, and not in the hotels and tourist area. A few rockets have been fired at Eilat – no one was hurt. Last year, or perhaps it was the year before, there was an attack in Eilat but still…it just shows Eilat is no more, and likely less, of a target than most of Israel.

I just want to relax and snorkel a bit in the beautiful Red Sea. But then again, to play devil’s advocate here, did those people who boarded the Air France jet expect to be hijacked; did the athletes expect to be murdered? Okay, enough silliness – this was more an example of how Israelis think – or maybe that’s not fair. Maybe it’s just me? It just seemed weird to be mix the pancake batter and think of a reenactment for a movie of some actors playing the parts of dozens of tourists – the morning before….

More, this goes back to my ongoing point – terrorism is the act of terrorizing. It can result in murder and mayhem – or it may only result in one side of its purpose – to instill a sense of terror, to change how people think and behave. The fact that a missile misses its target and explodes in an open field does not negate the terror it caused in the moments before and after.

It is not normal to contemplate a terror attack as you pack for a much needed vacation. It is not normal to wonder if the action you take now will feature in a movie later. The people who died on 9/11 never thought their morning routine would be reenacted for millions of television viewers. Terrorism was not in their mind scope that morning.

And this feeds into a side of my personality I’ll confess – I have always had this agreement with God – if I think of something, He can’t do it. He is so much more creative than I am…so, I’ve claimed this terrorist idea…the movie etc.

Hopefully, the next few days will be quiet – especially for Israel’s southern residents who have, once again, come under endless rocket fire from Gaza … yet again. Hopefully, I’ll snorkel and swim and sleep and eat and barely touch a computer.

Hopefully, the Palestinians will learn that terror will not bring them victory; hopefully the Iranian government will realize that they will gain more from negotiation than nuclear weapons.

And hopefully, you’ll never see my life featured in any movie other than one about people who die at the ripe old age of 120, peacefully in their sleep after seeing all their children and perhaps even their grandchildren married and settled. Oh, and if they could be a little rich too, that would be sooooo coooooool.

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