Why do we bother?

A few days ago, an eight-day-old Palestinian baby girl was rushed to an Israeli hospital, suffering from a life-threatening heart condition

An Israeli paramedic at the scene explained: “She is from Gaza and we are taking her to Tel Hashomer hospital. She is going to be operated there to mend the heart problem.”

Her father and a Palestinian medical team was allowed through the checkpoint to accompany the infant to the hospital for the surgery. According to Israeli medical sources, in the past five months about 200 Palestinians, including members of rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, have been treated at Israeli hospitals. They mostly had bullet wounds or injuries sustained during beatings inflicted by Palestinians themselves.

Amazingly enough, this story made little headlines around the world. It was something expected – that Israel, in the midst of war and rocket bombardments, would open its gates (figuratively and literally) to help a Palestinian child. China Central Television, wary of perhaps reporting something that might be considered pro-Israel, worked hard to counter the positive nature of the report by blaming Israel for the Palestinian’s failing medical infrastructure.

One feels compelled to remind the Chinese and others that had the Palestinians taken the more than 10 billion Euros it has received in aid since 1993 and invested it in education and hospitals, instead of bombs, rockets and bullets, the Palestinian medical infrastructure would almost definitely be in a much healthier condition.

As for Israelis, on another day when rockets fall, one wonders why we even bother. And, before others condemn me…let me say that we bother because, as Hizbullah’s Nasrallah points out, Jews love life.

“We have discovered how to hit the Jews where they are the most vulnerable.
The Jews love life, so that is what we shall take away from them. We are
going to win, because they love life and we love death.”
— Hizbullah General Secretary, Hassan Nasrallah

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.