Dare To Inquire: Fighting A Culture of Death    
 Fighting A Culture of Death0 comments
30 Jan 2004 @ 13:29, by Bruce Kodish

Saul Singer's brother Alex, was killed by one of the men that Israel released to Hezballah within the last few days. Israel returned hundreds of Arabs it had imprisoned for political killing in exchange for one live Israeli that Hezballah had kidnapped and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers killed after they had been kidnapped.

For Singer that imbalance in numbers indicates something significant about the cultural values of Israelis and Arabs.

While Israelis, Americans and other Westerners celebrate each individual life, the present-day Arab-Islamist jihadist culture discounts it. Arab-Islamist jihadism nurtures a cult of death where individual lives are cheap. This culture (pervasive but not 'infecting' all Arabs and Muslims) encourages jihadists in their war against the existence of Israel and the rest of the non-Muslim world as well.

How does a culture that respects the life of every individual battle with one which doesn't value life and, indeed, celebrates death?

With yesterdays suicide bombing in Jerusalem (targeted to kill and wound the maximum number of Israeli civilians) also in mind, Singer writes:
" It is no accident that the suicide bomber is the emblematic weapon of the struggle of our age. Each such bombing repeats the question, literally in our faces: Can a society that loves life beat one that celebrates death? ...The jihadis are right that we are more vulnerable than they. Our societies are wide open, and every prick hurts. As the aggressor, they automatically enjoy the initiative and can always choose the softest target, be it the Red Cross in Iraq, vacationers in Bali, or a cafe in Jerusalem......Loving death is not alien to all cultures, but it is alien to all life. Nor does loving life necessarily negate a willingness to sacrifice it....The forces of life have infinitely more untapped power than the forces of death. The jihadis' real theory of victory is not based on the West's fear of death but on our naivete and false sense of security. It is these, not our love of life, that must be overcome. "

Indeed, the lopsided deal with Hezballah seems a perfect example of Israeli naivete. Sheikh Nasrallah of Hezballah is already trumpeting his triumph over the stupid Israeli government and proposing more kidnappings of Israelis in order to get more Arab terrorists from Israeli jails. In negotiating with Hezballah, Sharon's government is rewarding their terrorism and encouraging more of the same.

Click here for Saul Singer's full article Interesting Times--Life Is Many Things



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