You start reading the New York Times editorial that came
under the title: “Israel's War in Gaza,” published on July 19, 2014 and
something happens to you. Knowing quite a bit about the subject already, a
passage you encounter in the second paragraph blows your mind. Here is that
passage: “the Hamas bombardments which are indiscriminately lobbed at Israeli
population centers.” You stop reading and marvel at this affront to logic.
You try to resume reading the article but cannot because the
absurdity of the passage is so overwhelming; it suspends the mental faculties
in charge of your reading skills, and switches your brain to the faculties
which are in charge of reverie. And so,
you go into a reverie mode in which you imagine the following exchange between
a supporter of the Jewish causes (J) and a representative of the World
community (W) as the two begin to discuss the Palestinian situation:
W: What is it you've
been saying about Hamas?
J: They are evil and
we are saintly.
W: How do you know
they are evil? And what makes you think you are saintly?
J: They lob rockets
indiscriminately; we lob rockets surgically.
W: You mean you both
have precision rockets but they lob them indiscriminately, and you lob them
precisely at chosen targets?
J: No, they don't
have precision rockets; they don't have the money to pay for them. In fact,
they don't have the money to pay for what they use now which is cheap stuff
given to them by others. They also make some rockets themselves in a
basement-like operation. Real amateurish stuff.
W: Well then, if
their rockets hit places indiscriminately, it must be because they are unguided
cheap stuff, and not because this is the intention of Hamas.
J: No, no. The truth
is: they have bad intentions, and we know that from other things.
W: But tell me this,
how much damage do they cause?
J: Nil. Zero. Zilch.
Nothing. No damage at all. It is amateur hour when it comes to the launch of
their rockets.
W: So then, why are
you upset?
J: Because they have
bad intentions, and we know that from other things.
W: And you say your
intentions are saintly?
J: Yes of course. You
are exactly right. We are saintly because we have good intentions. Saintly
intentions.
W: And you say this
is the case because your rockets – like their rockets – cause no damage and
kill nobody?
J: No, no. You're
wrong there. It is not exactly that. You are way off.
W: No, you say? What
do your rockets do then?
J: They cause damage
and they kill.
W: But I thought you
said they were precise.
J: They are.
W: Why then do they
cause damage and kill? Is this what you want, or is it that you don't know how
to use them?
J: Oh yes, we know
how to use them. We use them as intended, and they do what is expected of them.
They cause damage and they kill.
W: You cause damage
and kill deliberately?
J: Yes, yes.
W: And you say you
have good and saintly intentions?
J: Yes... yes, of
course.
W: You kill those
who cannot kill you because you have saintly intentions? For what reason do you
kill?
J: I told you; it is
because they have bad intentions, and we know that from other things not from
the launch of their rockets.
W: So then, why do
you say they launch indiscriminately?
J: What's wrong with
you? Don't you understand when I say we know they have bad intentions from
other things?
W: But how can I
tell that you have saintly intentions from what you're telling me?
J: What I have been
telling you is not enough for you to judge me by. You must Judge me by the
other things I do that you do not see.
W: So here we are
discussing the situation in Palestine, and you tell me to believe that Hamas
has evil intentions because I must judge them not from what I see but what
you're telling me. And when it comes to you, I must not judge you from what I
see but what you're saying about yourself?
J: Yes, exactly
that.