Suicide Attack in Dimona

Please be advised that the video below is graphic and violent in nature.

Last week, the papers reported the first suicide bombing in Israel since January 2007. The notion portrayed by the papers is that for the most part things are calm in Israel. Granted, we thank God that there haven’t been more of these incidents occurring in Israel, but it is still quite misleading. There have been many if not numerous occurrences of violent incidents taking place. Just two weeks ago, two terrorists entered a small Kibbutz and attempted to take a group of high school students hostage. That same night, a bunch of terrorists shot and murdered a security guard north of Jerusalem before fleeing back to their village. Little over a month ago, two innocent teenagers were on a hike in the Hills of Hevron before being ambushed and killed. These are but a few major incidents that have happened in the last little while.

These are just some of the things we hear about.

What about the many foiled attempts that the army has prevented? Just last week, 4 pipe bombs were discovered on a major Israel roadway. A youth was detained with Molotov cocktails; one Israeli had one thrown into his car, causing burns to various parts of his body. This doesn’t even cover the onslaught of Kassam rockets falling on Sderot on a daily basis. Over 30 have been launched in the past 2 days; this is something that I am sure many of us have not given much thought to. We fail to think of the hundreds of people that live their lives in fear, or even worse, who have been affected by these attacks. When we hear of one killed and over 40 injured in a suicide bombing, do we realize to what extent all the injured people are suffering? Have we taken time out of our day to say a perek of tehillim (a few lines of psalms) for them, or any actions that may help our brethren here in Israel? While I write this piece as a citizen of Israel, and feel just as guilty as the next due to my indifference, I cannot help but wonder why I am not doing more.

While I do not expect the world to change overnight, I do think that it is time we really understand what is happening in our own little country. I think it is upon us to know, try to comprehend and even help those in Israel who need us. We need to understand that there hasn’t just been one suicide bombing since January 2007.