In the West Bank, an Israeli Arab paramedic cannot gaze at his little girl, cannot hug her, without seeing before his eyes the picture of a Jewish man hugging his own baby daughter — both of them dead, murdered by two teenage terrorists.
Four years ago, a horrific tragedy was perpetrated by monsters; but those who survived were met and aided by an anonymous, caring paramedic they never had the chance to know. It was a terrible night; who thought of such things? The first paramedic to arrive on the scene was Muawia Kabha, an Israeli Arab Muslim. The experience affected him deeply, as have others he has shared — chosen to share — with fellow paramedics who serve in Judea and Samaria.
Kabha wrote the following piece on the March 11 anniversary of the murders of five members of the Fogel family in the Jewish town of Itamar in Samaria. Israeli translator Michal Reznic, who rendered the piece into English, added a note to let readers know that she is proud to call Muawia Kabha, the writer of “these profound words,” her friend. Kabha has asked that readers share his words with others, so that perhaps some day the relatives of the Fogel family of Itamar might come to know who he is and find a way to be in contact with him. To offer both sides that choice, we present his deeply heart-stirring, and soul-hurting words.
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“Four years ago, on this very day, two Palestinian terrorists armed with butcher’s knives succeeded in breaking into the Israeli village of Itamar. Without flinching an eye, the terrorists unfathomably and systematically slaughtered Udi and Ruth Fogel and three of their children, Yoav (11), Elad (4) and 3-month old, baby Hadas.
Roi and Yishai escaped this ritual murder because the terrorists did not know of their whereabouts. Tamar, their daughter, also escaped simply because she was not at home at the time.
Palestinian society glorified the massacre. Palestinian media allowed the relatives of Evil to appear on television and declare that they are proud of their sons. Celebrations were held and candy was distributed throughout the Gaza Strip.
Until this day, the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, refuses to deal with the incitement rife in the areas under his rule – the same incitement that enables human beings to butcher babies with carving knives without blinking an eye.
My dear friends, I, Muawia Kabha, for the past 15 years have been lying in a pool of blood that’s been dripping from human beings, victims of hatred. A pool of blood made up of Jews’ and Arabs’ blood, men and women, children and infants !!!
Why should we not join hands and unite while living instead of continuing this bloodshed? Let’s join hands and drop the daggers of hatred that keep stabbing us mercilessly !!!
So many victims, so many killings, so much death. What for? Why? Because our ego doesn’t let go and doesn’t allow us any flexibility. This ego represents our animal instinct that refuses to comprehend that evolution has transformed us from animals to human beings.
Last week I read an article about a group of Muslims in Europe (Oslo, Norway) who decided to join hands and encircle a synagogue as a symbol of solidarity and peace.
Why should one group join hands to protect the other, instead of joining hands WITH the other? Why should we not join hands — Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze and every other religion on this earth — together. In doing so our hands will be occupied with strengthening each other rather then holding the knife that will take the other’s life.