RUTHFULLY YOURS

There is an Egyptian saying to describe a masochist who constantly chooses pain, suffering, crying, yelling and screaming at every occasion possible. It says, “They need a funeral to gratify their hunger to slap their faces.” That saying perfectly fits Arab reaction around the world to the Gaza flotilla incident. If you doubt this, just attend a funeral in the Arab world and you will see what I mean.

More and more facts are coming out about the aforementioned incident and it does not look good for those who rushed to judgment and fell for the hype.  As we now know, for instance, video footage has proven that  the Gaza flotilla jihadists initiated the violence against Israeli soldiers:

However, those who conspired to manufacture such a crisis know that they have won the PR war since whatever facts come out later will not be covered with the same intensity and passion of the first days following the incident. What matters to Islamist crisis seekers is that the news for several days all over the world blames Israel as a bloodthirsty rogue nation that inflicted an unjustified massacre on peaceful, unarmed humanitarians.

Muslim street demonstrations like those following the incident are staged for Western audiences; we immigrants of Middle Eastern origin understand this hype and are no longer moved by it. On the other hand, Western culture is extremely moved by this big Islamist show — the cries, the tears, the pleading, the yelling, the covert threats and above all, the mass mania. Over nothing, hoards of people in the Middle East can be easily incited to go into a fit of rage and run into the streets seeking vengeance against a Christian or a Jew who supposedly dishonored Islam.

After news of massacres to non-Muslims by Muslims, we often say “there they go again” and just go on with our lives. Christian Copts in Egypt suffer at the hands of Muslim mobs extracting vengeance in the streets after hearing a fiery sermon in their mosque by their local Imam, telling a fabricated story of Christian crimes against Islam or that a Christian man violated a Muslim woman. These stories, supported by “witnesses,” ignite violent behavior often leading to horrific tragedies. Just recently, the homes of Christians in a coastal town in Egypt were all burnt to the ground after a Friday prayer rumor. The strategy and tactics of the flotilla incident are the same. The stage is set to start the same game over and over again; the Islamists provoke Israel and keep testing its patience. To them it is just a game where a few men will die and go to heaven, but to Israel it is life or death.

What is remarkable is that supposedly well-educated and informed Westerners in positions of power are buying this jihadist propaganda. Helen Thomas of the White House Press Corps cried out that the flotilla incident was a deliberate massacre.  Without investigation or reasoning, Western leftists go along with this game, much like the constantly outraged Arab street. As Rahm Emanuel said, they never want to allow a crisis go to waste. Leftist in the media are all too eager to support sick, hateful and baseless Muslim demonstrations crafted to boost their PR and promote anti-Semitism around the world. Their collaboration with Islamists in this incident has done a great disservice to the public who depend on mainstream media for their understanding of the Arab Israeli conflict.

When will the West learn Arab psychology? Whenever West Bank and Gaza Strip news become secondary or overshadowed by more pressing issues such as the economy, oil leaks and perhaps more urgent, human suffering around the world, Islamists immediately get in gear to create a crisis. In their mind, nothing should be more urgent than destroying Israel, not even human happiness, family, children or peace itself. Like the Egyptian saying, they need a funeral to be happy.

The world never learns from history. Arab and Muslim Jew-haters have perfected the art of hype, drama and dragging everyone down to their level. They are hell bent on convincing the world to hate and blame Israel. They have to resort to game playing to justify 7^th century Muslim obligation to kill Jews wherever they are found; that is the commandment from Mohammed himself. Every commandment by the prophet is an obligation and the Muslim mind must deal with the travesty; they must justify terror against Jews not only to the West, but also to Muslims themselves. The jihad against Israel, the Jews, Christians, the West, the Great Satan (USA), Little Satan (Israel) etc. all must be justified. Saying it is a commandment from Allah will not pass the UN general Assembly. Jihadist violence must be legitimized and institutionalized as a legitimate cause. Incidents must be created to justify the jihad. Mohammed had to accuse the Jews of violating a treaty to justify killing 800 Jewish men. Incidents such as the flotilla are just part of the strategy of justify jihad, violence, burning, killing and terror.  It is a commandment; it must be done and if a little provocation and lying is needed, then so be it.

Just watch Arab TV and you will learn that Israel went to help in the Haiti for the purpose of harvesting organs from the Haitian earthquake victims. Israel is so evil, that it must be annihilated. The Muslim public and the World must accept aggression against Israel as self-defense. Israel is suffering from constant and relentless intimidation and invitation to unnecessary confrontation. You would think the world would know that by now.

Muslims know exactly what they should do to stop the blockade against Gaza. First, they should be sincere with themselves, not just trying to convince the world, that they want peace with Israel and adopt a live and let live view. After that, major players in the region such as Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria etc. must pressure Hamas to end the barrage of missiles against Israel and that their financial support should be linked to Palestinian willingness to accomplish peace with Israel. Israel is fighting for its survival; everyone knows that and there is no need to kid ourselves any more.

With more and more facts coming out, it has become clear that this was a set up; a PR stunt to let Muslim countries surrounding Israel keep fooling the world over and over again.

Nonie Darwish is the author of “Now They Call Me Infidel” and “Cruel and Usual Punishment”