44 thoughts on “Israeli Tourists Attacked in Bulgaria, 6 Dead, Netanyahu Blames Iran – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. Note that the West is tracitly supporting terrorist bombings in Syria even as it denounces the attack on Israeli tourists.

    To paraphrase Clint Eastwood in the movie DIRTY HARRY “the US has no problem with terrorism as long as the right people are terrorized”.

    1. You might consider that the ‘terrorist attacks’ in Syria are being directed at the Syrian military while the terrorist attack in Bulgaria was directed at innocent tourists.

      1. There are terror attacks regularly in Syria that kill both government officials & civilians. We simply don’t know who’s doing what to whom. Attacks may be by the rebels, Al Qaeda or the government itself.

  2. The Iranians have made clear under no circumstances do they want conflict and have also pronounced the consequences for attacking them. The Israelis have not come out with a scintilla of truth since they began their Chicken Little campaign against Iran’s legitimate right to nuclear enrichment. It is quite obvious who wants a war and who does not.

    Cui bono? Certainly not the Iranians. The only way to start a war with Iran is through false flag or instigation. Of course, the media will flip the facts of the events in line with the Israeli propaganda machine. Supposedly non-existent in America, which is why the Mavi Marmara incident was accurately reflected on the front page of the New York Times and Washington Post.

  3. Even given the context, going after innocent people on a bus crosses is a horrible act. When Israel did/does its ‘terror’, it eliminated a perceived threat (the scientists- and no one knows, not me not you, possibly not even the scientist themselves whether their work will be used as a nuclear weapon against Israel) or specific targets that committed murder (the Olympic murders). The Islamic terror groups on the other hand targeted innocents, just to kill.
    If both countries are wrong, at least one, Israel, is trying to do it right.

    1. Or so you are told. YIKES

      Look, do you think Bin Laden told his supporters that he was “just killing” or did he attempt to give justification also?

      Tangled webs.

    2. How is this relevant to the argument: “When the PLO attacked Israeli athletes at the Olympics, the Mossad tracked down every one of the Palestinians (except one) and murdered them. Israel has just a finely tuned need for revenge as Iran. Further, Iranian blood is no less red (to use a Talmudic phrase) than Israeli.”

      Were any of the teenagers that were murdered on the bus in Bulgaria today involved in killing Iranian scientists? Probably not. So how is this analogous to Israel killing the PLO members that were involved in the Munich Massacre?

      You can argue that Israel is revengeful, and whether these acts are justified or even deter future actions by terrorists, but it is completely different than targeting random innocent civilians.

      1. Are you claiming that all the Palestinians Israel has murdered over the years have Israeli blood on their hands? Good, because if you were you & I both know you’d be a fool. Nations don’t always engage in precisely proportional responses to acts of terror. Israel doesn’t. Iran, if it was involved in this crime, didn’t. Nations take their opportunities as they find them.

        1. Richard,

          Millions and millions of Iranians worldwide would be the first to let you know if they had dirt on the Iranian government. And they wouldn’t be up Israel’s tukhus either preaching bombs over their cousins. Iran does not take meaningless opportunities and does not make errors. They know most of their decisions, unlike Israel, with its power of influence via Zionism, are existential matters for the government.

          OPR

    3. No. Israel murdered 1400 Gazans in Cast Lead, including teenagers, women, infants etc. No target is more “legitimate” than another. Israel is just in a position to optimize its “prevention” by taking out high value targets instead of civilians. The other side may not be able to reach high value targets so easily and may be restricted to gestures of revenge against Israeli civilians. “trying to do it right”?? Do murder right? As I said, it is not “right”, it is just more optimal. Israel’s hands have never been tied in terms of symbolic revenge, i.e. infamous raids into Jordan targeting civilians, etc.

    4. What is a “perceived threat?” Hitler saw the Jews as a “perceived threat.” Did that justify eliminating them? Who gets to judge whether an Iranian victim is a threat or not & what criteria are used to determine that? What evidence is offered to substantiate the claim that someone is a “perceived” threat?

      You may not know whether an Iranian scientist’s work will be used to create a weapon used against Israel, but I, and all other reasonable people know that there’s an infinitesimal chance that this will happen (though there may be a greater chance Israel would use such a weapon against Iran). Still, the likelihood of either eventuality is close to non-existent. Further, you don’t murder people based on the fact that something that they may be doing may be used to create a weapon that may be used against Israel. That’s way too many ifs to justify acts of terror.

      How is Israel “trying to do it right?” Under what basis do you make such a shoddy claim? Israel is just as guilty as Iran (IF Iran committed this act).

  4. “That is, that there is absolutely no context offered about why this incident may’ve happened.”
    Indeed. Here’s the context that Richard Silverstein ignores:
    The Iranian regime launched a de facto war against Israel in the early 1980s. This war is not grounded in any Israeli actions against Iran nor in any territorial dispute, but rather is driven by a fundamentalist religious agenda and by regional hegemonic aspirations.
    Some of the main streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are dotted with memorials to hundreds of Israelis killed by Hamas suicide bombs, which were financed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s regime. This regime denies the Holocaust, calls for Israel’s elimination and insists that it is not only against the government of Israel, but also against its people, whom Khamenei has publicly described as “usurpers.”
    Israel is fully justified in fighting back against this genocidal regime, and has not targeted any innocent Iranian civilians in the process, unlike the raging mullahs. There have been no “bombings of airplanes” by Israel, as claimed here, nor suicide bombings targeting women and children.
    Richard Silverstein – you are both ignorant and an apologist for murder.

    1. What are you dreaming about? What “de facto war?” In the 1980s Iran was fighting a war to the death against Iraq that had nothing to do with Israel. In fact, the Iran-Contra affair revolved around Israel selling missiles to Iran. Or did you forget about that little bit of history? Sure you did. Because you don’t know any history. You know a few selective claims that you articulate as facts, which aren’t.

      So you’re claiming that Israel has never done anything to provoke Iran. Is that right? As for fundamentalist religious agendas & regional hegemonic aspirations, Israel doesn’t have any of those does it? Seems to me you’re the pot calling the kettle..

      You’re full of crap about Hamas terrorist attacks as well. Which hundreds of Israelis killed by terror attacks? And I suppose that Israel hasn’t killed thousands of Palestinian civilians in terror attacks? Oh, right when Israel murders a civilian it’s a somewhat regrettable accident. But when Hamas does, it’s inexcusable bestial terrorism.

      The regime doesn’t deny the Holocaust. The president of the regime denies the Holocaust. This president is not the Supreme Leader of the country either. It doesn’t call for Israel’s elimination either.

      What act of genocide has Iran committed? I’m waiting…still waiting. Oh, we’re having trouble digging up those little factoids aren’t we. When evidence fails just bluff, right?

      I want to hear you concede that if Iranians may be murdered by Israel then Israelis may be murdered by Iran. When I hear that then you’ll be consistent, if not moral. Till then, you’re little more than spewing propaganda, & not very persuasive propaganda at that.

      You don’t even read Ronen Bergman or Yossi Melman if you can make the stupid claim there have been no bombings of Iranian planes. There was at least one in which over 100 Iranians were killed. I’ve posted about it & if you would do your homework you would avoid having mud on your face by denying what is established fact.

      1. The leader denies??? Well, you really ignore the facts. The leader doesn’t call to wipe out Israel of the map? Ohhh…. Yep, now you’ll say that it calls only to wipe out the Zionist regime. Yes… The good old excuse. But no need to argue – r.s is always right.
        Which hundreds of Israelis killed by Hamas terror attacks? Are you kidding me? Really? I think that your anti-israeli opinions probably messed something in your memory cells.
        What acts of genocide has Iran commited? Let’s say that Iran used chemical weapons against Iraqis – civilians and non- civilians.
        And in what context does it appear? As you say that Israel commited a genocide. Your argument probably based on UN reports. As we all know the UN is a very neutral side and reliable too (last week it decided that Sudan, which ita leader is a war crimina, become a memberl of the UN human rights council)… I laughed so much when I read your arguments…
        Really

        1. You said “the regime” denied the Holocaust. It doesn’t. Neither did Ahmadinejad or Khameini call to wipe Israel off the map. We’ve been over & over that one & I wrote an entire post debunking the claim. If you want to spread that nonsense you won’t do it here.

          Iran didn’t use chemical weapons against the Iraqis you nitwit. It was the other way around. Saddam used chemical weapons against Iran.

          I never said Israel “committed a genocide.” Do you even know what the word means? I doubt it.

          1. Jonds seems to know nothing about the Iraqi-Iranian war, but following his defintion of genocide based on the use of chemical weapons, logically he should acknowledge that Israel committed genocide during Cast Lead. Or white phospherous isn’t considered chemical weapons.

        2. “TIME [Magazine]: Your successor [as president of Iran] has said that the Holocaust did not happen. How do you explain that?

          [Former President of Iran] Khatami: I personally believe that he really didn’t deny the existence of Holocaust. I believe the Holocaust is the crime of Nazism. But it is possible that the Holocaust, which is an absolute fact, a historical fact, would be misused. The Holocaust should not be, in any way, an excuse for the suppression of Palestinian rights.”

          In fact, Iran’s government has always recognized the Holocaust. It is the Zionist media machine that chooses to make holocaust denial out of this argument: if Europeans perpetrated the crimes, why should the innocent Palestinians pay for it?

          That is cause to accuse someone of Holocaust denial nowadays? Talk about trying to control thoughts.

          Your misquotes, the mistranslations, and more are just all indicative of this creeping Israeli psychotic behavior that you are in danger so you should go poke the dragon threatening you with a stick.

          First, Iran would pursue a better first strike strategy, easily knowing that Netanyahu would claim Iran did it no matter what, and on the date of the Buenos Aires bombings. This would clearly point the fingers at Iran and we are supposed to assume Iran, the big threat, is too stupid to think. Dates and numbers, by the way, are a major focus of the kaballa, not Iranian modus operandi.

          Here’s the truth: Netanyahu would be more than willing to kill 6 innocent Israelis to start his war with Iran.

          1. The Holocaust is the centerpiece of Zionist propaganda, used to create sympathy with Zionist aims, and this includes Holocaust “Denial” and any other logical possibility regarding the Holocaust. Finkelstein does an incredible hatchet job on the industry born of the Holocaust centered on extortion notably from Switzerland but not the US. The abuse of the historical crime to enable Israel in its murderous and racist endeavors is enough to turn anyone to “denial.” This abuse gives everyone the willies.

            Personally, I don’t doubt Netanyahu would, if he could, stage such a false flag attack to precipitate war. I just no longer think that he can do what he wants in Israel with impunity. I am beginning to understand that the military controls Israel.

        3. IWere it not pathetic, I would laugh heartily at Jonds’ remarks: He makes no argument and presents nothing substantive. He merely snickers in contempt. It is good to have this kind of adolescent swagger on the blog. It reminds us that unexamined opinions reflect only base, rudimentary feelings and nothing more.

      2. [comment deleted–I don’t publish propaganda here–go elsehwere if you want to peddle this crap]

        1. Only in Richard Silverstein’s deluded world are links to news sources like the NYT propaganda; that is, insofar as they don’t line up with his story. Apparently he’d like to deny the fact that the Iranian vice president gave a speech in which he said the Talmud is the source of the world’s drug trade. God forbid it turns out that anyone other than Ahmadinejad is an anti-Semite, because what would Richard Silverstein and his fellow apologists for the Iranian regime do?

          I was right to abandon this blog the first time. Have fun in your little echo chamber of ignorance and hatred.

          1. Iranians can’t be anti-Semitic you cad. Why don’t you educate yourself for two seconds? The country has had Jews for 3,000 years and they are treated just like every other Iranian (with added ability to make homemade liquor — eh hem eh hem).

            They PWN Israel’s record of, what, 63 years STRAINING to have a decent Jewish population? Iran has been doing backstrokes in this regard, even after an ISLAMIC revolution. They couldn’t pay Iran’s Jews $25,000 each to make aaliyah !

            And don’t be stupid, many of Iran’s Jews have relatives in Israel concurrently! Just like they have relatives in the US! They live comfortably, and in a paradigm to contrast them with you, practice their religion more than they pretend to others that they do.

            Your idea of freedom is to do the very same things you are falsely accusing others of doing to Jews to Iranians and others as you please.

            You are not “abandoning” this blog. You are part of a team. Your playbook is generic and repetitive. Go dig up another quote from Richard to use against him 2323232 blogs deep, “Bob”.

          2. “Mark Kerpin” — Iranians are “anti-Semites? Is that right? Is this now the hard core of your current thinking? So this is it? Wow! Anti-Semites, huh? Jeez! Thanks for the insight. Of course, how could I have overlook it: Anyone who opposes Zionism and the State of Israel is an anti-Semite! Come on now, you didn’t come to this conclusion all on your own, out of the blue, did you? Surely, you’ve had special hard training including many hours of study and thinking to have come to such a startling and hitherto unknown thought. But now, Because of you, I’m gonna have to rethink everything. Thanks. (I just can’t get over it — anti-semites, who would have thought…what will they think of next…)

          3. I never said the NYT was “propaganda” & you better be careful w yr attributions. Someone else here may’ve said it, but I didn’t. If you continue such misattributions you’ll be history.

            I don’t give a crap what the Iranian VP said. His importance in the grand scheme of things in Iran or anywhere else in the world is akin to the guy who cleans public toilets somewhere in outer Siberia. It means exactly zilch in terms of reflecting the views of the guy who wields power in Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei.

            I deleted one comment of yrs in which you tried to publish a laundry list of propaganda attacks on Iran. I did that because not only was this propaganda rather than argument, it was completely off topic. I’m not pulling the trigger on you because I’m trying to restrain myself. But attempting to reintroduce material from a comment I deleted as you have here is friggin’ cheeky. I put you on warning.

            You were right to abandon this blog. It contains far too much reality for you to absorb.

  5. Not saying it couldn’t have been Iran, but the facts need to be gathered first, especially given the multitude of enemies Israel has. Very irresponsible by Netanyahu. It has shades of how Bush used 9/11 to justify the war in Iraq.

    1. No, because you seem to be a reasonable and logical human being you should coolly state that it couldn’t have been Iran. What would be the point? Does that sound like a smart first strike to you?

  6. Terror works, if used skilfully and that means framing it appropriately. It got the British out of Palestine. It knocked off some important scientists in Iran. There is a superpower that will overlook it while at the same time shipping every weapon you can think of to Israel while almost weekly Congressional resolutions of support are issued. The holocaust framed the issue in a way that Israel can use endlessly as it promotes itself as the only safe haven for Jews. “They’re at it again!” is always ready for the play button to be pressed.

    Not least, the fury it engenders will result sooner or later in an act of retribution which is just what the doctor ordered as an excuse for attack. The pre-pre-emptive* attack that Netanyahu is chafing to order awaits such an excuse. Innocent people killed is certainly more powerful imagery than, say, claiming anti-German prejudice in the Sudetenland that must be resolved.

    Framing is the perfect word to use because that’s what politicians do, whether it is Hillary Clinton or Bashar al-Assad or Bibi – make things look as you want them to appear, whatever the facts are, so that opinion can be swayed in your direction. Apparent justice is uppermost, real justice only to be had when it coincides with the retention of power, and that coincidence is rare.

    *pre-pre-emptive: there is no bomb, there is no capability to produce a bomb, there is no weapons grade uranium, there is no stated policy to create a bomb. Nevertheless, any scientist connected with uranium processing in Iran is pre-pre-guilty, not innocent as are, say, bus passengers.

  7. This attack has NONE of the hallmarks of Iran. Iran’s attacks are much more pinpointed, like the recent attempts of tit-for-tat motorcycle attacks against Israeli diplomats. It was Iran’s scientists and infrastructure that were attacked by Israel, and the response will be proportionate. Iran is NOT a crazy country. It is a very sophisticated player on the world stage.

    Iran would NOT gain by killing a half dozen innocent tourists. Killing tourists only confers halos of victimization upon Israel. And shows the killers to be monsters. Iran DOES NOT want to look like a monster.

    Much more likely some other crazed player. I also suspect Russian proxies…or maybe the Israelis themselves, Bibi has just the rotten morals for such a set-up…no way to know…

    Obviously Israel’s response will be to demonize Iran as much as possible, why not, it’s a free space on the board. But Israel won’t bomb Iran.

    1. Pshhhh. Nice analizing. Do you Prove that Israel killed scientists?
      Holocaust denier doesn’t want to look like a monster? Nice joke.
      You suspect Russian proxies or the Israeli themselves? Again, nice joke.

  8. revenge is not “moral relativism”, it’s “retributive ethics” – an old tribal moral standpoint which is highly problematic; I would think twice to use this view in any moral argument; unfortunately, retributive ethics is the heart of international diplomacy, where it is called “reciprocity”.

  9. Latest news: the suicide bomber apparently was Mehdi Ghezali, a Swedish citizen born in Stockholm to a Finnish mother and an Algerian father, former prisoner of Guantanamo. Yeah, it really looks like Iran was behind, doesn’t it ? Well, the medival philosopher, al-Ghazâlî, was born in what’s modern Iran. There might be something to spin on that, or his first name Mehdi, like the Mahdi that the Shia-Muslims are waiting for. I guess this is proof enough to bomb Iran.

  10. They have named “Mehdi Ghezali”. Anyone can see the person in the video has neither the physicality, gait nor mannerisms of an Iranian by any regard despite the clip being short and looking like he was taking a non-nervous and casual glance at where/when his bus would be leaving (like everyone else). Google Shaun White — maybe it was him? Surprise! The “terrorists” documents were immaculate (SURPRISE! No one will question this!) despite the supposed terrorist suffering the most damage out of anyone in a blacked-out, blown out bus. Of course, in any explosion, SOMEONE suffers the most damage. It’s just not indicative that it was the terrorist over a victim!

    Now the obvious questions:
    1- http://photoimagine.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/img_3397x1.jpg?w=720 When did Mehdi Ghezali become a stick figure, carrot top (redhead)? This would require a complete change in body type.

    2- why would the suicide bomber bear any identification, particularly US identification with arbitrary locations — one likely indicating “Islamic” origin (Michigan is known to be home to many Arabs — not Iranians, but this is a point overlooked by those who wish to spread Islamophobia)?

    3- Why would Iran do this on the same day that Buenos Aires happened without knowing it would lead possibly to an Israeli retaliation and then full out war? Meir Dagan and others in the REAL Israeli leadership made it clear who was messianic and wanted war at all costs. Iran made it clear they do NOT want war. If Iran were to commit an overt act like this, it would not kill 6 innocent tourists in Bulgaria. It would go for the jugular.

    4- Lavon Affair?

  11. According to the Bulgarian authorities, the name of the suicide attacker is Mehdi Ghezali. There is a Mehdi Ghezali who was in Guantanamo Bay from 2002-2004, but was released to Sweden. He is a Swedish citizen. Is he the same? I do not know yet. But, if he is, the whole propaganda “Iran is the culprit” collapses.

    1. I looked through the Scandinavian press, and Ekstrabladet (DK) and Aftonbladet (Sweden) have an interview with some Swedish intelligency officer saying that it isn’t Mehdi Ghezali (who is the person you referred to). It’s really all new, but the guy, Ericsson or whatever, says the Bulgarians made a mistake.
      To be followed….

    1. Just an answser… probably not, as these terrorist attacks always are intended to kill random targets, increasing the fear in others.

      But there were a many innocent tourists who were mothers, fathers, sons and daughters.
      And among the six killed were Kokava Shriki (42), who recently discovered she was finally pregnant after years of fertility treatment; Amir Mensashe (28) , Itzik Kolingri (28) who were with their intended brides; and two childhood friends Elior Price (24) and Maor Harosh (26) Their other childhood friend, Daniel Pechami is still fighting for his life (information via Friday’s Yediot Achronot edition)…. nice of you to inquire.

      As to the point of RS’s post. I whole-heartedly agree with his first paragraph. As to the rest of the post trying to add context to this tragedy…. well I’m sure it gives much solace to the survivors and victim’s families why these people were randomly attacked.

      The only (in)human attribute brought out here is that terrorist attacks have no justificiation. The light it sheds on the purpetrators is that they lack any compassion and have no regard for life and don’t care who they kill. Any rationale to explain why innocents are killed is a slap in their face of humanit. There is no valid explanation other than they were “israeli’s”… or maybe even “Jews” (don’t know). And if this has been another random group of individuals, justificiation still can’t be attributed to a random group of people… even if from the same country.

      If you want to try and explain the conflict between Israel and Iran and the fact that certain people might be targeted, that might be understandable… I can even understand (perhaps not agree) explaining why someone who is involved with a certain professional group or whos actions might endager his/her life ( a soldier, a scientist, a political agent…whatever).

      But a polemic to try and show this terrorist or this group of terrorists (nobody yet knows where he/they are from… it might not even be Iran… though evidence and some experts say it has their “handwriting” all over the attack, as well as Iranian statements Thursday evening intimating as showin approval or even taking credit…no outright claim yet) as “human beings possessing all the emotions of human beings”, well I don’t buy that.

      The random killing of any group… Palestinians, Israelis, Italians or Canadians for that matter does not deserve to be mitigated into having any human characteristics. To do so insults the vicitms of the tragedy because you cannot attach blame to an innocent victim of a random attack.

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