Israeli security forces have placed the identity of the attacker who murdered two Israelis in an apparent terror attack in Tel Aviv earlier today under gag order. But I can tell you that he is/was Nash’aat Milhem, 30, of the northern Israeli village of Ara’ra near Wadi Ara. He has not been apprehended and is still at large. Israeli media report that he began his radicalization after a close relative of his was killed by Israelis in 2006. Milhem served five years in an Israeli prison for assaulting an IDF soldier and trying to steal his M16. Media also reports that the alleged attacker’s father said he had come under the spell of ISIS recently. But to claim this attack for that Islamist group as the foolish Daily Fail has done, is nonsense because Palestinians don’t need such outside motivation. They have plenty of reasons to become radicalized that are quite close to home.
The latest death count for the Intifada is 23 Israelis killed and over 130 Palestinians. Israel claims 85 of those killed were involved in a terror attack. Though that number has not been independently confirmed, it’s been clear that many of those who perpetrate attacks are killed in cold blood after they no longer pose any danger to anyone. Nor do the vast majority of these attacks result in Israeli fatalities. And even if that were not true, it still leaves nearly one-third of the Palestinian dead as pure victims having nothing to do with terror.
There can be no doubt that Milhem will not be apprehended alive. Israel’s security services specialize in confronting Palestinian militants dedicated to going out in a blaze of resistance and glory. They are inevitably killed after being asked to surrender and then responding with a hail of bullets, to which security forces had no choice but to respond, killing the suspect in the process.
There can be no doubt that any Palestinian who kills Israeli civilians has committed a heinous crime. But there can also be no doubt that justice demands arrest rather than summary execution. Israel no longer believes in such niceties of the rule of law and democracy. They have gone out the window as the violence and killing has intensified.
Gideon Levy writes about one such unfortunate soul (there are many others I’ve posted about here as well): a Palestinian mother of four who was hurrying home to feed her baby. When hailed by Border Police to stop, she did not do so. For her trouble, and though she offered no threat to anyone, she was sprayed with 17 bullets. For many Israelis, these are the unfortunate casualties of a conflict caused by Palestinians. So they, Israelis, can be sad for the toll, but certainly not responsible. Which is a view typical of the moral myopia that reflects much of Israeli thinking.
In truth this Intifada, which started as a Palestinian reaction to Israel blocking access to free worship at the Muslim holy site, Al Aqsa, has been vastly exacerbated by Israeli security forces overreaction to the violence. It is Israel who originated this Intifada and the rivers of Palestinian blood spilled further feed the flames.
Is Israel worth saving as a country? Is anyone strong enough to pull the leash back? Is there such a person?
The answer to all, is NO. We are searching for goodness, a miracle. WE ARE THE ANGRY PEOPLE who gave rise to such things as
Donald Trump. Israel’s voice is ANGER, HATE, REVENGE, GREED, has there been of late ANY ACT OF DECENCY coming out of the
Government, Knesset, Public anyone please. NO NO and NO. Good people scour underground, the voice of sanity Sarid gave up and went to better place. Richard, your work to debunk liars is endless. The whole government is based on lies, none of the laws are based on fair play. No
The newspapers can’t cope with the riverS of bad, neither do you. at this we get, IS ISRAEL WORTH SAVING, IS ISRAEL ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE SURROUNDING SEA OF EVIL. please do not mention democracy, rule of FEAR (arabs are coming) is NOT DEMOCRACY. even that, what GOOD GOVERNANCE did THAT DEMOCRACY generate.
There is NOTHING jewish in this Israel.
I don’t see much difference between emptying a pistol into a crowded pub, and tossing a molotov cocktail into a private home.
Have I missed something?
Drug and alcohol abuse, and a hard-on for cops.
http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3083,00.html
All Israel’s fault.
@Richard- “In truth this Intifada, which started as a Palestinian reaction to Israel blocking access to free worship at the Muslim holy site, Al Aqsa, has been vastly exacerbated by Israeli security forces overreaction to the violence. It is Israel who originated this Intifada and the rivers of Palestinian blood spilled further feed the flames.”
And herein lies your philosophy of “truth”: Palestinian violence is always only a “reaction”. Israel either “originates” the violence or overreacts violently.
This ignores both facts and context. Facts, because the violence started due to a false rumor about a change in Al Aqsa access rules. The Palestinians continue to perpetuate this false accusation. They wouldn’t even accept Jordanian verification procedures to confirm this.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-violence-palestinians-reject-scheme-to-uphold-status-quo-with-cameras-at-jerusalems-al-aqsa-a6708601.html
Context, because the PA and Hamas, the representatives of most Palestinians, support the uprising. Abbas has refused to condemn it. Not because of this or that Israeli reaction, but because they think it is the right strategy to weaken Israel.
If Jewish apartheid fascist racist Israel stopped breaking international law, and stopped violating human rights, and stopped persecuting the people whose stolen land it’s illegally occupying, then this vicious circle of violence would end. Simple.
And your prescription for Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon is……?
Barbar January 2, 2016, 8:00 AM
“I don’t see much difference between emptying a pistol into a crowded pub, and tossing a molotov cocktail into a private home.
Have I missed something?”
No, you haven’t missed anything Barbar. This is the direct result of Jewish apartheid fascist racist Israel’s continued occupation, ethnic cleansing, and persecution of the Palestinian people. It’s as simple as that.
He is talking about Israel. You want to talk Syria, go to that blog.
There is something odd about this case, which I cannot grasp. It is tragic that an unbalanced or embittered young man started firing a gun in a public place. In my view, an atrocious crime.
But the reaction of the Israeli authorities is puzzling – it is muffled. They are not going all out to catch him, as one would expect. Why is his name under a gag order in Israel? They should have published his name, his picture, and a circulation notice saying “believed to be armed and dangerous, do not approach him. If you see this man alert the authorities.” But they didn’t. His name only came out because Arabs who knew him, recognised it from the surveillance video, and leaked it to the media.
Also, there has been another crime. A taxi driver was found murdered, near Jerusalem. Is this linked? Was the taxi his get away? Again, we don’t know anything, because this other death is strictly under ANOTHER GAG ORDER.
What is with the gag orders? When engaged in a man hunt, the authorities usually rely upon tips from the public.
His picture and name are all over the Israeli press.
@ menachem: Menachem buddy, let me let you in on a little secret. I’m not clarivoyant. When I write a post in which I break a major story or a gagged suspects name, I can’t predict what will happen hours or days later. Things happen. Censors change their minds. Editors get balls. Sometimes these things happen because I broke the gag.
In this case, a few hours after I published this post the gag was removed. So tant pis (that translates roughly to “tough piss”), Charlie. You earn no Gotcha points on this one. But do keep trying. One of these days before you’re 94, you’ll catch me out.