British MP Jenny Tonge, who ran into trouble last month for her remarks in "empathy" with suicide bombing, has done it again. She was sent by BBC Radio 4's Today show to meet families and victims of suicide bombers, and filed this report (thanks to Andy Bannister for the link).
My remarks last month, expressing empathy with suicide bombers, had been misinterpreted by the tabloids as meaning sympathy and approval.It was, therefore, with some trepidation that I travelled from Jerusalem to the checkpoint out to Bethlehem and the Occupied Territories. . . .
In Israel, the armed forces have F16 fighter planes, helicopter gun-ships, tanks, even nuclear weapons.
The disparity was pointed out to me by a civil society group in Bethlehem, when I asked why Palestinians used suicide bombers.
"Tell the US to give us the arms that Israel has and we will stop such attacks," was the response.
What then is the explanation for suicide bombings against civilians in Chechnya, Kashmir, Bali, etc.?
We met up with some al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade terrorists after lurking guiltily in Manger Square waiting for them to arrive.We were taken to a safe Christian house, where two bearded, shaded, skull-capped men, one with a black Kalashnikov, sat on a sofa near a huge wall hanging of Jesus the Good Shepherd.
They had heard about my remarks and were pleased that I understood the reasons why they were terrorists, even "proud" of me. This was spine-chilling.
More re-assuring was the statement that they now accepted that Israel had a right to exist and their campaign would stop when Israel withdrew to its 1967 borders, removed settlements and returned Jerusalem to the Palestinians.
It is a different message from the one we have been used to.
Yet one to be taken at face value, Ms. Tonge?
We visited the family of a suicide bomber. The stories of indoctrination of little children right through their schooldays didn't seem to apply here.The brothers of Mohamed showed no signs of this and his mother claimed she had no idea her son was planning this until the al-Aqsa Brigade delivered his "memorial" picture taken before the mission.
It is certainly true that suicide bombers are regarded as national heroes here, but what else do they have - born out of despair and the desire to resist occupation, laced with religious belief.
Civilian targets are chosen because there is no way of getting at military targets.
That may be the most credulity-straining phrase in this whole piece. It also blissfully ignores the many justifications issued by Islamic spokesmen for attacks against civilians, proclaiming that "there are no civilians in Israel."
We visited the spot where the Angel Gabriel "came down" to the shepherds in their fields and drove back to Jerusalem as a rainbow formed over the golden city - surely one of the most beautiful places on earth.The next day back in Israel, I couldn't find anyone who was willing to see why the Palestinians resorted to suicide attacks.
You don't say!
Some of the Israeli arguments had truth in them, but it was all so negative.
Well then, how could they be true? The truth is always positive, of course!
Until, late in the day, we met a single mother whose 15-year-old daughter had been killed in the local supermarket by an 18-year-old female suicide bomber.Grief-stricken, she had tried to contact the bomber's family, only to find they were "proud" of their daughter.
The idea that anyone could see this kind of thing justified in any way is barbaric.
But then she received a letter from a Palestinian mother expressing her condolences and asking for a meeting. Her young, civilian son had been killed by an Israeli soldier. They were going to meet.I left this woman feeling that there was the first sign of reconciliation; we know there are many such people in Israel and Palestine, fed up with the stupidity of their leaders.
I hope these people win out in the end. But Tonge isn't helping.
To Jenny Tonge:
I'd like see how you'd "feel" when you see your baby or grandchild's body in bloody parts, strewn on the street - just because YOU are a stupid woman. Israelis are blown up for being Jews. Should you be blown up for being a stupid woman? Can you answer that question? I think the British are a bunch of hateful hypocrites....should I blow them up; murder them because I don't have F-16's? Should I kill all British because I'm only one small POOR person? Should I blow up the British for the killing of Jews after WWII? For the British lies to Jews that caused their death? For supplying the Muslims with weapons to kill Jews in the 30's and 40's (and beyond - and even NOW?) in the Jewish homeland that the Brits promised to the Jews - then took away 80% to give to ANOTHER ARAB COUNTRY - then abandoned to let the UN partition the small 20% left to the Jews? Should I? According to you - it seems I'd have the right to do this. And the Muslims have the right to kill the Jews for "occupying" the Muslims Land? Are you delusional? Bi-Polar? In need of mental assistance? I DO BELIEVE YOU ARE!
Did you ever wonder why the Muslims live the way they do? Does Arafat come to mind? Does the Arab world come to mind? Oh, I get it -----BLAME THE JEWS. With all the evidence around you, you choose to be blindsided by propaganda and your hatred of all things Jewish. Do you think you could actually LOOK AROUND AND FIGURE OUT WHY THE MUSLIMS OR "PALESTINIANS" LIVE THE WAY THEY DO? Can you REMIND ME OF HOW MUCH MONEY THE EU AND OTHER COUNTRIES GIVE TO ARAFAT- EACH AND EVERY YEAR? CAN YOU REMIND ME OF HOW MANY PROGRAMS AND FUNDS THE UN DEVOTES TO THE TERRORIST ARAFAT and "PALESTINE"? Can you remember any History of the "conflict" and history of the crimes of the Muslims living in the "occupied" territories and BEYOND? It is obvious you have no answers to any of these questions. Therefore, you are either ignorant or you CHOOSE TO IGNORE ANY OF THESE FACTS. Ah, those PESKY FACTS ALWAYS GET IN THE WAY in your JUDGMENTS - now DON'T THEY?????
Be careful what you wish for - you may get it. Do you really believe that once these terrorists that you "coddle" will not later go after the non-Jews, once they feel they have killed all the Jews? You are mistaken if you think that by supporting terrorists you will not be affected. Didn't you ever hear the Muslims say "First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people"? Don't you understand what that means? OF COURSE YOU DON'T! Are you blind? Are you deaf? Are you Dumb? Yes, I do believe you lack any sense or any education whatsoever.
May God PUNISH you with the hell you have given others - namely Israelis and Jews around the world, as well as all countries trying to fight this very terror that the Muslims have made popular ALL OVER THE WORLD!. It is because of people like you that TERRORISM is a MAJOR THREAT TO ALL IN THE WORLD TODAY!
You should be wrapped in shame and disgrace.
I just have one question... How do you sleep at night? Have you ever read a history book or taken a history class? If you HAD, you would know the truth. Instead, you've been bought by propaganda or your own hatred for Jews - OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH. Do us all a favor, get an education! You sicken ALL REASONABLE AND RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE trying to stop the crime of murder and genocide - BY TERRORISTS.
This clears everything up for me its all the Jews fault. What a load of crap the Muslim's will NEVER co-exist with the jews and Arafat has said so (of course not in english) the goal is to push them to the sea as it has always been. And the reason America supports Israel is its the only free country in the middle east. And she is surrounded by enemy states. People say that when one runs out of hope these things happen I say it has more to do with hate.
What an ignorant woman (if you can even call her that)
The fight because the Jews have better weapons?
What do you think will happen if the Jews laid down their weapons?
"palistinians" (the very word is a lie) Live that way because their cause is one big LIE!
In a way, I'm glad she's British, because each and every year, the Jihadists in her own country are becomming more and more violent, and will eventually rule the UK.
I wonder if then this silly bitch of a woman will see the truth of what these people really are?
It's people like Ms. Tonge who have helped legitimize murder. How many times do we hear, "it's the only weapon the poor 'Palestinians' have", meaning suicide bombers.
All the propaganda against Israel and the Jewish people has approached levels unseen since before the Holocaust.
BTW, I'm getting hate mail re:comments I posted on this site, and I'm wondering if anyone else is.
"Tell the US to give us the arms that Israel has and we will stop (suicide) attacks"
LOL - you couldn't make it up. Reminds me of the Taleban - when asked why they used they used the UN-built football stadium for publice executions, the mullah replied "Build us a publice execution stadium, then we won't have to".
What is a mystery to me is why dozy peaceniks like Jenny Tonge don't believe these monsters when they state the obvious.
Ms Tonge will, I am sure after reading this, surely be mocked and will probably loose her job as an MP. With a bit of luck, she will be so desperate as to consider blowing herself up!
Let me know if I can contribute some money towards the purchase of the dynamite.
We better stop issuing the Brits visas and start looking for inner tube floaters as they escape from Jihadists as the Cubans have had to escape Cuba. Seriously, here in America, we better do something quickly before WE end up the same way.
Jenny Tonge is "chilled" that pro-suicide-bombers are pleased with her sympathetic remarks. Umm, tell me another one. First sympathize with murderers and then pretend you are "chilled" when they express gratitude for the sympathy.
I agree; Britain is no longer trustworthy as our closest ally with people like this running the government.
Susan - OK up until the last sentence. Jenny Tonge is hardly running the UK government, in fact she was expelled from the opposition party (Lib Dems) for her comments expressing suicide bombers. So get your facts right before tarring the UK with the same brush as the jihadis, France etc
Okay, I apologize, Interested. But the UK still allows the BBC to run rampant and it is the most anti-American and pro-Islamic Western
"news" organization I know of.
And the day is not far from coming when the UK will have so many Muslim citizens that it will be unable to maintain its special relationship with the US no matter what the indigenous British population may have to say about the matter. Prince Charles is pro-Islam and I rue the day when his mother passes on.
I don't mean to single out Britain; The same with the rest of NATO of course.
When Bush said: either you are with us or against us, he meant it. The leftists that support the islamonazis need to be physically warred against with the same violence that we use against the subhuman moon-god worshippers.
Susan - totally with you about the BBC. The Kilroy affair was sickening.
At the moment muslims are about 3% of the UK population, and of those not all are militant jihadis. But I agree they should be watched more closely than, say, Bhuddists.
Regarding Prince Charles, the present queen is in good health, and it may be that Charles' reign will be very short before we get Prince William. I think the Prince's pro-Islam stance comes from a vague lefty wooliness rather than anything militant, but nevertheless it is of concern.
Many interesting comments about Tonge's insanity and utter lack of morals. Strange that a doctor, who is bound by the Hippocratic Oath to 'First, Do No Harm', should fancy herself a suicide bombing mass murderer of Israeli men, women and children. Then again, let's consider other doctors who 'support' suicide bombings and the destruction of Israel: Dr. Abdul Rantisi co-founder of Hamas (deceased, by Israel!), Dr. Fathi Shakaki founder of Islamic Jihad (deceased, by Israel!). Dr. Tonge and her supporters have found their true level in the world.