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DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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editorial
Arthur M. Horwitz
Publisher / Executive Editor
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
In Desperation, Palestinians Blame Brussels On Israel
F. Kevin Browett
Chief Operating Officer
kbrowett@renmedia.us
I
n the throes of ISIS claiming responsi-
bility for the March 22 terror attacks on
Brussels, a Palestinian security official
posited that Israel, and by extension its ally
America, instigated the mayhem.
How? By being the mastermind behind
the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the
terrorist organization that stepped up to
wreak havoc in the Middle East when Al
Qaida began to splinter.
To conjure up such a wild notion to help
deflect global attention from the seem-
ingly intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
Palestinian Authority (P.A.) leaders at Fatah
headquarters clearly embraced fantasizing.
In a Facebook post on March 24, P.A.
Security Forces spokesman Adnan Damiri
wondered if the Brussels onslaught, which
killed at least 35 people and injured more
than 200, was a byproduct of increasing
European government support for a state
of Palestine and the boycott of Israeli set-
tlement products. Israel, he implied, struck
via its “ally” ISIS in reaction.
The same day in the official P.A. daily
newspaper Al Hayat Al Jadida, Fatah
Revolutionary Council member Muwaffaq
Matar questioned why the Paris terrorist
attacks last November and the terrorism in
Brussels occurred just as European support
for Palestinian statehood was growing. He
argued that France is a major proponent
for advancing statehood and that Belgium
is a key advocate for boycotting Israeli
settlement products — supposedly giving
Israel cause to rally its “forces,” namely
ISIS, against them.
ISIS, Matar maintained, isn’t capable of
attacking “whenever or however it wants.”
Zionists, however, “have penetrated ISIS
to the core because ISIS is their modern
means to take revenge on Europe and rip
its heart out.”
ISIS itself proclaimed the siege on
Brussels was in response to Belgium’s
support of the U.S.-led coalition fighting
against the group.
ABBAS DOUBLETALK
In sharp contrast, P.A. President
Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Brussels
bombing attacks and offered sympathy
to families of those killed and injured,
according to Wafa, the Palestinian News
Agency. He “affirmed that the Palestinian
Authority and the Palestinian people
abhor terrorism and reject attacking civil-
ians.”
He neglected to mention the five-month
wave of stabbing, knifing and car attacks
on Israeli civilians and soldiers by young
Palestinians who don’t appear to be orga-
nized, but who all apparently seek “mar-
tyrdom from Allah.”
Nor did Abbas cite Fatah’s terrorist
wing, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which
has sanctioned repeated terrorist strikes
against Israelis over the years, or to Gaza
Strip-ruling and potential unity partner
Hamas and its terrorist forces in the
Izzedine Al Qassam Brigades.
A SWIFT OFFER
In a phone conversation with Belgian
Prime Minister Charles Michel, Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
notably wasted no time offering Israeli
support to combat terror. He stressed how
“terrorism does not distinguish between
countries.”
While the Palestinian Authority inexpli-
cably dragged Israel into the global glare
of possible perpetrators of the assault on
Brussels, Israel didn’t hesitate to correctly
lay blame on ISIS and extend humanitar-
ian aid.
Still, much of the world considers Israel
an “oppressive obstructionist enemy” of
the Palestinians and the barrier to renewed
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, despite
Jerusalem practically begging Ramallah to
re-engage in direct bilateral negotiations
with no preconditions.
*
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guest column
Community Preparedness
T
he March 7 Jewish News
On Jan. 13-14 and March 7-8,
cover article regarding
a group of 30 community vol-
Rabbi Morris Adler’s
unteers and Jewish communal
tragic death so many years ago
professionals gathered to receive
highlighted the importance of
crisis responder training from
community preparedness in the
the crisis response organization
face of crisis and tragedy.
Project Chai, a division of Chai
Jewish Family Service is a
Lifeline.
key support in responding to
JFS is happy to report that our
Shari-Beth
community crises, be it a fire in Goldman
community now has two teams
a residential complex, a tragic
of trained volunteer respond-
accident at a summer camp or the 2014
ers available should we once again face
flooding in our area. We quickly mobi-
a tragedy. In addition to being skilled
lize our team to provide emotional sup-
at providing immediate support to help
port, reassurance and help identifying
mitigate trauma, volunteer responders
other priority needs in any specific crisis are trained to identify individuals dis-
situation.
playing, or who are at risk for, a severe
To augment JFS’ professional services, trauma reaction that may require medi-
in 2015, Jewish Family Service was
cal attention.
awarded a grant from the Jewish Fund
In addition to the capacity to provide
to better prepare our community to
an immediate crisis response, Jewish
respond to tragic events such as natural
Family Service has a full range of ser-
disasters or shooter incidents.
vices available to help on a longer-term
6 April 7 • 2016
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basis. Professional staff provides assis-
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