viewpoints » S end letters to: letters@thejewishnews.com DETROIT JEWISH NEWS theJEWISHNEWS.com 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. * | Editorial Managing Editor: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@renmedia.us Story Development Editor: Keri Guten Cohen kcohen@thejewishnews.com Arts & Life Editor: Lynne Konstantin lkonstantin@renmedia.us Senior Copy Editor: David Sachs dsachs@renmedia.us Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@renmedia.us Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar rsklar@renmedia.us Contributing Writers: Ruthan Brodsky, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Don Cohen, Shari S. Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Adam Finkel, Ryan Fishman, Stacy Gittleman, Judy Greenwald, Ronelle Grier, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Harry Kirsbaum, Barbara Lewis, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, Steve Stein | Creative Services Corporate Creative Director: Deborah Schultz dschultz@renmedia.us Graphic Designer: Rebecca Schock | Advertising Sales Sales Director: Keith Farber kfarber@renmedia.us Account Executives : Kathryn Andros, Wendy Flusty, Vivian Friedman, Andrea Gusho, Annette Kizy, Paige Lustig Sales Manager Assistants : Joelle Harder, Karen Marzolf | Business Offices Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner Collections Analyst: Hazel Bender | Production By FARAGO & ASSOCIATES Manager: Scott Drzewiecki Designers: Amy Pollard, Pam Sherevan, Michelle Sheridan, Susan Walker | Detroit Jewish News Chairman: Michael H. Steinhardt President/Publisher: Arthur M. Horwitz ahorwitz@renmedia.us Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett kbrowett@renmedia.us Controller: Craig R. Phipps Corporate Creative Director: Deborah Schultz dschultz@renmedia.us 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 | Fulfillment basis. Professional staff provides assis- tance with developing and navigating a plan to rebuild following a disaster that impacts basic needs such as housing or food access. Master’s and doctoral level psychotherapists are available to address acute stress and prolonged post- traumatic reactions. And our Resource Center will help locate the correct resource if we don’t have the service within Jewish Family Service. To request assistance from a crisis responder team or for help dealing with personal crisis, contact the Jewish Family Service Resource Center at (248) 592-2313. On evenings and weekends, a crisis responder team can be accessed through an answering service by dial- ing (248) 592-2300 and entering option 7. circulationdesk@thejewishnews.com Customer Service Manager: Zena Davis | Departments General Offi ces: 248-354-6060 Advertising: 248-351-5107 Advertising Fax: 248-304-0049 Circulation: 248-351-5174 Classifi ed Ads: 248-351-5116 Advertising Deadline: Monday, 2 p.m. Editorial Fax: 248-304-8885 Deadline: All public and social announcements must be typewritten and received by noon Tuesday, nine days prior to desired date of publication. 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