Extremism Breeds Extremism

NYT JERUSALEM—In a blunt and belligerent speech on his first day as Israel’s new foreign minister, the hawkish nationalist Avigdor Lieberman declared Wednesday that “those who wish for peace should prepare for war” and that Israel was not obligated by understandings on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reached at an American-sponsored peace conference in late 2007.

I received this letter from a friend today: Early this afternoon an Arab Terrorist attacked children in the center of the yishuv. Shlomo Nativ, 14, was killed by ax blows to his head, and another boy, Yair (ben Michal) Gamliel was injured. His father, Ofer Gamliel, btw, is in prison for an unsuccessful attack against arabs.

Our son Chaim, on the rapid response team, received an alert that an attack had taken place and that the arab(s) had run off in a certain direction. He gave chase on his motorcycle and on an overgrown track seriously banged a foot, managing to continue on bike and later on foot into the arab village and capture a suspect. Only afterward, about 15 minutes ago, he was taken by ambulance to Shaarei Tzedek Hospital for x-rays, etc.
The funeral is this afternoon at 5.