Hallel Yaffa Ariel, the 13-year-old victim of a brutal attack
On the murder of 13-year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel
Hallel Yaffa Ariel, a 13-year-old Israeli girl, was murdered when a terrorist broke into her house in Kiryat Arba and stabbed her in her bed. Can we stop such murderous attacks from happening? And if so, how?
By Paul Mirbach
There is no way that a person who sneaks into a house and slits the throat of a sleeping and defenceless little girl can be considered a hero. In fact, I cannot think of a more cowardly and perfidious act. A hero is someone whose selfless act of bravery saves the life of another. There is absolutely nothing heroic in this barbaric, terrorist crime of hate committed by 17-year-old Muhammad Tarayreh.
Muhammad Tarayreh’s mother has stated that she is proud of her son, which is testament to how hate for Jews and Israel has been imbibed by Palestinian children. His uncle, Rajeh Tarayreh, told The Associated Press that the family was hosting a celebration. How do we reconcile our differences with people who so fanatically and passionately reject our existence? Yet we must, or we are destined to live by the sword for generations. The burden of this conflict is already too heavy to bear.
I can think of nothing more despicable that the Palestinian Authority’s endorsement of this cowardly act by bestowing upon him the “honour” of hero and martyr. This is pathetic. They are so desperate for heroes, because they have none, that they have to look for heroes among such cowardly, snivelling excuses of humanity. Furthermore, it is clear to me that the complete lack of communication between Abbas and Netanyahu has played a part in Abbas’s recalcitrant entrenchment and adoption of such a sickening stance. Abbas has exposed himself as a cowardly, short-sighted “leader,” a man incapable of looking beyond his decades-old hatred and enmity.
Can we stop such murderous attacks from happening? And if so, how? Retaliation is one option but it will inevitably induce further violence, and its effect is short term at best. Another question: Why are our people being killed? Yes, the Palestinians despise us and reject our right to a homeland, and that is unlikely to change. But there is also an explosion of resentment and frustration. That is something that we can work to reduce and perhaps alleviate. We owe it to those that lost their lives, that others don’t follow in their footsteps.
When someone enters your comfort zone and encroaches on your personal space, you feel threatened and you push them back. When a neighbour encroaches on what you consider to be your property and you feel helpless to stop him because he is stronger then you, your resentment builds and you look for an outlet for your frustration. Let’s be clear: This is not a justification or a political statement and it’s not about whether the West Bank belongs to us. This is a description of human nature. As a former student of criminology I can tell you that statistically the major causes of violent assaults and murder are frustration and resentment.
When I heard of the attack on Hallel Yaffa Ariel and the fact that it occurred in Kiryat Arba, a stone’s throw away from Hebron, the thought that jumped to my mind was: Which sane white family in South Africa, for example, would consciously and willingly choose to go and live in the heart of Soweto, putting his entire family’s life at risk?
Food for thought. I will leave you with that.
Paul Mirbach was born in Zimbabwe. He made Aliyah in 1982, and with the help of fellow pioneers, built Kibbutz Tuval from nothing but rocks and mud. Today, he still lives on the kibbutz he helped to build. He loves jogging, football and rugby.
