As the first plane hit, I was exiting the subways in downtown Manhattan, about 6 blocks away from the World Trade Center, on my way to work. A hideous and surreal day, nay, week, ensued. I wound up taking that entire week off from my courses, I would spontaneously burst into fits of sobbing. And now, a year later, here we are again. Only this time I actually work about 3 blocks away, off of Wall Street way downtown. I\'m sitting at my desk, unable to concentrate on my work, eyes tearing sporadically as I think of what has happened, all of the stories. *sighs*
I\'d like to think I have a relatively unique perspective on 9/11, being an Israeli/American (/Chilean/Argentine) living in New York currently. I spent four years (1996-2000) living in the Tel-Aviv area as well, that being Israel, btw. I\'ve always known that we Americans are generally very close/narrow-minded about world events, but 9/11 truly brought out all of the ugly little truths. Claims that Jews were inconspicuously absent in very large numbers during the WTC incident... rumors that it was all set up by Israel to discredit the Arab world... So what if 400 Jews didn\'t show up to work at the Twin Towers that day? How many people were actually there when the planes hit? 10,000? Well, on any given business day, upwards to 30-40,000 people could be present, in all. So of all those that weren\'t there, for whatever reason, is it really a surprise that 400 of them were Jews?
It\'s all propaganda, of course. In fact, Osama bin Laden is an American-made/trained/supplied monster, unleashed (successfully) upon the Russians way back when and then left to his own devices. And now we have to deal with him, finally. Whoever claimed that bin Laden couldn\'t give a crap about Palestinians, and that they weren\'t involved with 9/11 is absolutely right. However, Palestinians were cheering in the streets, celebrating the attacks... and they were BY FAR not alone in such activities within the Arab world, American allies or otherwise.
It greatly pains me to see so many of you completely misunderstand exactly what is going on in the Middle East, on both sides of the conflict, currently, and in the past. Israel is America\'s bitch, fending for scraps of obsolete technology from Bush\'s table? Please. Israeli military intelligence, tactics, technology is vastly superior to anything else in the world. It almost always has been, which is why we are still around despite being surrounded by enemies. (Yes, Israel is at peace with Jordan and Egypt, but if another Arab World vs. Israel war breaks out, you\'ll see just how long those peace treaties will last.) I mean, so what if Bush sold Barak a bunch of F-16s? Scraps, indeed. Quite frankly, in areas including, but not limited too, military arms, tactical intelligence, world-awareness, stealth, tracking (radar, sonar, whatever) and covert ops, Israel owns America completely.
Of course, all this has nothing to do with anything, really. I hope I\'ll be forgiven the confusing that may surround me using the term "we" both as an Israeli and an American, as I hold great love and loyalty for both. Anywho, the Israeli government does not condone or practice any form of terrorism. While it could be disputed that Israel\'s covert operations could be construed as a form of terrorism, Israel tracking down and assassinating the final Palestinian terrorist survivor responsible for the massacre that marred the Munich Olympic games in the 70s isn\'t terrorism, but a retliatory response to terrorism. Israel committing attack choppers to surgical strikes against factories and plants that are suspected of being part of Arafat\'s terrorist machine (which will very much survive him, and is probably truly beyond his control at this point) is not terrorism. Soldiers firing gas and rubber bullets at mobs incensed to storm military fortifications, mobs wielding rocks, no less, is not terrorism.
However, attacks against cafes, discotheques, clubs, restaurants, malls, bazaars, market places, shopping centers, and residential areas, whose only purpose is to cause grief, mental anguish, morale loss, and the loss of civilian life, IS terrorism. Attacks whose only purpose is what I listed above, and not intended to limit or damage a nation\'s military, technological, or strategic might, but a civilian population at large, are forms of terrorism. This is exactly what 9/11 was all about, anyone who thinks otherwise is woefully deluded. These forms of attacks cannot be justified or negotiated over. The source and means of such attacks MUST be eliminated. That has always been Israel\'s position, and it should be America\'s as well. At least Osama bin Laden doesn\'t hide behind a human wall composed of his own sons and daughters, as Palestinians are wont to do.
My intention with this post is not to change anyone\'s mind, only to inform as best I can, and allow others to draw their own conclusion. Those that allow their governments and media to formulate their opinions (be these Americans, Israelis, Afghanis, or Palestinians) are lacking the crucial knowledge to even BEGIN to enter such discussions. I am neither fully (as in 100%) pro American nor pro Israeli. I love America. I love Israel. I can\'t stand the current American government, or the Israeli one, both for completely different reasons. And a final word of advice... in these situations, there are neither true "good guys" or total "bad guys." Nothing is ever simply black and white, especially not religion, politics, or whatever results when they are tragically combined.
