THE CASIANO CHRONICLE
Issue 5 Volume VII • Printed March 2008 • American Jewish University’s Student Newspaper
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2008’s Cymbals Underground provided one night of poetry, music and coffee, page 3.
A Concert for Sderot
By Erica Miller
Senior Editor
PHOTO BY ERICA MILLER
As of February 26, the city of Los Angeles is celebrating Israel’s 60th birthday. In one of the biggest celebrations this year, the Israeli Consulate and Israeli Leadership Committee teamed up with donors to put on “Live for Sderot.” This event not only kicked off the celebration of Israel’s 60th, but reminded those in attendance of the need for help in the town of Sderot. Over the past seven years, more than 4,000 rockets have fallen on the quiet town. “Live for Sderot” raised money to aid the residents of Sderot with security and also to ensure education for the children.
Many popular faces from film, TV and other areas were present to support Sderot, and the State of Israel. Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, opened the event with strong words supporting Israel. “Every year Israel proves its critics wrong; it shows the true meaning of courage in the face of terror,” he said, “We must reaffirm here in LA, and across the world our support for the state of Israel and we must remain dedicated to the safety of every Israeli family.” His words excited the audience and garnered much applause and cheering. Before leaving the stage, he reminded the crowd that, “We should also renew our commitment that we will stand up for Israel and defend her right to exist.” It was great for the event to see a politician of his influence making such strong statements in support of Israel.
In a constant stream of supporters coming on stage, many faces graced the event. Rabbi David Barron spoke to the 10 children representing the city of Sderot, “our hearts are with you… hazaak hazaak v’neit hazek.” Valerie Harper commented that, “Israel has been struggling to survive since its inception; not only has it survived, but it has thrived.” Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple led the crowd in reciting the Sheheyanu, and reminded everyone of David Ben Gurion’s famous quote: “The first Zionist was an Iraqi Jew named Abraham.” Actor John Voight came out and simply stated, “I’m home.” He spoke of Israel being “plagued by enemies who do not understand democracy, love or life,” and that, “Israel is Gd’s gift to mankind because it is the proof of the survival of the Jewish people.”
At this point the audience stood for the Star Spangled Banner, performed by Elijah Kelly (Hairspray fame), and Hatikvah performed by local youngster Sheila Psceila. At his first official appearance, Consul General Yaakov Dayan addressed the crowd: “Tonight is the night we will stand up to the world and say that the children of Israel will not be forgotten!” When speaking of the problems in Sderot he called for action, “until the bombs stop dropping and the playgrounds are once again filled with laughter,” and to, “keep Israel in your prayers and your hearts and we will focus the eyes of the world on this brave town.”
Israeli Actor Aki Avni was received with raucous applause and spoke passionately. He is “proud of Israel and the achievements it has made in 60 years,” and that we must, “stand with those living under terror.” Avni spoke to the local community saying that, “The children of Sderot deserve to live in peace. Don’t stay silent while these people live in mental and physical anguish.” He then looked to the children of Sderot and reminded them that, “American, Israeli and Jewish communities are all behind you!”
After hearing Melissa Manchester perform “A Mother’s Prayer,” actor Jonathan Lipniki introduced a Milken student who spoke on behalf of the school. A montage of photos from Sderot followed. Ot was an emotional presentation which left the audience silent. There were images of injured children, bombed out cars, families running for shelter, people shielding themselves and empty playgrounds. Or, a representative of the children of Sderot took to the stage, receiving a standing ovation. Speaking in magnificent English, he tried to convey his feelings to the audience. He spoke of the delegation’s visit to Los Angeles as, “Seven days of quiet, not hearing sirens… Seven quiet days after seven years of sirens.” Or then reminded the audience that even though, “I am going back to the fear, stress and the terror… I will never be alone… we will all be together in our Sderot.”
The Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, Tzipora “Tzipi” Livni, spoke to the crowd via video message from Israel. She reminded the crowd that, “Israel left Gaza in an attempt for peace, but we got terror in return,” and “the children [of Sderot] are close to this on a daily basis.”
Speaking of Israel’s relationship to the United States, Livni commented that, “we share the same values and interests... [we have] an alliance based on loyalty and love.” In speaking to the children from Sderot, Livni commented, “Our hearts beat with you in prayer, a world free of violence where children can go anywhere without fear… together we win, together we prevail.”
After Livni’s message from Israel, one of the most well-known Israeli performers took the stage. Violinist Miri Ben Ami opened with a song blending classic violin with hip-hop beats. She then played the Star Spangled Banner which seamlessly concluded with the final climax of Hatikvah. Before leaving the stage she commented, “I hope together we can make a difference to help the city of Sderot.”
In the last series of speakers before the headlining act, the audience was treated to messages from three of the Presidential candidates. Hillary Clinton appeared first speaking of her commitment to the welfare and security of Israel. She spoke to the children of Sderot, “I’m overwhelmed by your courage and sacrifice, you have not been forgotten.” Barak Obama then appeared and commented that, “This is intolerable, we stand in solidarity, and will work to build lasting peace.” Lastly, John McCain appeared. He commented that, “Israel has been challenged more than any nation on Earth… there will always be an Israel.” He also questioned why there is no global condemnation of the rocket attacks on Sderot.
In the highlight of the evening, Ninette, the Israeli Idol, took the stage. In a magnificent showing of sheer talent, Ninette made her American debut at this event. On stage with a six-piece band, she performed 11 songs, six in Hebrew and four in English. She did original covers of three popular American songs throughout the set: A bass-heavy version of Nancy Sinatra’s “Boots Are Made for Walking,” a performance of Jewel’s “Foolish Games” that rivals the original performance, and a moving rendition of Metallica’s “Noting Else Matters.”
Ninette commented that in terms of stopping the rockets from falling on Sderot, “I’m singing for the right to live peacefully and nothing else matters.” She mentioned in Hebrew and in English how excited she was to be there and how emotional this is for her. She found herself lost for words and told the crowd, “Let’s just make a change, OK?”
This evening proved to be a very moving event. There were emotional highs and lows, with all of the AJU students in attendance being moved by the words and actions of those in attendance. It was an event that rallied the AJU and the greater community to act now in an effort to curb the daily rocket attacks from Gaza.
Know your legislator
By Gary Brotman
Senior Editor
Tuesday February 5, popularly known as Super Tuesday, also included a series of California legislative propositions. California voters had seven propositions to vote on, propositions 91 through 97, four of which were approved and will be enacted into state law. To assure that our readers are well informed of the implications of these new laws, let’s take a look at the results from Super Tuesday’s polls:
Proposition 91— Prohibits certain motor vehicle fuel sales and use taxes, which are earmarked for the Transportation Investment Fund, from being retained in the General Fund. Result: Defeated, 42% yes to 58% no.
Implication: The approval of this proposition would greatly restrict General Fund borrowing from motor vehicle fuel taxes. However, in 2006, California Prop 1A passed unanimously mandating restrictions on borrowing from the Transportation Investment Fund. This former proposition is now law, those who sponsored 91 asked citizens to vote against it as unnecessary. Therefore, the borrowing restrictions will remain as they are, and still allow for General Fund borrowing in emergency cases.
Proposition 92— Establishes, in state constitution, a system of independent public community college districts and Board of Governors. This generally requires minimum levels of state funding for school districts and community college districts to be calculated separately, using different criteria and being separately appropriated. This proposition also sets community college fees at $15/unit per semester; limits future fee increases, and provides a formula for allocation by Legislature to community college districts. Result: Defeated, 43% yes to 57% no.
Implication: While this proposition looks enticing to current and prospective college students, the wording and information available in the description happen to be quite deceiving. It may be true that student expenses to community colleges would drop, hopefully leading to an increase in secondary education, but one must consider this from the perspective of the college. Despite possible increased enrollment, student fee revenues would be handed over to the General Fund that would disperse funds based on a new so-called “formula.” This leads to a decrease in school funds towards technology, books and renovations, while simultaneously detracting authority and rights from these colleges to allocate their profits as they so choose.
Proposition 93— Reduces the total amount of time a person may serve in the state legislature from 14 to 12 years. This also allows a person to serve a total of 12 years either in the Assembly, the Senate or a combination of both. There will be a transitional period to allow current members to serve a total of 12 consecutive years in the house they are currently serving, regardless of any prior service in another house. Result: Defeated, 46% yes to 54% no.
Implications: This is once again a case of tricky wording and deception on behalf of the writers of this proposition. While many voters see it as beneficial to reduce overall term limits, this proposition is timely for many members of the assembly or senate who are reaching their 14-year limit. The stipulation of a transitional period awards those whose terms are up to remain a member for another 12 consecutive years, despite possibly already having 12 or 13 years in office. This would allow these representatives to remain on the senate or assembly for up to 25 years, which could lead to overdoing the spirit of previous term limit laws.
Propositions 94-97— These are grouped together because they are the same legislation but refer to different Native American tribes. These propositions are amendments to the Indian Gaming Compact that would allow them to expand slot machines in their casinos and to omit certain projects from the California Environmental Quality Act in exchange for a paid percentage of revenue generated from additional slot machines into the General Fund. Result: All approved, 56% yes to 44% no.
Implications: This will allow each tribe in California to expand upon their casinos. The revenues collected from these additional slot machines will range from roughly $20 million to $42 million per tribe annually. This adds an enormous surplus of funds into the General Fund for public spending, and allows the casinos to expand, thus creating more employment and stimulating our state economy. (Information from voterguide.sos.ca.gov)
Student Spotlight On
Idan Cohen
By Victor Tin
Senior Editor
Idan Cohen
A relative newcomer to the American Jewish University, freshman Idan Cohen is already well-known by many people. Born and raised in Jerusalem, the 19-year old Business/Communications double major moved to the United States where he finished his high school education. “Throughout my experiences in the United States, I’ve realized that there is a strong everlasting connection between the United States and Israel”, Cohen said. On why he chose to attend the AJU, he said, “I’ve always attended Jewish schools and wanted to continue my education with good Jewish people.” This decision came after he learned about the school, which he attributes to “seeing the sign on the 405.”
While still in high school, Cohen, along with 5,000 other people, participated in The March of the Living, an annual experiential program that brings together Jewish high school students from all over the world to Poland, where explore several sites of Nazi persecution in Auschwitz, and finally to Israel, where they round off the poignant experience in celebration of Israel Memorial Day and Israel Independence Day.
“It makes you appreciate every small thing you have in your life. These victims of the Holocaust had nothing—not even a piece of bread,” Cohen said. Evoking a story told by the Jewish Federation Youth Coordinator, he said, “His starving brother was shot by the Nazis for trying to get a piece of bread. A scene that stood out in particular was a wall utilized in these executions. The wall is now memorialized with candles.”
After spending a week in Poland, Cohen and the other participants traveled to Israel. “We marched to the Western Wall, and in contrast to the somber atmosphere of the previous week, Jewish performers were singing and everyone was celebrating. We congregated in the concert hall, where everyone chanted Am Israel Chai. It was very powerful; people from all over the world—Brazil, Australia, France, Bulgaria—proudly came together in celebration of the Jewish people. You could feel the ground shake,” Cohen fondly recalled.
Known for his pride in his heritage, sense of humor, and ability to consume copious amounts of culinary delights—a talent that won him last semester’s eating contest (although he could do without fruits and vegetables), Cohen remains a humble man. He admits, “my mother always came every night to cover me with a blanket and kiss me goodnight.” His hobbies include swimming and listening to all kinds of music, especially Israeli. Passionate about many subjects and enthusiastic to experience what the world has to offer, he is interested in pursuing a broad range of careers. At the moment, however, he plans on pursing a career as an orthodontist, oral/maxillofacial surgeon, or as a savvy businessmen in the entertainment industry in the United States and Israel. Whether dealing with molars or money, Cohen certainly has his work cut out for him.
Thespians unite in class and club
By Gary Brotman
Senior Editor
The College Theatre Workshop course offered this semester gives students the opportunity to work with those who have experience in the field. The course, taught by Professor Emily Weisberg is a creative outlet for the performers at heart. Students are now offered a breath of fresh air from academia and a shot at dramatic arts. The class is hoping to produce and act out a play in the Gindi Auditorium by the end of the semester.
The class has the unique opportunity to produce an orignial play.
“We’re actually having the production written for us. We’re not quite sure, but most likely by Steve Connell. He’s a slam poetry champion and he does spoken word performances. He’s really talented, but it’s still not for sure,” said transfer student Gabi Poli.
Weisberg said, “Steve is arguably one of the top five spoken-word performers in the country. Most poets write specifically for the page, to be read over and over again. Slam poets write for the performance. It’s amazing.” Monica from February 14 through March 15. She also directed Jumping the Median which ran at UCSB last Summer and will return this Summer.
The club and the performance are still in the early developmental stages.
“We’ve discussed fundraising, and brainstormed many ideas.
The performance will probably be two to three acts with multiple themes involved. As far as the class goes, we’ve learned different aspects of theatre— behind the scenes and on stage. The process takes a lot of effort and resources so please support our fundraisers!” said Poli.
Weisberg herself directs works, including Robots vs. Fake Robots which ran at the Powerhouse Theatre in Santa “It’s a really interesting class…it’s exciting that we are going to be working with the playwright,” said senior Blythe Briggs.
The class fulfills CAA requirements because it is an art form just like film and writing. The class is open to fresh ideas and support that can ultimately benefit the student body as a whole with entertainment. Class meets once a week on Monday for anyone who wants drop by to get the scoop on AJU drama.
A handful of the class members were also interested in creating an AJU Drama Club, for those who want to act and participate in drama but could do without the lectures. The club was recently reviewed and then approved by the Programming Group. At the February 27 ASAJU meeting, the club was officially introduced. Joining this club would be a great addition to the schedules of outgoing students or students who want to be more outgoing. The club’s goal is to involve the entire student body in the class’ production and to spark an interest in everyone for the performing arts. The club also wishes to take students to other events and outings outside of campus.
Various advertisements and fundraisers for the class, club, and production will be organized throughout the semester.
Yiddish for everyone By Perrin Davidson, Managing Editor We have all learned some interesting words together, but we thought we should bring you some of the basics that we hear but that many do not truly understand. The following are words you may use, and if not, hopefully you will after reading this Kvetch (verb) [k•fetch] Verklempt (adjective) [fa•klempt] Lansman (noun) [Lawnce•man] Yenta (noun) [Yen•tuh] Oy! Oy vey! (interjection) Oy gavult! Send your responses to Newspaper@ajula.edu and see if it makes it into next issue! |
Oscars 2008
By Isaac Mell
Staff Writer
The date February 24, 2008 meant Oscars craziness. Jon Stewart hosted the 80th Annual Academy Awards amidst numerous clips from years past.
George Clooney had likened the “Best Actor” competition to the Democratic Presidential race, saying that Hillary Clinton would surely win if not for Barack Obama, just as he himself, George Clooney, would take the “Best Actor” Oscar if not for Daniel Day-Lewis. Day-Lewis gave Clooney a consolation kiss on his way to the stage, where he knelt in front of presenter Helen Mirren, allowing her to knight him with his Oscar. Perhaps by chance, the camera angle chosen for the impromptu knighting was perfect: By looking out from the stage itself, towards the audience, with the lights blurring Day-Lewis and Mirren, the angle lent a majestic glow.
Day-Lewis was one of the night’s most collected recipients. He strode to the stage with his signature tight-lipped smile. His infamous practice of disappearing into his characters was highlighted in two different ways: First, the pre-award clips set a contrast right away, with Day-Lewis either covered in muck or shouting in a gruff American accent with his face tearing apart, versus, say, George Clooney looking very much like George Clooney while raising his voice. Second, he referred to his wife as “Mrs. Plainview,” as if he were actually Daniel Plainview, the character he portrayed, in the same way that he gave a shout-out to “his partner H.W.,” his fictional son as played by Dillon Freasier. 
Several honorees ran the emotional gamut. Tilda Swinton cupped her mouth with her hands. She did not appear to have considered her winning a possibility. Her acceptance speech was refreshingly unaffected, though offbeat, peppered with words like “man” and “nipples” and “buttocks,” so she earned her way with the audience.
Marion Cotillard could barely speak. Reports that she is learning to overcome her accent in order to act in more American movies should not be overstated—maybe it was the tears, but her words were not entirely comprehensible. Her deep emotional sincerity, however, could not be misinterpreted. Javier Bardem decided to let his own native tongue do the talking by speaking his last several sentences in rapid-fire Spanish. He took his “Best Supporting Actor” award for Spain and his mother.
Diablo Cody’s more usual razor-sharp wit was replaced by heartfelt awe. The extent of her success story seemed to be imprinting itself in her mind ever firmly as she took the stage in a dress indeed slashed with something razor-sharp. She paid tribute to “every other writer in the room” and confided, “I’m still learning from you.” She raised the freak flag high by thanking her family “for loving me just the way I am,” the main message (and plea) of her debut script, Juno.
The Coen Brothers, whatever appreciation they held for the award, kept a lid on it. They won two Oscars that night without having to open their mouths very far, although Joel Coen did provide an anecdote about an early childhood film of theirs, Henry Kissinger: Man on the Go. His statement that they approach their current films no differently than their earlier attempts provides a sense of peace with the universe—to one in tune with the Coens’ sensibility. To others, who may not have appreciated the ending to freshly awarded “Best Picture” No Country for Old Men, this must certainly befuddle. Remember: Irony and economy…that’s the Coen Brothers. Winning an Oscar does not sway them one iota.
Apart from the Coens, their co-producer Scott Rudin, Ratatouille director Brad Bird and screenwriter Diablo Cody, few other award-winners were American. The majority of those to claim the statue were strictly European.
The Bourne Ultimatum received awards for “Editing,” “Sound” and “Sound Editing,” There Will Be Blood for “Cinematography,” Sweeney Todd for “Art Direction,” Atonement for “Music,” and La vie en rose for “Make-Up.”
Special presenter moments: Jewish comics Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen were introduced as Halle Berry and Dame Judi Dench, prompting the two furry funnymen to banter about specifically who was representing whom. Also, Seth flashed a “two” sign when The Bourne Ultimatum won its second Oscar. Josh Brolin played the straight man to James McAvoy’s manic, self-assured Scottish self. Both Harrison Ford and Jack Nicholson grumbled through their teleprompted introductions. Katherine Heigl stated she was nervous and stammered. Jennifer Hudson did not state that she was nervous but could not read. Nicole Kidman was thanked by honorary Oscar winner Robert Boyle, one of Alfred Hitchcock’s favorite production designers. Tom Hanks introduced several teleconferenced soldiers in Baghdad, soldiers from places as diverse as Los Angeles, CA and Cleveland, OH, to present the “Best Documentary, Short Subject.” Last but not least, Cate Blanchett received and radiated much love. Despite winning no awards, between the praise she received from her colleagues and the smiles she gave to all, Blanchett served as an anchor throughout the ceremony.
Jason’s Jams
By Jason Hall
Staff Writer
Artists of the Month
Boonie Mayfield
“What makes a good producer is being able to find the right vocalist. Anyone can make a funky beat”.
This is Boonie Mayfield’s (aka Boon Doc) philosophy on composing beats. Hailing from Denver, Colorado where hip hop is relatively unpopular, Boonie spends his days playing with jazz loops on his MPC-1000 keyboard.
With a fine-tuned taste for the right samples, Boonie’s beats are catchy yet different from the mainstream sound. Aside from jazz and soul based beats, he can put any style into a track, and he is locally known for house, club, funk, pop and techno skills as well. His hard work pays off into his beats.
Hopefully someone big discovers this talent, because he could really change the face of hip hop. Check out Boonie’s beats on Youtube by typing his name in the search engine.
Girltalk
Gregg Gillis, the man behind Girltalk, began making techno/electronica beats in the nineties but released his debut in 2002, and has been rocking college campus’s, underground clubs and backyard shows for a living with a steady fan base growing throughout the North-Western United States. Girltalk diverges from the norm of music production due to his taste for cutting and pasting melodies backwards. His skills as a DJ have earned him much respect. His tracks are anything from groovy to goofy, subtle to extreme, pop to ulti-underground. It’s his diversity, killer sample-based remixes and wild live shows that have gained him the most notoriety at this point.
2012
Does ambient, experimental electronica sound like a suitable genre for an outfit named 2012? It’s hard to tell with their unique and ever-changing sound, but I guess that’s what you would call it if you had to classify everything. As of 2005, unofficially part of a “genre-less” movement of New Wave musicians in the modern age, 2012 melds electronics with pure musicianship to emerge on the cutting edge of today’s good, bad, and ugly music scene. These guys are from San Francisco, so they aren’t strangers to the rough and tough music world. Hopefully they’ll land a gig at the Fillmore soon!
www.purevolume/2012 for more info.
Mayan Calendar says time is ticking
By Danny Touserkani
Production Manager
Where will you be 12/21/12? December 12, 2012 will be the end of the 5000 year cycle of the Maya Long Count calendar. According to an artice in the Los Angeles Times that explains the rise in popularity of this belief, this day means disaster scenarios including “earthquakes, volcanic eruptions caused by solar storms, cracks forming in the earth’s magnetic field and mass extinction brought on by nuclear winter.”
It is claimed that the year 2012 will also bring bizarre occurances such as the extinction of bees. In plain English, it is the world coming to an end. However, to others, it is the hope of new beginning. To the believers, it seems that such disasters are just out of man’s hands and cannot be stopped.
Even though this 2012 occurence is believed by other cultures, it is slowly rubbing off to the mainstream society. The belief in the end of the world coming in 2012 has led to several books. In fact, this is such a trend that there is an entire “2012 Conference.” The producer of the conference, Christian John Meoli tells the LA Times “There’s a real hunger for this kind of knowledge.” Meoli takes the point of view that there is a shift occuring that will end with a new beginning for the world in 2012. “ It’s easy to manipulate people with fear,” he said, with hopes of making the date one to look forward to rather than one to provide anxiety.
As Meoli concludes in his interview with the LA Times,“ The grand hurrah will be on Dec. 12, 2012, at the Mayan pyramids, it is only the beginning.
It is too bad they said the same thing about Y2K and the whole world coming to an end, but hey, I am still here! Where do you think you will be on Dec 12, 2012? Remember it is only four years, eight months, and a handful of days and counting. Time is ticking…
Attack on Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem
By Jade Waismann Ideses
Staff Writer
Dead and wounded students lying at the entrance while more dead students, some still holding their blood- smeared prayer book, were in the library. This was the scene on March 6, 2008 after a terrorist attacked the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem. When nearly 80 students gathered in the library to celebrate the Hebrew month of Adar II, a gunman opened fire—eight people were killed and over 40 were wounded in what was described to be a “massacre.”
The attack was a severely symbolic and calculated act as this specific Yeshiva, well known as the first Zionist yeshiva. Created in 1924 by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, it was a center for Jewish growth, study and concept. The location of the Mercaz Harav was also symbolic in its attack as explained by Yair Sheleq on Haaretz.com: “The foundations for the religious settlements in the West Bank were forged in Mercaz Harav, whose student Hanan Porat set out to restore the Jewish settlement in Gush Etzion immediately after the Six-Day War. The founders of Gush Emunim, a religious political movement that encouraged Jewish settlement of land they believe God promised the Jews, came from Mercaz Harav after the Yom Kippur War.”
The surrounding Arab community, however, never embraced its placement. The Palestinian gunman was claimed by Hamas to be a part of an organization called the Galilee Freedom Battalions—the Martyrs of Imad Mughniyeh. Although there is no tangible proof this specific group exists, Hamas has attempted to credit them with a number of other killings before this attack. The terrorist was able to gain entry into the yeshiva with a AK47, a pistol, and an ammunition belt. He immediately opened fire at the students who were studying and praying. Yitzhak Danon, a student at the Yeshiva was able to fire two shots at the murderer, wounding him. An IDF paratrooper rushed into the scene and was able to shoot the terrorist dead.
Rabbi Haim Katz, the head of the yeshiva, noted that all of the deceased victims were between the ages of 15 and 16 years old while the wounded students ranged from about 16 to 28 years old. Some of the injured students were almost unrecognizable as they had bullet wounds all over their bodies. The Torahs in the room were pierced with bullet holes and the prayer shawls that hung on the walls were sprayed with blood. Yerach Toker, a paramedic for United Hatzola of Israel, said “There were bodies strewn all over the floor, at the entrance to the yeshiva, in various rooms and in the library … I have been to many attacks, but this was the worst I have seen.”
The horror felt by every human who heard was apparently not an emotion shared with the people in Gaza.
There was dancing in the streets after hearing of the manslaughter, Hamas made clear of their feelings in regards to the attacks in saying, “We bless the [Jerusalem] operation. It will not be the last.” They explained that they saw the attack on the yeshiva as “heroic” and they continued to celebrate by shooting off their guns, singing, and dancing in the streets. Immediately following the attack, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said “This heroic attack in Jerusalem is a normal response to the crimes of the occupier and its murder of civilians.”
Most Israeli leaders would respond that while Israel does attack terrorists during what it feels is wartime in which innocent people may die however, Israel is not targeting the innocent. Israelis are not dancing in the streets when innocent people are killed. Israel is not hiding terrorists in civilians’ homes and then complaining when the innocent die. Israel protects itself from those who are trying to destroy Israel. Hamas targets schools and public areas. Palestinehas made it clear that they are not interested in peace, only the destruction of Israel. Hamas is interested in destruction, not negotiation.
Ron Prosor, the ambassador of Israel, explained the situation by saying that those who believe that there will be negotiations with Hamas are “totally ignorant of the facts.” He goes on to say “What is there to negotiate about? Negotiate about the flowers to be used for my funeral? Negotiate about how deep the hole from the rockets should be? Negotiate about the size of the coffin? How can I negotiate with someone who believes I should not exist?”
(information from Haaretz.com )