A Note on Arafat's Death.

[richardf8]

The news of Arafat's death has been greeted by many of us with a collective sigh of relief. But I feel the need to say publicly something of which I have been trying to remind myself. Rumours have been flying as to cause of death, various wishes and speculations have occurred regarding his afterlife/place in the world to come. In other words, it's hard, after so many years of enmity, not to gloat at his death, to treat it as a cause celebre.

However. There is a story in the Talmud.

It is said that when the Israelites were fleeing Egypt, and the reed sea parted for them and then closed in upon the Egyptians, the Angels danced and sang at the Egyptians' deaths. The Lord chided them, saying "do not celebrate. Even though the Egyptians were wicked, they are still My creations, and it pains me to have to destroy them."

And even though Arafat was wicked, he was still God's creation. And perhaps George W. Bush's words on the matter, "God bless his soul," despite the outrage they have sparked, are the most appropriate. After all -- whose soul is in greater need of God's blessing than the man whose life was a curse?

So farewell Mr. Arafat, I expect the world might be a better place for your leaving it, but may you find in death the peace that evaded you in life.

Comments

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for a well-thought out post on Arafat's death. I've been searching my feelings on him, and I've had so many conflicts that I can't post anything. You've said what I couldn't.

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

I got in an online argument about it these last two days, with a fellow so-called Christian, no less. I'm glad you agree with me. He wouldn't accept the Talmud as an authority, but it sure sounds like the same God to me.

[level-head.livejournal.com]

It is, I understand, the official position of Israel with regard to the matter.

It would be exactly the same for Usama bin Ladin -- and he might evoke a similar remark from President Bush.

But I have seen some expressions of happiness over Arafat's demise, and understand them. They are not as loud and boistrous as the celebrations I saw over the deaths of Ronald Reagan, and before that Strom Thurmond. Most are taking this event in stride.

It seems that "Ding Dong The Wicked Witch Is Dead" still plays in Peoria. But most Peorians -- i.e. most Americans -- don't have much knowledge (or memory) of Arafat's bloody history. They think that the Chechens in Beslan invented the idea of mass slaughter of schoolchildren hostages.

Yassir Arafat certainly gets the credit for his schoolchidren death squads, though. What a grim business -- teaching kids from age 5 to die for the cause of killing Jews.

I concur with RichardF8 above -- Arafat's death is a good thing, but should not be a celebration. Among other reasons, it will make continued interaction with the Palestinians even more difficult.

===|==============/ Level Head

[richardf8]

They are not as loud and boistrous as the celebrations I saw over the deaths of Ronald Reagan, and before that Strom Thurmond.

I would submit to you that the ability to hear the loudness in these things is a matter of point of view. As a Republican, I'm sure that you took great offense at Ted Rall's "Reagan in Hell" strip. To me, it was Rall being Rall, and nothing more than a bit of bad taste.

Arafat's legacy is dark and deep. But most have forgotten. Most have forgotten that the word "Terrorism" became part of our vernacular as his operations were being reported. In just about every way you can imagine, Yasser Arafat was the true father of 9/11, Osama Bin Laden, a mere acolyte.

[richardf8]

You're welcome. I'm glad I could articulate it.

[richardf8]

Sounds intriguing. What were his, er, points?

on his death

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

and speaking simply out of curiousity... I find it odd that at first when he was transported, it was due to a mysterious blood ailment, and while they kept ruling things out... .....not a word since (that I've heard) as to what actually was his cause of death. ;P

Sounds a bit suspicious to me.
If you hear any hints about what it was, do let us know...

[level-head.livejournal.com]

As a Republican, I'm sure that you took great offense at Ted Rall's "Reagan in Hell" strip.

You are making a mistake. I'd have felt the same about such treatment of Clinton.

Rall should rightly be offensive to any American, I would think. You'll recall that I am on your side on a number of topics. But more than that, I am interested in the truth of things, the factual underpinnings.

I have voted Democrat in the past, but was not political per se and did not get much involved in it. Once I turned my investigative energies toward politics, I became a Republican. I agree with more than half of the current conservative platform, and less than half of the liberal platform -- but am not in full agreement with either.

Ted Rall is an ass, independent of all this. But I don't follow his cartoon, or newspapers in general, and I don't think I've seen the one you're talking about.

===|==============/ Level Head

Re: on his death

[richardf8]

I've heard hints, of course. But I think I will avoid discussing them, and certainly, if you wish to hear the same hints I have, it is simply a matter of looking in the right places.

Ultimately, it does not matter. He is gone from the planet, and thus no longer our problem. His legacy, however, is another matter entirely.

[richardf8]

I agree with more than half of the current conservative platform, and less than half of the liberal platform -- but am not in full agreement with either.

I agree with far more of the liberal platform than the conservative. The dichotomy bothers me, though, and I can't help but think that through their collective efforts much is being done to reduce the rights of Americans and little to restore them. This is probably a matter for elsewhere though. Thing about a two party system is that it invites a manichaean approach to politics, and the result is a kind of divisiveness that I suspect would be mitigated by a parliamentary system, or runoff voting.

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

Well, it wasn't much of an argument, really. He started with the simple statement that the world was a better place without Arafat. That struck me as cold (which is awfully in character for this guy), and I said that I hated it whenever someone spoke ill of the recently deceased and especially when they rejoiced at it. He was appalled at what he took to be a disbelief in evil people, and he asked if I would have had the U.S. send dignitaries to Hitler's funeral and call it a day of mourning. My more elaborate response started with, "I do believe in evil, but I also believe in loving your enemies."

Today I saw his response. He inferred from my last message that I agreed that the world is a better place without Arafat. He may be correct, but he seems to have missed my point.

This is a guy who refuses to stop talking on various threads of the Mynarski Forest Forum about how wrong the liberals are for disagreeing with the President's war decisions. I promised the forum today that I would stop partaking in such arguments. He's probably not a troll so much as an aggressive ideologue who doesn't know what's good for a debator's image.

[level-head.livejournal.com]

That explains why U.K. politics are so unifying, hmmm? ];-)

===|==============/ Level Head

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

*nods.....*

[childings.livejournal.com]

I too think that George W. Bush's words were the most appropriate.