Tzvika ShahakAssociation for the Commemoration of Bat-Chen Shahak, Bereaved Families Forum |
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Personal Loss/Bereavement and Suicide Bombing:
“ The day before there had been a suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem and [my daughter and her friends] were scared to take the bus, so they took a taxi to Dizengoff Center. The taxi got them there 15 minutes early. At 3:45, as they crossed the street, a suicide bomber crossed their path and detonated himself, killing himself in the process. He was a young guy, an art student, a resident of Gaza. He murdered 13 people; among them, Bat-Chen. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ Following [our daughters'] death we discovered her journals, in which she speaks about and asks for peace. The truth is that she worked for peace before we did... If you look at what she wrote about peace, you see that it is her will. Ordinarily, when a parent passes away, the children are left to fulfill what the parents initiated, did or wanted. In this case, we were left with her journals, which are actually her will, and we are working according to her wishes. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ Why was the murderer sent to murder Bat-Chen along with those other people at Dizengoff Center? The situation is chaotic, vengeful; people are angry, and so there is no peace. Whoever sent the suicide bomber meant to wreck havoc and create a situation in which people in Israel object to peace and react violently. Violence is matched with violence and the situation escalates until war breaks out. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ I do the opposite of what's expected of me and don't seek revenge, don't run straight to the barracks and declare war, but rather I decided to seek a different way, a path different from war, from violence and the road of aggressive response. We tried that; I'm searching for another way. This may not be the standard response but it does make a whole lot of sense. Say I take the violent approach. Say I were to kill a Palestinian girl. Would that bring Bat-Chen back? No. It would only make someone on the other side angry at me, and maybe they would send the next suicide bomber. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ I believe [the suicide bomber] was drugged; his mind was drugged. We need to deal with people who drug minds - clergy members, people who incite violence, those who preach it. A person who took explosives and went to blow himself up is simply weak in character, like a drug addict who can easily be influenced. I pity such a person. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ At the age of 45 you are exempted from reserve service and for over 10 years I volunteered. I thought it was important and the right thing to do. The message and the knowledge must be passed on so that these young people use their minds and not only act according to emotions in the work they do in the military. I think that serving your country is the right thing to do so you contribute and not only receive. That is the reason I volunteered for such a long period. You could say that for 35 years I served the military through compulsory, professional and reserve service. That's a hell of a long period. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ When we visit an Israeli school, the Palestinian speaker is the star because suddenly the kids meet a young Palestinian who sometimes speaks fluent Hebrew. No horns, no tail, and he talks about peace! It's hard for them to grasp this. It is the first time most of the students meet a Palestinian in person who speaks Hebrew and talks about peace. These things never happened before. It's a unique and exciting experience for them. It's all very different, but they accept it. When we visit a Palestinian institution, we Israelis are the stars. It becomes suddenly vital for them to talk to us, to understand, to see. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ I want things to be different because you make peace with enemies; you don't make peace with your friends. You have peace with your friends. Once you become aware of this, you live it, you are ready for a process of reconciliation, ready to accept the other side, to understand that what has been done is due to the circumstances and to forgive. To search together for the right solution. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ The Palestinians must understand that there is always the alternative of violence and that we need to keep that. If we are weak we could lose much of our ability to negotiate. I think we need to learn to use our power in a controlled way so it is practical and focused. If we do that, we can harness our power for peace. If we don't, we're harnessing it for war. At the end of the day, all our leaders, including the Israelis, want peace. They don't want to send soldiers to be wounded or to lose their lives. They are doing what they are doing because they understand there is no other way, because they understand that if we don't react to a Qassam rocket being fired from Gaza, if we don't operate and find the head of Hamas or a local organization, if we don't prevent a Palestinian from passing at a checkpoint to blow himself up, our lives here won't be safe. There will be chaos and mayhem and people won't be willing to talk about peace. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ [I want international audiences to know] the truth. The fact that the majority wants peace, on both sides, and must be assisted; that's what I want -- and for them to donate the funds that are necessary for this. I believe that economic welfare and democracy on the Palestinian side will speed up the process. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
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