The Harming of the Innocents

As of this morning, Saturday August 20, 2011, attacks continue against innocent people, in Israel and in the Gaza Strip, that began when terrorists targeted Israeli busses and private cars at noon on Thursday, on a beautiful road, just north of Eilat:

Saturday
Reported early morning - there have been at least 30 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, since Thursday evening, hitting: the Eshkol region, Sha'ar Hanegev region, Sdot Negev region, Beer Tuviya region, Beer Sheva, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Kiriyat Melachi, Gedera, Gan Yavne

some latest details -
8:27 - rocket fired at Beer Tuvyia region, no injuries reported
7:00 - Egypt withdraws its ambassador from Israel, waiting for apology for killing of 5 Egyptian policemen on Thursday, as Israeli troops pursued terrorists
6:01 - at least 3 people (Palestinians from Gaza. who were working illegaly in Israel) seriously injured in 2 rocket attacks in Ashdod
4:14 - 2 rockets hit open fields in the Eshkol region - no one was injured

Friday:
Reported late Friday - The Israeli army carried out 50 strikes in several areas in Gaza injuring 45 Palestinians, including 10 children, 8 women, and two elderly people. Among the dead - a 13 yr old boy, two 2 yr old children, a physician. 20:03 - 2 mortars fell in the Eshkol region, no injuries reported
18:19 - 2 rockets hit the Sdot Negev region and Ashdod - no injuries reported
10:15 - 6 injured in rocket attack on Ashdod - two seriously wounded

Thursday:
8 Israelis killed between 12:00 - 19:00 - in a series of terror attacks along route 12, just north of Eilat
Thirty wounded. Among the dead - 2 couples from Kfar Saba, who were on holiday...

During the Israeli pursuit and killing of the terrorists, 5 Egyptian policeman were killed near the border

We are now in the middle of intense violence. No one wants to hear voices that call for the end to this cycle of violence. When I raise the possibility, in this blog, in emails to friends/colleagues, my call is met with anger. People are in the throes of anger; everyone wants to exact revenge on the other.

This revenge is a boomerang - as it leads to more trauma, more destruction, more injuries, more deaths, on both sides of the border. In Israel and in Gaza.

This round of bloodshed will, too, come to an end. They all do. But why can't it come to an end sooner rather than later?

Why do so many find this question 'out of line', 'angering' ? Why do we all go into 'automatic pilot' - feeling the need to viciously attack the other?

Why can't we stop the killing now?

Revenge is a boomerang. Violence is a boomerang. Exacting more blood and calls for more destruction are, in the end, nonsensical, and self-defeating. For we all become  traumatized, we all become splattered with the blood, and we all lose.