My Response to Jordan Prime Minister

A Story by Evyn Rubin

No More Violence!

Here are two links pertaining to the response from Jordan following the attack on a synagogue in the Har Nof neighborhood, in west Jerusalem. In the first link, it is reported that the Minister of State has, in a small way, condemned this violence and asserted the country's general opposition to violence against civilians. The second link, shows the Prime Minister and his colleagues more elaborately supporting the attack, and encouraging similar attacks against civilian Israelis.

http://www.newkerala.com/news/2014/fullnews-128259.html

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/176023/jordanian-pm-reportedly-sends-condolence-letter-to-families-of-jerusalem-synagogue-terrorists.html

To me, the words and of the Prime Minister, and the ceremony in the legislature, are deeply offensive. They give violence a green light, or attempt to, and therefore needs to be disempowered, and explicitly rejected. The conduct of this person in high office, and his colleague(s) who joined in, needs to be totally challenged because they were attempting to legitimize a malicious, murderous act. The coverage from this Turkish newspaper shows both religious and political verbiage being used toward this end. Isn't there enough violence already?

The use of "condolences" to incite more violence is obnoxious, and dangerous, and it is people on the front lines there are who have to stand their ground against this, and other, fueling of violence.

Decades ago some Israelis and Palestinians formed the group Parents Bereavement Circle. They created a telephone network, which seemed more innovative at that time, and they found a voice to clearly call for an end to the cycle of violence that took all their loved ones. That seems like a long time ago, but that history contains an antidote to the poison in the condolences and memorials from the Jordanian PM.