Can we just retire the phrase ‘relative calm’?

The New York Times‘ Isabel Kershner says today’s stabbing of Israelis by a Palestinian in Jerusalem “broke a period of relative calm.” Can we retire that phrase permanently? Have Palestinians ever experienced a period of relative calm? We can point two two Palestinians killed in Rahat, and I’m sure countless other examples of attacks on Palestinians during this particular period of “relative calm.” And how about the Palestinians calmly freezing to death in the Gaza prison?

From “Palestinian Man Stabs Israelis on Bus in Tel Aviv, Police Say

JERUSALEM — A Palestinian man stabbed and wounded up to a dozen Israelis on Wednesday as he rampaged through a bus in central Tel Aviv during the morning rush, the police said. He then fled on foot, but was shot and wounded by security forces.

At least three of the victims were reportedly hospitalized in serious condition. The assailant, a man in his early 20s from the West Bank city of Tulkarm, was arrested, the police said.

The episode broke a period of relative calm that followed a spate of attacks against Israelis in October and November in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the West Bank that were carried out by Palestinians armed with knives, cleavers and guns, or using vehicles as weapons.

13 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Even better, how about we retire the NYT and any and all references to it? Especially as concerns creatures like Kershner and Rudoren. They are just two among many shills writing for the Times who with any luck will one day be brought before Truth and Justice Commissions (okay, so I’m an optimist) for their “work” supporting the many war crimes of the U.S. and Israel.

It sounds like they cover Israel like it’s a local beat, not an international conflict with global implications.

Weird.

“Weird”

It’s like any coverage on the consequences of “Protective Edge” just disappeared (not here, of course) and there was a dizzying change of perspective to the body-by-body, block-by-block incident-by-incident events in Jerusalem. Easier to equalize and equivocate.

Thanks Patrick. I appreciate this very much. “Relative calm”, my foot!

It’s all Israel, all the time~ even with Paris. This a.m. when I read about TA, I groaned because I knew that it would be wall-to-wall coverage, and bingo! Nary a word about Gaza/WB/Jerusalem UNLESS it features something negative about Palestinians.

When I read Kate’s compilations, Dan Cohen’s essays, Palestinian’s stories here @- MW, etc. I know I am at least informed about what’s really going on.

+ 1 Just!