The great fire in the Carmel has now swallowed at least 40 lives. A bus carrying prison wardens on the way to clear a prison in the fire’s path was trapped by the fire after flipping over. The fire caught them after covering a mile in about 3 minutes. Some later news reports are stating that many of those who were killed were cadets and they were mostly Druze Arabs.
Apparently the fire is also threatening two Druze villages, Esufiya and Daliat al Carmel.
Anybody who knows this area knows how beautiful it is. To have so many people lose their lives on top of the loss of natural forest and the homes and communities in the fire’s path is tragic beyond words.
Netanyahu has asked for international assistance.
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There are four sources to this fire. This is the millionth time that arsonists have struck in Israel. Yet every time the arsonists are just called “arsonists,” without admitting that we have a fifth column – and this is just another example. And nothing will be done. It is no news to anyone who is not willfully ignorant that a certain population has huge numbers of people who don’t pay taxes -income and property (and then complain about unfunded municipalities); who act against the state. And nothing is done. It’s not only certain groups – efficient and effective law and order is nowhere to be found in Israel.
I am very sad for the people who died. The people who are losing their homes. And I mourn for the Jewish state, which is going upon flames – both literally and figuratively.
Where are you getting the arson info? When I wrote the post, none of the news coverage mentioned it.
To the best of my knowledge, there is no “conclusive evidence” of arson, but the fire had three or four different starting points (http://news.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=763134 http://www.news1.co.il/Archive/001-D-255425-00.html).
Well, not surprisingly, INN is certain it’s arson: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/140974
Interesting that states such as Turkey and Jordan are providing assistance…. Perhaps an opening for a rapprochement with Erdogan.
There are numerous reports of copycat arsonists around the north. If only the arsonists managed to fall into their flames.
haaretz: negligence, not arson
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/investigators-believe-negligence-not-arson-caused-wildfire-in-the-north-1.328668
Links for donations – and JNF’s buy-a-tree page, which will help with replanting:
http://www.solomonia.com/blog/archive/2010/12/to-help-with-the-fire/index.shtml
Firefighter don’t seem to necessarily agree – http://www.mako.co.il/news-israel/local/Article-a289d8f1c79ac21004.htm
Whether or not this fire was started by arson (the Haaretz article has one sentence mentioning negligence as a preliminary theory, and makes no reference to the multiple sources of the fire). Nevertheless, there has been a wave of copycats over the last few days – http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3993916,00.html – the enemy has found a new weapon.
check out jeffrey goldberg: dont give to the jnf: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/12/dont-give-to-the-jewish-national-fund/67436/
LB: i dont read hebrew, i’ll take your word for it. check out this one: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Editorials/Article.aspx?id=198165
“These arson attempts – which occur all year long and at a staggering average of two per day in the past 12 months, but which have increased in recent days – are part of a concerted effort by lawless Arab Israelis to take control of Jewish farmland in the Galilee. Crops or orchards that are repeatedly burned down are eventually left fallow, in some cases allowing Arab farmers to move in. Additional tactics include the killing of livestock and violence against Jewish farmers, according to those affected.”
nu? my last comment was posted, but not up on the sidebar. am i tripping?
2 links. Must have tripped the spam filter. Comment is up now.
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