Just Five Minutes More

Jessica Montell, director of the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, published an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times
today.

Entitled "Demolishing Houses, and Lives", it started thus:

"Throughout the last week, a macabre exercise has been running through my head. I imagine I have five minutes to get out of my house, never to return. What will I take with me? My wallet and checkbook, a change of clothes for the kids, the photo albums, my daughter's favorite doll, diapers, bottles. In five minutes, I'd never get it all out."

In response, I sent out a letter to the editor and just in case it doesn't get printed, here it is for my reading public:-


Jessica Montell engaged herself in a "macabre exercise", she wrote ("Demolishing Houses, and Lives,
May 26, 2004). Trying to imagine herself given but five minutes to exit her house, she couldn't
decide what personal objects she would take. But, as she admits, she lives in a "quiet neighborhood in West Jerusalem".

However, the civilians of whom she writes sympathetically really had much more than five minutes. They've
known for years that their neighbors and even their sons and relatives are engaged in a war of terror against
Israelis. Their homes are used as cover for the digging of tunnels through which weapons and explosives
are smuggled in from Egypt. Their homes are used as lookouts and snipers' nests from which to shoot at
Israelis. Their homes hide escaped terrorists and when these are killed, these same people march by the
thousands in the streets to encourage their husbands and sons to join the terrorists and continue the
war against Israel.

It is too bad that Ms. Montell hasn't given that fact even five minutes thought.