And, oops.

I haven’t read the story in years, but here is the link.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30047

Continued Arafat: “Palestinians need a man of Mr. Al-Katif’s unequaled vision. In the coming years, he will oversee the construction of many wonderful new schools, courthouses, banks, and monuments. He will then truck away the remains of those buildings and monuments when they’re reduced to gravel and dust……….Al-Katif responded to a reporter who suggested that his plan focused more on rubble than on urban development. “These are two sides of the same coin,” Al-Katif said. “Today’s development is tomorrow’s pile of rubble, and today’s pile of rubble is tomorrow’s makeshift shelter for a displaced family. It is all part of the same cycle.”

The quote from “The Onion” was a joke. All “The Onion’s” stories are jokes. It once did one, in 2000 IIRC, about G-d choosing the Chosen People for the next 2000 year stint. Once again He chooses the Jews. ‘”Oh s**t” say the Jews.” The story went on to quote Jews asking if it wasn’t someone else’s turn to be the target of the rest of the world’s resentment of the status of Chosen People.

John, we have often remarked here in comments, as Meryl and others have in posts, that Israel does its best to avoid civilian casualties. The job is doubly difficult because the terrorists so often hide behind civilians. I remember reading about an incident a couple of years ago when some IDF troops cornered two heros of the jihad in a mosque. Typically the Israelis did not storm the place, showing a respect for another religion’s meeting house that few Muslims show in war. The two heros in the mosque called for women to come and surround them as they made their getaway. Because the Israelis did not want to risk killing women the two heroic jihadists were able to slink away in women’s clothing and surrounded by Arab women dressed in their usual abayas.

Yes, we know that the IDF avoids civilian casualties as much as possible.

“”The Israelis kill our people in Gaza and the West Bank. The Americans kill our people in Iraq. We’re refugees, kicked out of our home in Tulkarem in 1967 and we’re still displaced,” he said, bemoaning his family’s flight in the 1967 Mideast war.”

1967?!?!?!?!?!? kicked out?!?!? these people are seriously retarded..

I was reminded of an article in the “Onion” several years ago. It was a satire about the the “rubble industry” in the Palestinian territories. They described the “Rubble Minister’s” responsibilities. And how the rubble trade was big business there. And how many Palestinians remember the first time their house was destroyed and how they keep some of the rocks as a memento. Although not to make light of the situation currently, it was one of the funniest things I had ever read. The best line was from a construction person who said “today’s pile of rubble is tomorrow’s shopping center. Today’s shopping center is tomorrow’s pile of rubble.”