And so we mourn again

And so we mourn again


Dan Margalit


With one swoop of the sword, the major headlines that have dominated the news cycle have been felled. All at once, Israel has returned to the reality it repeatedly attempts to forget and sweep under the guise of going about a normal life. Tomorrow we will return to the Suckers' Camp and the social protests and the date of the next elections, and of course to the horrible slaughter of the Syrian people that Bashar al-Assad has been carrying out for the last year and a half. But not today.


It seemed yesterday as though our collective attention had been diverted from the Knesset and its political instability to the bloody events in Damascus. It was not merely another day of bloodshed in Syria, but a new chapter in the insane civil war that had arrived at the steps of the capital. Our focus was on Syria, until the attack in Bulgaria happened, and then as it has done many times before, Israel withdrew into itself, bleeding and wounded and still, demanding to settle the score with the murderers.


The global protection Israel provides its citizens is a truly unique endeavor. It can reach the farthest villages and guesthouses, as a sort of ultimate expression of the old Hebrew saying, "All of Israel is responsible for one another." It is what makes sure that most days end with no news at all or at most a short message reporting on a foiled attack. But those who remain in constant defense mode, with their muscles always flexed, know that there is no such thing as absolute success.


Perhaps some small comfort, even at these times of intense grief, can be taken in knowing that our neighbors' terrorism is not effective within Israel's borders, and so they must turn to the rest of the world to carry out its heinous acts.


There is no security fence, Iron Dome or routine defense operation that can guarantee a 100 percent success rate. There is always a crack, a point of weakness. The equipment is not rust-proof and there are always human errors such as fatigue, and these are the cracks through which terrorism can infiltrate.


The numerous countries where the security that Israel provides its citizens, which allows them to carry on with a concern-free and safe life, are never mentioned as long as a catastrophe does not take place. Bulgaria has now been taken out of this long and anonymous list with the murders of Israelis on its land.


It goes without saying that this event will be investigated, and that conclusions will be drawn. Israel will hunt down those responsible. They will most probably meet their deaths. Just like in the past. Guidelines will be updated. Security breaches will be dealt with. Israel will have another long string of successes, and then, after as long a time as possible, the Iranian-Arab terrorist axis will find another Achilles' heel in our country's shield and use it to hurt us.


Israel has no illusions about those who seek to destroy it. The combinations may vary — Iran, Hezbollah, al-Qaida — but the hand is always the hand of Esau. So here we go again, pushing through with blood, sweat and tears. And once again, walking onward.

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=2260