I was standing safely inside my place of employment at about 2pm when we received the first word that a pigua was in progress only maybe 200 meters from us. The first report came from a co-worker's daughter who lives closer to the scene. She saw the event in progress. Strangely, her sister witnessed the first bulldozer attack near the Central Bus Station just weeks ago from her place of employment. Their father was injured in a J"m bus bombing a few years ago.
We immediately checked for news, but none was forthcoming for at least 20 minutes after the attack. Meantime, we were watching police and security vehicles, Hatzolah and MDA ambulances speed past. They were followed by men with video cameras running down the sidewalk. The most notable change, of course, is the cessation of traffic on the usually busy thoroughfare. Word spread fast and people began coming from all over the building to look outside or stand out front looking in the direction of the action.
When it became known that it involved another tractor/bulldozer, many people could be heard giving vent to the idea of no longer hiring Arab labor for these sensitive jobs. I advocate not hiring Arabs at all and avoiding buying from those who do whenever possible. You know that if you've read this blog for any length of time. Allow me to point you towards a blogsite that enjoys top billing on the blogroll (it starts with 'A')---Avoda Ivrit which translates to Jewish-only labor, i.e. NO ARABS!
As soon as traffic resumed as usual, everything got back to normal just a bit too fast for my taste. One man came downstairs smiling a big smile and proclaimed himself in excellent condition today. A bit shocked, I responded "With 23 newly injured and in hospital?" The smile faded and he said of course, he feels badly for the injured, but really he had already forgotten, if it had ever affected him at all. What are we coming to???
Now, I'll tell you about something that happened on the Fast Day, just a couple of days ago. Very late in the day, a man in work clothes, rude attitude, came inside the building while the door was already open. A number of people were already standing at the reception desk. A larger number were inside davening minchah for the fast. I can't tell from looking if he is Jew or Arab, but his attitude irritated me. I had to ask several times what he wanted there and finally he comes off with the one word "kablan." He acts disgusted that I'm not understanding him and he strides back outside. I thought it was pretty late in the day for a contractor to be coming to work, especially since the maintenance supervisor had already left for the day, so I began calling around trying to find out if someone was expected. Meanwhile two more men, very obviously Arab, arrived and they all began carting in heavy floor cleaning equipment.
Long story shorter...A floor cleaner was expected to come after hours. He was short of help and put out an SMS for any workers to arrive at this address and Arabs responded despite the fact that we do not hire Arab workers. Several of us present were complaining loudly to our COO about bringing Arab workers into our place of business. I asked him if he would like to see another Mercaz HaRav, G-d forbid!, in our Beit Knesset. He was stunned. And then he started saying, but I don't hire Arabs, only Jews. These two are Jewish. By then, the kablan had arrived. Lesson: It's not enough to hire Jews. You have to make darn sure that they do not turn around and sub-contract work to Arabs.
Who knows, but what Shamayim had decreed a pigua on this area of the city and maybe in the merit of our stand, we were spared a greater tragedy. Everything we do and say is taken into account and recorded.
This is not racism, it is self-preservation. We have a right to LIVE in Israel and not only to DIE here!
[Clarification: This is only a temporary measure until we can rid the entire land of these people.]
We immediately checked for news, but none was forthcoming for at least 20 minutes after the attack. Meantime, we were watching police and security vehicles, Hatzolah and MDA ambulances speed past. They were followed by men with video cameras running down the sidewalk. The most notable change, of course, is the cessation of traffic on the usually busy thoroughfare. Word spread fast and people began coming from all over the building to look outside or stand out front looking in the direction of the action.
When it became known that it involved another tractor/bulldozer, many people could be heard giving vent to the idea of no longer hiring Arab labor for these sensitive jobs. I advocate not hiring Arabs at all and avoiding buying from those who do whenever possible. You know that if you've read this blog for any length of time. Allow me to point you towards a blogsite that enjoys top billing on the blogroll (it starts with 'A')---Avoda Ivrit which translates to Jewish-only labor, i.e. NO ARABS!
As soon as traffic resumed as usual, everything got back to normal just a bit too fast for my taste. One man came downstairs smiling a big smile and proclaimed himself in excellent condition today. A bit shocked, I responded "With 23 newly injured and in hospital?" The smile faded and he said of course, he feels badly for the injured, but really he had already forgotten, if it had ever affected him at all. What are we coming to???
Now, I'll tell you about something that happened on the Fast Day, just a couple of days ago. Very late in the day, a man in work clothes, rude attitude, came inside the building while the door was already open. A number of people were already standing at the reception desk. A larger number were inside davening minchah for the fast. I can't tell from looking if he is Jew or Arab, but his attitude irritated me. I had to ask several times what he wanted there and finally he comes off with the one word "kablan." He acts disgusted that I'm not understanding him and he strides back outside. I thought it was pretty late in the day for a contractor to be coming to work, especially since the maintenance supervisor had already left for the day, so I began calling around trying to find out if someone was expected. Meanwhile two more men, very obviously Arab, arrived and they all began carting in heavy floor cleaning equipment.
Long story shorter...A floor cleaner was expected to come after hours. He was short of help and put out an SMS for any workers to arrive at this address and Arabs responded despite the fact that we do not hire Arab workers. Several of us present were complaining loudly to our COO about bringing Arab workers into our place of business. I asked him if he would like to see another Mercaz HaRav, G-d forbid!, in our Beit Knesset. He was stunned. And then he started saying, but I don't hire Arabs, only Jews. These two are Jewish. By then, the kablan had arrived. Lesson: It's not enough to hire Jews. You have to make darn sure that they do not turn around and sub-contract work to Arabs.
Who knows, but what Shamayim had decreed a pigua on this area of the city and maybe in the merit of our stand, we were spared a greater tragedy. Everything we do and say is taken into account and recorded.
This is not racism, it is self-preservation. We have a right to LIVE in Israel and not only to DIE here!
[Clarification: This is only a temporary measure until we can rid the entire land of these people.]
I was staying at the Inbal across from the attack.
ReplyDeleteIts time to STOP HIRING ARABS!!!