As Israel burns, many on Arabic social media cheer

[OriZ 3,157]

As brush fires raged throughout central and northern Israel on Thursday, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate from their homes, an Arabic Twitter hashtag largely rejoicing in the flames soared to become the third most popular worldwide.

The Arabic hashtag “Israel is burning,” which was utilized primarily to express joy over the wildfires that threatened property and life across the Jewish state, was used in over 128,000 tweets as of Thursday afternoon.

Other similar hashtags used across the Arab world expressed similar sentiments. For example, the most popular hashtag in Cairo was “the Zionist entity is burning.”

Mohamed Jafar from El Monofia, Egypt, tweeted a looping video that showed a man covered in flames meant to represent Israel. Jafar’s tweet was retweeted more than 1,000 times.

The Arabic hashtag “Israel is burning” seemed to have been propelled through the twitterverse by imams from Arab Gulf countries with tens of millions of followers.

One of those was Dr. Mohamad Al Arefe, a Saudi imam with 16.1 million followers, who tweeted the hashtag at 10:50 p.m. Wednesday.

“The fire is still burning in the Zionist entity!” Arefe wrote, adding he hoped God would “liberate the Al Aqsa [Mosque] from [israel’s] filth.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Ofir Gendelman, slammed the celebrations on Arabic social media as “despicable fanatic hatred.”

Jamal Dajani, a former spokesperson in the Palestinian Authority’s Prime Minister’s Office, urged people to refrain from celebrating the destructive flames.

One Lebanese talk show host, liliane Daoud, tweeted: “If you believe that the flames in Israel are ‘divine punishment,’ then you deserve what’s coming to you.”

George Deek, an Arab-Israeli diplomat who hails from Jaffa, accused those celebrating the flames of hypocrisy.

https://twitter.com/GeorgeDeek/status/801737919736270848

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan is seeking to prosecute anyone caught celebrating the blazes on social media, Israel Radio reported.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/as-israel-burns-many-on-arabic-social-media-celebrate/

Quite disgusting, and, whoever is responsible for the fires, should never see the light of day again. Beyond people and structures, the damage to nature is unforgivable.

Edited November 25, 2016 by OriZ

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Sad but not surprising. If it happened in reverse there would be world outrage and 24/7 cnn coverage

Edited November 25, 2016 by Nature Boy Flair

[OriZ 3,157]

Yeah, it wouldn't let me post everything so you'd have to look at the bottom link to see the actual comments and photos, but here is also another link with more info:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-fires-idUSKBN13J0YJ

If we were still living there, my wife and I would have had to evacuate as well as some of it is right near our neighborhood.

[OriZ 3,157]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/world/middleeast/israel-wildfires-arson.html?_r=0

Life in prison.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

Truly a sad state of affairs, sorry to see it happening to your homeland and friends, Oriz.

There are a lot of people in the USA who have no idea what real racism is like. They have never left the comfort of their own shores and seen how others are forced to live. And die.

[OriZ 3,157]

Truly a sad state of affairs, sorry to see it happening to your homeland and friends, Oriz.

There are a lot of people in the USA who have no idea what real racism is like. They have never left the comfort of their own shores and seen how others are forced to live. And die.

Well thankfully so far nobody has died from the fires, but all I can say is those that burn a land negate the right to claim it.

[bcking 3,157]

I thought I recall photos of Israelis "watching" the bombings of the Gaza strip like spectators in folding chairs up on a hill. This was a couple years ago. I remember people were upset about it as well.

Unfortunately these sorts of conflicts tend to dehumanize both sides for the other.

[OriZ 3,157]

I thought I recall photos of Israelis "watching" the bombings of the Gaza strip like spectators in folding chairs up on a hill. This was a couple years ago. I remember people were upset about it as well.

Unfortunately these sorts of conflicts tend to dehumanize both sides for the other.

We've already talked about that in a different thread at that time. You're comparing people celebrating burning down trees and buildings and attempting to burn people, with people watching their military defending them while they themselves are under rocket fire coming from the other side. No comparison whatsoever.

[bcking 3,157]

We've already talked about that in a different thread at that time. You're comparing people celebrating burning down trees and buildings and attempting to burn people, with people watching their military defending them while they themselves are under rocket fire coming from the other side. No comparison whatsoever.

I'm comparing two events where a group of people are making light of the suffering of the "other side". No they aren't the exact same event, maybe one is worse I'm just saying that both sides are guilty of dehumanizing their enemy to a degree. These things are never black and white.

If that event has already been discussed "before my time", we don't need to rehash it. Carry on.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

I'm comparing two events where a group of people are making light of the suffering of the "other side". No they aren't the exact same event, maybe one is worse I'm just saying that both sides are guilty of dehumanizing their enemy to a degree. These things are never black and white.

If that event has already been discussed "before my time", we don't need to rehash it. Carry on.

Google combatants and non combatants. Check Geneva convention just for kicks.

[bcking 3,157]

Google combatants and non combatants. Check Geneva convention just for kicks.

I didn't use the words "combatants" and "non-combatants" so why do I need to google them? Explain your point, and then I will choose whether or not I need to "google" anything. That is usually something you say when the person you are replying to uses a word that you are trying to imply they don't understand. I'm fine with keeping the conversation going, but don't try to be clever by being cryptic.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

I didn't use the words "combatants" and "non-combatants" so why do I need to google them? Explain your point, and then I will choose whether or not I need to "google" anything. That is usually something you say when the person you are replying to uses a word that you are trying to imply they don't understand. I'm fine with keeping the conversation going, but don't try to be clever by being cryptic.

I guess having been in the Infantry and gone through officer training. I thought they were well known words. Guess not.

It's like a soldier vs a civilian. They fires are targeting civilian, non combatants. The bombings were targeting soldiers , non civilians.

There is a huge difference.

[bcking 3,157]

I guess having been in the Infantry and gone through officer training. I thought they were well known words. Guess not.

It's like a soldier vs a civilian. They fires are targeting civilian, non combatants. The bombings were targeting soldiers , non civilians.

There is a huge difference.

I wasn't saying I didn't know what the words meant. I know what a non-combatant is. I was just saying that you should actually try stating your point instead of attempting to be clever or cryptic by telling me to google something. We could have skipped one post each and gotten to where we are now.

The 2014 Israeli-Gaza conflict involved BOTH sides harming BOTH combatants and non-combatants. Civilians were bombed on both sides. I can guarantee that the Israeli's sitting in their folding chairs were watching bombs killing women, children, innocent victims. They may have been targetting combatants, but they killed many others. Palestinians also killed non-combatants. I'm not taking either side for that event. I thought both sides were horrible. We aren't here to rehash that event so sorry for bringing it up.

My only original point was that unfortunately that region of the world is filled with hate on both sides. I've had discussions with close friends who are Israeli who have told me honestly they wouldnt' mind if some catastrophe killed innocent Palestinians. People my age (early 30's) who were raised to just see the "other" people as all horrible. That happens on both sides and it's very sad. I have no doubt in my mind that if the Palestinians were suffering right now, there would be a decent number of Israelis who would celebrate it. Maybe not quite as publicly, but people would still celebrate. It is wrong no matter which direction it goes.

[OriZ 3,157]

Alright guys, I am not going to let this thread become a battleground...there's enough battles being fought against the fires as we speak. In regards to the conflict in 2014(and most conflicts these days between a military and a terror organization hiding amidst civilians, be it Hamas, Hezbollah, Isis or anyone else) Israel was not targeting civilians although those do unfortunately get hurt. I don't know what friends bcking has but I know very few people with that opinion and that kind of mindset. They exist, sure, but most Israelis are not being raised and taught to hate the other side. I think simply by actually being one myself I can probably attest to that better than most here who may or may not know but a few Jews or Israelis. But like I said we've had plenty of discussions about that in those threads and this is not what this thread is about so lets not turn it into another scuffle about that.

[bcking 3,157]

Alright guys, I am not going to let this thread become a battleground...there's enough battles being fought against the fires as we speak. In regards to the conflict in 2014(and most conflicts these days between a military and a terror organization hiding amidst civilians, be it Hamas, Hezbollah, Isis or anyone else) Israel was not targeting civilians although those do unfortunately get hurt. I don't know what friends bcking has but I know very few people with that opinion and that kind of mindset. They exist, sure, but most Israelis are not being raised and taught to hate the other side. I think simply by actually being one myself I can probably attest to that better than most here who may or may not know but a few Jews or Israelis. But like I said we've had plenty of discussions about that in those threads and this is not what this thread is about so lets not turn it into another scuffle about that.

Agreed. I apologise for bringing up a different topic. I also agree that Isreal wasn't intentionally targeting civilians, didn't mean to suggest that.

To the original topic - hope everyone is okay. Sucks that there is hate like this in the world against innocent people suffering from natural disaster.