"but about who’s suffering worse - there's no argument"
Few, including those responding to the BMJ, appear to dispute the
mortality and morbidity statistics presented by Summerfield. Many
respondents however dispute how his data should be interpreted.
To my mind the most eloquent and precise interpretation of the
Palestinian disaster was written by Derfner, a Zionist and Jerusalem Post
feature writer. In March 2004, he wrote:
“We can argue with the Palestinians about who's to blame; but about
who’s suffering worse - there's no argument. They are a destitute nation
living in an elaborate prison under the guns of the Israeli army,
We are a bourgeois, well-travelled nation that spoils its kids and, while
being vulnerable to violent death by terror, is most vulnerable to violent
death by traffic accident.” (1)
The elegance of Derfner’s summation is that it reconciles
Summerfield’s statistics and the views of his antagonists. The subtext of
Derfner’s summary is clear; he is asking the question:
“Israeli people, forget the rights and wrongs. Can we, a rich nation
exposed to greater threats to our health and welfare than occasional
Palestinian violence - justify the daily, hi-tech turkey shoot, and
ultimately genocide of the Palestinian people?”
(1) Larry Derfner. High school during wartime: Daily Ed. Jerusalem
Post: Mar 4, 2004. pg. 13
Rapid Response:
"but about who’s suffering worse - there's no argument"
Few, including those responding to the BMJ, appear to dispute the
mortality and morbidity statistics presented by Summerfield. Many
respondents however dispute how his data should be interpreted.
To my mind the most eloquent and precise interpretation of the
Palestinian disaster was written by Derfner, a Zionist and Jerusalem Post
feature writer. In March 2004, he wrote:
“We can argue with the Palestinians about who's to blame; but about
who’s suffering worse - there's no argument. They are a destitute nation
living in an elaborate prison under the guns of the Israeli army,
We are a bourgeois, well-travelled nation that spoils its kids and, while
being vulnerable to violent death by terror, is most vulnerable to violent
death by traffic accident.” (1)
The elegance of Derfner’s summation is that it reconciles
Summerfield’s statistics and the views of his antagonists. The subtext of
Derfner’s summary is clear; he is asking the question:
“Israeli people, forget the rights and wrongs. Can we, a rich nation
exposed to greater threats to our health and welfare than occasional
Palestinian violence - justify the daily, hi-tech turkey shoot, and
ultimately genocide of the Palestinian people?”
(1) Larry Derfner. High school during wartime: Daily Ed. Jerusalem
Post: Mar 4, 2004. pg. 13
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests