A Fairytale: short life of Ali Dawabsheh
The night baby Ali was burnt
On the evening of July 31st, entering a Friday of the 1st of August, in Duma near Nablus (West Bank), during a rare peaceful night where all the village was sleeping, one family, in particular, had a night of terror full of fire.
Ali Saad Dawabsheh, an 18 month-year-old, along with his father, mother and his four-year-old brother Ahmad, were burned alive inside their home, on that peaceful night, by some monsters.
Ali, the baby, was a victim of an arson attack by extreme Israeli Jewish terrorists, who targeted his home, to make a family’s life miserable forever. Unfortunately, this baby, had a very short life, and was burned alive during his sleep, while dreaming about beautiful things, including the image of his mother last feeding him, the image of his father last holding him, and his brother Ahmad last playing with him, because this is what an 18-year-old month baby must dream of, he could not possibly have other dreams… but on this night, this baby must have had a new ugly ‘’dream’’ where he felt danger and heat surrounding him, with cries of his family surrounding him, and for a very short time…maybe it is better that this baby did not last longer to see the pain of his family and his home being burned down in front of his eyes, but I am positively sure, that this baby felt pain, no matter his age.
The Israeli settlers, which is a “nice” term to call these killers, threw Molotov inside the house when the house got immediately lit, and the whole of house went in flames. These Jewish terrorists, ironically also had the time to have some graffiti written outside the house with the words ‘’revenge’’ and ‘’long live the Messiah’’ with the Star of David…
Only one question pops into my head after all that’s being said… What did this baby do?
Maybe they didn’t think that there was a baby inside, wait… they wouldn’t care if there were 100 children inside.
Another question pops into my head… What did this family do to deserve having their child killed in some discriminatory attack because of racism and oppression in this ongoing Israeli-Palestinian question, filled with injustice and despair? What did this family do to deserve having their entire home fall in flames, getting severe burnings on 80% of their bodies ( as I put these words, the father was announced dead in the hospital ), what did this family do to have their entire life, memories, all what they built to fall apart? And mainly, what did this family do to lose their baby that they didn’t have time to enjoy yet, in this dreadful way. What did this family do?
The family was in the hospital following the burning of the house, and the loss of their baby, in critical conditions… a couple of days after, the father died. The mother and the four-year-old brother Ahmad, remain under dangerous conditions, and will continue to be in severe shock and misery for the rest of their lives. Maybe having them killed as well is better than having to live with the pain of losing your newborn child and your beloved husband…
Friday, the second morning of this horrible murder, the holy day of the week for Muslim people, 2,000 people marched from the mosque to the cemetery, where Ali’s body was buried, and where clashes between Palestinian kids and Israeli soldiers occurred.
Those settlers, burnt down a second house near that one, for people from the same family, but fortunately, they weren’t home and also burnt a church in Tiberias on the same day… Those terrorists didn’t even bother to see if anyone was inside or not, they just wanted to hurt, and kill, because this is what they are, people with no sense of humanity, no sense of anything in this world… these people have terrifying hatred inside them, for the Palestinians. This is not the first attack, and certainly not the last one… Do you know why?
Why… Because this mob got away with it and always does.
Why… Because this crowd is backed up by the Government, despite the president and the prime minister’s ‘’condemnation.”
Why… Because Israelis, especially settlers, have extra privileges than Palestinians
Why… Because this is occupation, apartheid, and endless oppression that Palestinians live in for almost a decade now.
One of the terrorists was finally stopped… and the best news ever for him and for the rest of the racist settlers inciting death for Palestinians, was Jail for 6 months (He was put into administrative detention for 6 months as the state is investigating the case of his terrorist attacks (not necessarily he was one of the people who torched the house and murdered the innocent family). He is accused of being behind many terrorist attacks, and the court upheld his detention while the state investigates. Is that something to believe? Is this the democratic country that Israel claims to be? Or is this real injustice that nobody cares to do anything about?
Six months only, for burning a humane, a little baby, for killing his father and hurting his mother and brother.
Six months only for burning down their home, their life.
Six months only for hatred and terrorism against innocent people
Then, the state wonders why these terrorists continue with these violent acts and pretend to condemn it on TV in front of the world to prove their democratic side? But how, could this be democratic, if only ONE of the terrorists was sentenced to jail for SIX MONTHS, how?
There is only one answer to the ‘’How’’… because we live under occupation, in an apartheid state.
While the murderer- fanatic was caught and ‘’arrested’’, held by two policemen on the photo a couple of days after the catastrophic event, he had a huge smile on his face, reflecting his pride, his happiness in what he was able to ‘’achieve”. And a majority of the Israeli citizens, are happy about the incident. Otherwise, this monster would have never dared to have a smile on his face. His expression was so provoking, that his smile was actually talking and saying ‘’I am proud, I managed to kill a Palestinian, you should all follow me and call for death to Arabs, and I am so satisfied to an extent, that I am confident nothing will happen to me, I know that my racist state will stand by my side’’
How could these monsters ever learn their lesson if they’re not punished? Personally, someone who makes a mistake like this should never get another lesson, because all they do and want to do is hurt people and anyone who’s not likes them. Not everyone deserves an experience or a second chance in this world, some mistakes are just too big for anyone to forgive. But in the state of ‘’democratic’’ Israel, not only do these terrorists avoid punishment, or get killed like Palestinians, but they literally get a free pass for their horrible actions!
How long should we Palestinians wait until our deaths and lives matter to the rest of the world?
How long should we witness this eye to eye injustice that the state takes sides on and punishes us because we are Palestinians?
If a Palestinian had not only burned a Jewish home but beat or hurt a Jewish, let me tell you what would have happened. There are 2 options: The Palestinian will either end up in jail forever or get shot, in Israel’s so-called Democracy. Not only will he get shot or locked up forever, but also there’s a big chance because it has been adopted as a law, that his home will be ordered for demolishment by Israeli forces, and his family evicted from the home, because this is what the state laws.
There is nothing else to write or say, or feel… after the court’s decision to jail this terrorist for 6 months… there is nothing to say…. But to call for the world to see this injustice, that I know the world sees but avoids it and ignores it, because they will always stand with the occupying power state, just like with the rich and the poor. The rich always wins in this world.
This is not new, Palestinian loss doesn’t count as a human loss in the world we live in, in the state we live in. Our lives don’t matter, our faith only remains in God’s hands, not in the international community, nor the Arab countries, nor even the Palestinian Authority representing us.
When the expression ‘’We Palestinians have no one but ourselves’’ is said, it is meant with every word as it is.
Our lives just don’t matter anymore and never have, to anyone. Hearing about Palestinians being killed or attacked is not shocking anymore, or even sad, it has become part of who we are, part of our daily routine life, that we unconsciously accept it and tolerate it because that’s just the way it is. Nothing shocks Palestinians anymore. And it is so sad.
After waking up and starting my day with news about the killer being jailed for 6 months and after hearing of Ali’s father’s death after critical condition… I am speechless, I am sad, I am shocked by all of this incident… and I only have two words for you baby Ali, ‘’Sweet dreams’’, you will wake up in a much safer haven, with everything you want or wish for, except for your mother, who gave you birth and fed you and who wa planning to have a long life with you… Nothing matters to a mother more than her children.
Rest in peace Ali Saad Dawabsheh – July 31st, 2015, and rest in peace Saad Dawabsheh, your father, who followed your death on August 8th, 2015.
Goodnight baby Ali.
Hiva Nusseibeh
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