This past Sabbath I was at a family friends house, henceforth known as the Grossbaums. I haven’t been there for about two years, and I wasn’t so attuned to the issues of the דתי לאומי (nationalistic and religious) community back then. Two conversations stuck out, in particular, this Sabbath.

The bombings at the Boston Marathon were the most recent big news that we were talking about.  

1) The Grossbaums cousins, the Levy’s, were over. Mrs. Grossbaum asked if we knew “what” they were, talking about the white and black capped suspects of the bombing. Mrs. Levy answered, “exactly what we thought, they were Muslim”. Me, being both the labeled “leftist” and not so knowledgeable about Chechnya said , “they weren’t Muslim, they’re Chechen . Mrs. Levy responded by saying “fine, but I’m sure one of them was Muslim”. “No, they were brothers, they were of the same dissent”. “Well then I’m sure they’re connected to some Muslim group”.

Why do they have to be Muslim? Are Muslims the only evil that exists in this world?

2) After I told Doni Grossbaum, their 14 year old kid, (wrongfully) that were Chechen  not Muslim, he asked “so what did they have against America”. So I didn’t really know the answer, but I answered something about spreading communism. What I said was stupid, I know, but I wanted to assume the “genius” role and maybe have him question his hatred a little bit. He then asked, “so these Chechens are better then the Muslims, right? Because at least they are fighting for something. Muslims just blow themselves up because they think they’ll get 72 virgins”. He continued to tell me a story about how a suicide bomber was found afterwards to have bags and padding on his penis, so he can still use it after he goes to heaven.

This kid had no idea about what that suicide bomber was fighting for. The Israeli kids are taught to think that Muslims (not Palestinians. Muslims)  kill for the sake of a vain and physical pleasure. They have no understanding, and have never been taught, about what they are actually fighting for and fighting against.