TIME Magazine won’t tell you the whole truth, so I will

Listen – I do a classic eye roll when people say that everyone in the world is out to get Israel

I think that’s straight up narcissism talking, because seriously: The world has other things to deal with and — oohhh!!! — Jerusalem is not the center of the world.

There are many centers of the world.

In fact, each person is a world unto ourselves.

Which is why we have an expression in Judaism: “He who saves a life saves an entire world.”

So, no – even though I live here, even though I am raising my children here, I do not think Israel is the center of the world.

BUT, when I read bullshit I’ll call bullshit, and TIME Magazine published bullshit.

On October 15, TIME magazine published an article titled “The Desperation Driving Young Palestinians to Violence.” Fair enough. But then, TIME merely referred to a man named Bahaa Allyan as “a graphic designer” who “was killed by Israeli security forces after allegedly trying to carry out an attack in Jerusalem.”

And even though Israel’s GPO has sent them repeated requests to tell the whole truth, they won’t.

Here’s the whole truth:

Yes it’s true, Bahaa Alyann was once a graphic designer.

Yes it’s true he was killed by security forces.

But it’s still bullshit.

Why?

So I’ll tell you.

Bah Allyan was killed because he murdered three innocent people in cold blood. On a bus that many of us ride every single day.

On a bus I ride any given Sunday.

And he was trying to murder more innocent passengers when he was was killed.

You won’t read that in the TIME article.

And worse, TIME still refuses to even write the names of his three victims.

So I’ll tell you their names.

Richard Lakin was an American who threw his lot in with the people of Israel, and made Aliyah – like me. He had eight grandchildren. He was a peace activist who worked to build bridges between different worlds. I know that desperate calling, and I grieve for him.

Haviv Haim was 78 years old — a grandfather of fifteen, on his way home from a visit to the doctor with his wife. I know that closeness from my own parents, and I grieve for them.

Alon Govberg was an from Azerbaijan with no close family or friends. Maybe he would have found a partner and a family if he has lived. Instead, he died alone. I know what loneliness feels like, and I grieve for him.

Please grieve with me.

Say THEIR names.

Richard Lakin. Haviv Haim. Alon Govberg.

Remember them.

And forget the murderer who erased these three worlds.

UPDATE: Time magazine added a few lines about the victims.  And I quote: 

“On Tuesday, Allyan, a graphic designer from the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood Jabel Mukaber, was killed by Israeli security forces after he and another assailant killed two passengers in an attack on a Jerusalem bus. A third victim, a U.S.-born teacher, died two weeks after the attack.”

Do you think that’s good enough? I don’t.