Birds of a Feather

My daughter was attacked yesterday. She was walking on a quiet residential street in Rishon LeZion, when, without warning, the blow came from the sky. The attack was totally unexpected, Rishon is not the West Bank, it is not disputed territory. But the large raven that left her with a nasty head wound was not interested in politics, it was attacking anything that dared to walk near the tree that it had chosen to make its nest.

Worried that others might be attacked, there are many small children in her neighborhood, she contacted the Rishon Municipality and was passed on to the Veterinary Office. The vet was quite adamant – it was her own fault. Everyone knows that ravens attack people, that is what ravens do, it is their nature. Any citizen, even young children, who encroach on the ravens’ territory should know what to expect. After all, the ravens were here first.

Of course, attacks by birds are nothing new. A couple of years ago, in the UK, a 7-year-old boy was attacked by a flock of seagulls. He was left covered in blood and needing hospital treatment. The gulls had no political motive, they were just after his doughnut.

Traditionally, seagulls should be found at sea. However, in recent years the birds have relocated to urban areas, probably because food is easily found without having to work for it.
It is fortunate that some relative of the Rishon vet is not working in the Ministry of Defense. We can imagine a worried resident of one of the townships along the border with Gaza calling to report an attack from the sky. Six hundred missiles have just come in from Gaza, what should we do.

It’s your fault, they are told. Everyone knows that is what Palestinians do, it is their nature. Your presence is both the provocation and justification for this attack.

But, the worried resident says, traditionally, Palestinians were found in Egypt. Many lived in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. Now they are breaking into Israel.

That’s understandable, says the man from the Ministry of Defense, they have little to do, little to eat in their own land, it is easier to feed in Israel. Our country is blossoming, we have made the desert bloom. All they have done is make a blooming desert!

Back in 2014, the Pope released a pair of doves from the Vatican as a gesture of peace as tens of thousands of people watched in St Peter’s Square. The peace symbols were immediately attacked by a vicious seagull and raven who saw the doves as nothing more than a chance for a bit of Sunday morning sport.

Currently, President Trump is attempting to fly some doves of peace. While his doves are still growing in their nest, angry Palestinians are threatening to shoot them down. Any attempts by Israel to ease restrictions on the Gazans is seen as nothing more than a chance for a bit of Friday morning sport, attacking the border fence and its brave defenders. Like the seagull and the raven, for the Palestinians a bit of sport means destruction, injury and death.

Birds of a feather.