Hanadi The Bomb

Amin Houweidi     Al-Hayat     2003/11/10

Hanadi Tayssir Jaradat is a 29-year-old Palestinian lawyer in Jenin. Her brother, cousin and fiancé are martyrs. On the third of October 2003, she went to Maxims' restaurant in Haifa, shot the doorkeeper to death and blew herself up, killing 20 Israelis and seriously wounding 50 others.

Some who are against suicide attacks, especially against civilians denounced her behavior. They wanted her to wear the explosive belt, ask the doorkeeper's permission to enter the restaurant and check if all people inside are not civilians. If they are not, she comes back home. If they are, she blows herself up. 

Hanadi did not think that way for her brother, cousin and fiancé are martyrs. Although they are civilians. Her territories are stolen, her houses destroyed, her people killed. She found that every crime is allowed and that international legitimacy is not holding back the criminal. What should Hanadi do? She is not an ordinary human being, thinking or feeling like one. She became a human bomb, but refused to become like Sharon and Mofaz and chose to be the bomb because she is Hanadi. She is Arab, and above all else, she is Palestinian.

People are mistaken when they judge others' behavior from their own perspective, for everyone is different. Strong people are not like the weaklings. They do not think or behave the same. Strong people think that they can do everything.

When Hanadi blew herself up in Haifa, her blood was mixed with the others', and this is the peak of misery, the occupied people are dead and those who claim their rights are dead too. This situation will always prevail as far as radicals are ruling Israel. The land is Hanadi's, since thousands of years and no geographic reality would change that. However, Israel's leaders do not understand that or do not want to. They are blinded by radicalism; they see no truth or mutual security. They feel nothing but hatred, think nothing but crime and offer nothing but killing and destruction. In fact, would any sound people think about encircling a state with a wall? A sound people think about demolishing walls and opening to the others.

Sharon does not understand that by encircling Palestinians he is encircling himself and his people as well. He is jailing himself and his people. What he does not understand is that jail is like the human bomb; it is the killer and the victim at once. Hanadi overcame all barriers because she knows that if you have the balance of power, she has the balance of horror and that is you have tanks and aircrafts, she has the human bomb, a local weapon that suits all needs.

Hanadi Tayssir Jaradat lived the misery daily and was subject to oppression and humiliation. She lost hope and went to Maxim's in Haifa, very proud of herself, to die there as a human bomb!

*Mr. Houweidi is a writer and a former Egyptian minister of defense.

<h1>Hanadi The Bomb</h1><h3>Amin Houweidi     Al-Hayat     2003/11/10</h3><p>Hanadi Tayssir Jaradat is a 29-year-old Palestinian lawyer in Jenin. Her brother, cousin and fiancé are martyrs. On the third of October 2003, she went to Maxims' restaurant in Haifa, shot the doorkeeper to death and blew herself up, killing 20 Israelis and seriously wounding 50 others.</p><p>Some who are against suicide attacks, especially against civilians denounced her behavior. They wanted her to wear the explosive belt, ask the doorkeeper's permission to enter the restaurant and check if all people inside are not civilians. If they are not, she comes back home. If they are, she blows herself up. </p><p>Hanadi did not think that way for her brother, cousin and fiancé are martyrs. Although they are civilians. Her territories are stolen, her houses destroyed, her people killed. She found that every crime is allowed and that international legitimacy is not holding back the criminal. What should Hanadi do? She is not an ordinary human being, thinking or feeling like one. She became a human bomb, but refused to become like Sharon and Mofaz and chose to be the bomb because she is Hanadi. She is Arab, and above all else, she is Palestinian.</p><p>People are mistaken when they judge others' behavior from their own perspective, for everyone is different. Strong people are not like the weaklings. They do not think or behave the same. Strong people think that they can do everything.</p><p>When Hanadi blew herself up in Haifa, her blood was mixed with the others', and this is the peak of misery, the occupied people are dead and those who claim their rights are dead too. This situation will always prevail as far as radicals are ruling Israel. The land is Hanadi's, since thousands of years and no geographic reality would change that. However, Israel's leaders do not understand that or do not want to. They are blinded by radicalism; they see no truth or mutual security. They feel nothing but hatred, think nothing but crime and offer nothing but killing and destruction. In fact, would any sound people think about encircling a state with a wall? A sound people think about demolishing walls and opening to the others.</p><p>Sharon does not understand that by encircling Palestinians he is encircling himself and his people as well. He is jailing himself and his people. What he does not understand is that jail is like the human bomb; it is the killer and the victim at once. Hanadi overcame all barriers because she knows that if you have the balance of power, she has the balance of horror and that is you have tanks and aircrafts, she has the human bomb, a local weapon that suits all needs.</p><p>Hanadi Tayssir Jaradat lived the misery daily and was subject to oppression and humiliation. She lost hope and went to Maxim's in Haifa, very proud of herself, to die there as a human bomb!</p><p>*Mr. Houweidi is a writer and a former Egyptian minister of defense.</p>