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Usfiya residents: Don't blame us for fire
Hassan Shaalan
Published: 05.12.10, 19:49
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22 Talkbacks for this article
1. Salma, where are you, we need your comment
whoever ,   w   (12.05.10)
...to start laughing.
2. Disgusting reaction by the druze
Eliran ,   israel   (12.05.10)
Two druze start this fire and they expect us to be quiet about it? After all israel has done for the druze, we even recognized them as a seperate ethnic group (which they arent) and still they are always complaining.
3. How come there aren't any Druze firefighters then?
Roger the Shrubber   (12.05.10)
4. Druze not totally innocent
William ,   Israel   (12.05.10)
There have been many incidents over the past 3 years where Druze youth would call police and firemen, then stone them when they arrive. If I were a fireman, I wouldn't want to return there either.
5. What is wrong with the Druze village?
Frank ,   USA   (12.05.10)
Why cannot the authorities of the village create their own fire fighting force. Why cannot they help themselves rather than always relying on the state? The state of Israel has its hands full with the media war, terrorism, economy, etc. The local communities must help themselves.
6. Go easy here
Dave ,   NDM, MA USA   (12.05.10)
The Druze as a rule still put their lives on the line for Israel in other ways. Maybe (if they don't join the Fire Service) they don't j b/c there's not enough of a fire service to join!!
7. Fires in Usfiya
Julie ,   Israel   (12.05.10)
Usfiya residents should know that there should be NO FIRES lit in or near the forest and ESPECIALLY in a country where is no water, no rain. In Canada during the dry summer months NO FIRES (that is ...NO fires) are permitted in wooded areas. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out.. You people have got to take some responsibility. Parents must be responsible for their own children. Teach your children...NO FIRES in the wooded areas. What were they thinking??? They weren't. And that is the problem. And you can take responsibility for it.
8. Some of the fires were started on purpose, just tell the tru
m   (12.05.10)
9. who should we blame?
Avi Stein ,   Tel Aviv   (12.05.10)
no matter how you spin it, residents of usafiya started the fire
10. Druze are not to blame, individuals are!
whatever   (12.05.10)
Some people are just morons and racists and blame a whole a group, for a disaster caused by some. It's not "the Druze" that were responsible. It's individual persons! Among them an infamous Shas minister who should take his hat.
11. usifiya: how about an apology? contrition?
dante ,   uk   (12.06.10)
no. it was the martians who did it, right?
12. Druze don't deserve blame; especially not young teens
Gale ,   Canadian   (12.06.10)
Even if some individuals accidentally started this fire at a garbage dump, the bigger problem is the handling of garbage in Israel. When my family hiked in the area of Isfiya last spring, there was garbage strewn along the trails in the forest. Bins of garbage are often open with homeless cats living off the refuse. Maybe this fire will make people realize how unhealthy the whole situation is, and Israel can start creating better methods for collecting and processing garbage.
13. 4 acts of negligence
Lemmings Hotline ,   sd usa   (12.06.10)
1 starting fire 2 letting it spread uncontrolled, which includes not funding project, not organizing it well 3) allowing people near the blaze causng loss of life, which goes back to 2, because lack of monitoring system 4) Media: lack off identifying and reporting major deficiency of firefighting infrastructure in govt. Too much left wing blabber and chareidi bashing instead
14. common practice here in Israel (the idiots)
galilean ,   Israel   (12.06.10)
It is common practice in Israel for many people living in Arab and Druze villages to burn garbage and tree prunings. Just drive by the many Arab and/or Druze villages that surround Karmiel. Or drive from Yirka junction to Kabri junction, and notice all the fires. There is a general lack of awareness of the dangers of fires here in Israel, amongst many Jewish people too. I think part of the reason is that our homes are built from concrete and cinder blocks and will not totally burn down. I have no personal experience if this is also practiced in the Druze village of Usfiya. I don't live in that area, so I don't remember if I saw them burning or not. But the scene of something burning in an Arab and/or Druze village is quite common in more northern areas of Israel.
15. I don't think that 2 teens can cause that big
ghostq   (12.06.10)
of a fire, you have to understand that the Druze lost their people in the fire, I think some other arabs who were not Druze made the fire bigger knowing the two teens will get the blame, it's true that on stupidity you pay, but facing their own community is bad enough, I think the real criminals r still outther and they r the worst kind making use of two teens, I hopw the Druze will bring the reall criminals heads on stiks. in other words the teens should be punished but not so badly, since if it was only their fire it probably died long time ago, 4 sources of fire couldn't be done by 2 teens. not logic or posible.
16. Flippant accusations
Robert ,   Brisbane, Australia   (12.06.10)
It is regrettable that posters here make unproven and flippant accusations. It is equally as likely that Jews lit this fire deliberately in order to frame others.
17. to #16 we know about the Australian fire
ghostq   (12.06.10)
3 years ago, sad to say just because your fire fighters contain nuts jobs, you think other people practis the same sadistic behavior, irony oh yeah, all the south part of Australia was burning, right to Tazmania, people haven't got that short of memory mate.
18. the hate can wait...
(12.06.10)
the foreigners' aircraft have barely left Israel and already religious Jews and Druze are the victims of hatred and blame from their fellow Israelis on Ynet talkback here and on other articles. It was a heart-warming to see all the help flooding into Israel from neighbors. Why spoil such a good look? The hatred and blame expressed against different groups in Israeli society looks aweful coming as it does so soon after Israel has just been blessed by the generosity and kindness of outsiders. At this point Israelis may feel like writing that Israel is just getting back a fraction of the help which it gives to others. True. But that is also an unfortunate attitude. When Americans get help from others they dont precede every ''thankyou'' speech with a list of their own generous deeds. Its not a good look. It may be part of Israeli culture to do that , but it goes down really badly in western cultures and leaves a bad impression.
19. Israel's government is responsible!
(12.06.10)
More than anything else it is about the pollyanna attitude of the various right wing governments including Mr. Netanyahu's current government! No time, No money!
20. let's talk about fires...
(12.06.10)
not just this one in particular but about more than 1600 fires throughout all of Israel in 2009! ALL of those fires were started by irresponsible people! Most of them were accidental and negligent not arson! The government knew about the situation with the firefighters units and did nothing!
21. #5 there are NO VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS anywhere in Israel!
(12.06.10)
So why single out the Druze?!
22. #21 then explain the volunteer death?
LS ,   Israel   (12.06.10)
If you're so sure that there are no volunteer firefighters, please explain how one of the casualties was a 16 year old volunteer firefighter.
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