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NEW YORKERS NOT BLOOMBERG'S PAL A VICTIM |
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg stood in front of media advising New Yorkers to go about life as normal despite heightened security concerns midstream the DNC and RNC run up to the elections. Bloomberg went on the record with a similar encouragement almost one year ago. August 26th, 2003. Ben Yehuda Street. Jerusalem. Bloomberg stood alongside Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupoliansky outside a Jerusalem pizza shop encouraging people to ride Israeli buses.
Five months and three days later, January 30th 2004, the photo of an 18th month old baby and his former NY resident father standing alongside the two Mayors splashed around the world. January 29th, 8:38am, the father was one of eleven commuters murdered by PNA officer 24 year old Ali Jaara who deliberately secreted a bomb vest loaded with construction site shrapnel pieces undetected on to the bus under his coat. This attack was different from others. Noticed was the artistry of bomb murder had graduated to a new level. Like joggers and chefs, murderers practice to improve too. The New York Times reported savaged victims included a grown man cut in half; heads of commuters seated side by side rolling in tandem to a stop at the feet of a pedestrian.
The NY Post headline screamed "Bloomberg Pal A Victim." He was no pal, just the one photo-op haunting New York Mayor Bloomberg. The man is my brother, Yechezkel Chezi Scotty Goldberg, columnist for Brooklyn's Jewish Press, pioneer of an area of Israeli psychology for at-risk Western youth emigres. This father of 7 grieving children ages 18 months to 16 years old, age 41, was murdered by bomb, doing what Bloomberg is asking Americans to do- go about life as usual so the enemy doesn't win. In our case, the enemy won. We grieve. We lost.
Jaara detonated Bus 19 one block away from where Sharon was meeting with the US Envoy on the Roadmap to Peace. John Wolf. Wolf was airlifted by helicopter, within one half hour of the murders. My brother was taken to The Cemetery of the Resting, his new home, high above Jerusalem, after he lay alone in a body bag over ten hours at the Abu Kabir, body Identification Center, until his wife confirmed him amongst the murdered. Like Wolf, he is safe, now.
My brother rode buses for one reason. He could not afford a car. Like other émigrés to the Holy Land, he worked three jobs to barely provide for his family prioritizing religious freedom over wealth.
Soon after Chezi's murder, I reached out to NYC's Mayor Bloomberg seeking solidarity in asking media to call Jaara and the terrorists on 911 what they are- murderers- not suicide pilots or suicide bombers. Bloomberg's Community Commish. No mayor.
Instead I took my recommendations public, writing Jaara did not demand all commuters except Jews get off the bus. He patiently commuted until his political statement would be noticed. Then he murdered. Not suicide or homicide, dammit. Murder. Deliberate intent to kill.
There is an expected courtesy in death, acknowledgement of the mourners, particularly when the murdered comes back from the grave, in photos and in the shell of his last ride, Bus 19, touring America as a lesson terrorism does not discriminate zip codes nor commuters. It is over 6 months now. Still no card of sympathy from the Mayor to my brother's widow, orphans or sister-in-law, mother-in-law, nieces and nephews living in New York. Protocol before etiquette, I am told. Photo ops before paying respect, I guess, is the newly acceptable behaviour from politicians.
Someone asked if I think Bloomberg is a hypocrite. No. I think he is a politician ignoring his constituents daily, like my brother, risk life and limb in morning commutes while his solidarity bus riding announcement, August 23rd was aboard a bus swept clean as a whistle. Bloomberg's ominous caution to New Yorkers falls short of delivering the message of Bus 19 I magnify when pointing out fanatical hate murdered my brother. Too many people are prepared to take their own lives in the course of perpetrating terrorism's crime. Murder. Bloomberg could have cautioned America is too big to watch everywhere. Everyone. New Yorkers, be your own best eyes.
BIO: Carrie Devorah is an award winning investigative photojournalist. She studied terrorism activisim while living in Europe. "I was a crime analyst and profiler long before my brother was murdered on a bus in Israel. I walk America, New York-DC, talking with our front line of homeland security, officers about what they are seeing. I photograph what they are not. My family's loss is a cheap lesson for New Yorkers to learn the enemy is the person you dont suspect," says Devorah.
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