I Still Like My Idea Of Flaming Boomerangs From Gaza More Than Kites

By Fashla Fadikha, Gaza protester

May 27 – Call me bitter, but I, for one, cannot bring myself to feel unmitigated joy at the sight of Zionist fields and brush aflame as Palestinian kites bearing Molotov cocktails ignite blazes. For weeks, I have argued that incendiary boomerangs were the way to go, but the leadership rejected my proposal. I cannot help but experience resentment.

It was not my original idea to find ways to terrorize the Jews on the other side of the fence; others long before can take credit for that. Rockets, light artillery, and tunnels have long served our noble resistance in that respect. But those options offer limited capacity for masses of protesters to shield the activity. They thought of kites. I proposed boomerangs, which can be flung pretty far and much more quickly. The benefits of boomerangs, and their superiority to kites in almost every respect, failed to impress the higher-ups in Hamas, and so here I am, torn between pride and dejection.

Had a discussion or debate even taken place, I might not feel as I do. I originally assumed the manifest advantages of boomerangs over any alternative obviated any such deliberations, but it turns out my idea was simply rejected out of hand. I could have used a demonstration to prove my point. I could have brought to bear physical and documentary evidence of all sorts to bolster my contentions. But no. I suspect less than pure motives drove this decision, and that adds sour anger to my regret.

What could possibly move Hamas to decide against incendiary boomerangs? They’re compact devices. They require much less complex assembly than kites. They evoke the struggles of other indigenous people oppressed by colonizers. If they fail to hit their flammable targets, they come back so they can be reused. This is most definitely NOT rocket science, and I know there are enough people in Hamas smart enough to handle that field already.

My only conclusion, and I find it both distasteful and disillusioning, is corruption. When outside considerations, such as clan loyalty or financial reward, play any part in the decisions that govern us, we are lost. That distaste is why I cannot share in the unbridled thrill of watching Zionist wheat fields burn to the ground. It is why I clicked Replay numerous times on the clip of an incendiary kite running out of control and hitting Palestinians on our side of the fence.

OK, well, boomerang advocate or not, you have to find that one funny.

(h/t @a_butir)

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