Beirut is Burning!

ByMark Vallen

On Monday July 17, 2006, Agence France Presse reported: “US Ambassador John Bolton said there was no moral equivalence between the civilian casualties from the Israeli raids in Lebanon and those killed in Israel from ‘malicious terrorist acts.'”

A poem written in 1982 by Israeli playwright and poet, Chanoch Levin.

______________________________________________________

Beirut is in flames. Beirut is burning

And this is our chance to get rid of all our trash
Throw into the fire your conscience and liberty
Clean the whole area, leave no stone intact

Beirut is in flames

Ignite the books, paper burns well
Don’t be soft hearted, just feed the inferno
Sanitize your house; does anyone yell?
Shove a blazing rag into the gibbering gob

Beirut is burning

There are doubts? Burn them too! And throw into the flames
the mourns, moans, and groans
The stench of scorched baby flesh
shall cover up many smells

scorched baby flesh shall cover up many smells

Beirut is in flames. Beirut is burning
Turn everything into ashes, once and for all
Throw into the fire your conscience and liberty
Tomorrow they might, god forbid, flourish again

no moral equivalence

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