One is not like the other

I was listening to CBC's "The Current" on the January 7, 2009 when host, Anna Maria Tremonti interviewed two Canadians on opposing sides of the Gaza conflict. Eva Bartlett, a native of Fergus, ON, is volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement in Gaza City while Gilbert Zamonsky of Toronto is volunteering with Sar-El Canada.

The interview with Bartlett was what one would expect: a first hand account of the physical devastation of the bombings and the emotional strain of "life under siege" in Gaza. It was the interview that followed with Zamonsky that made me angry.

After listening to the audibly exhausted Bartlett, it was hard to take Zamonsky's flippant tone. Zamonsky cheerfully identified himself as a snowbird enjoying the sunny climate of Israel and justified his work repairing Israeli tanks because it "turns (his) crank". It was frightening to hear the disconnect in Zamonsky between his work and its contibution to the killing of people when he happily described sending repaired tanks "back to work".

To her credit, poor Tremonti tried repeatedly to corrall Zamonsky back to the realm of sympathy or even sobriety, bringing up the rocket attacks on Israel and prompting Zamonsky to reflect on his beliefs but to no avail. The tactless man equated the tank depot to a retirement resort where they "treat (him) well" and he can hang out with friends. Zamonsky then reduced Israel's reason for being to a place where "Jewish people can feel comfortable." Only when Zamonsky reflected on vengeance did he cease being glib, chillingly referring to the recent bombings on Gaza as "payback".

If Israel is getting flack from the rest of the world for their recent bombardment on Gaza, they are not helped on the PR front by boorish mouthpieces like Zamonsky. Sar-El Canada should be embarrassed by their representative and "The Current" needs to mete out more balanced representation of two sides of a never-ending conflict.