Qibya village sheds no tears for Ariel Sharon
- 11 years ago
The West Bank village of Qibya has its own bitter memories of Ariel Sharon.
In 1953, he led a commando unit that blew up homes and killed dozens of people in a reprisal raid for the slaying of an Israeli woman and her two children.
Hamed Ghethan was four-years-old then. He lived with his family in Qibya, which was ruled by Jordan at the time.
“Sharon’s name reminds me of the 77 martyrs from my village, Qibya,” he said as he walked round the ruins of his former home.
“It symbolises an infinite brutality in the killing of innocent people including women, the elderly and children.”
Whether 77 people died as village records show or there were 69 victims as is often said, Qibya holds Sharon responsible.
“There is no gloating in death, but this is the inevitable end for every tyrant,” Ghethan said.
Sharon later said he had thought the houses were empty.
In 1953, he led a commando unit that blew up homes and killed dozens of people in a reprisal raid for the slaying of an Israeli woman and her two children.
Hamed Ghethan was four-years-old then. He lived with his family in Qibya, which was ruled by Jordan at the time.
“Sharon’s name reminds me of the 77 martyrs from my village, Qibya,” he said as he walked round the ruins of his former home.
“It symbolises an infinite brutality in the killing of innocent people including women, the elderly and children.”
Whether 77 people died as village records show or there were 69 victims as is often said, Qibya holds Sharon responsible.
“There is no gloating in death, but this is the inevitable end for every tyrant,” Ghethan said.
Sharon later said he had thought the houses were empty.