Why I am Skeptical about the Allegations over the Duma Arson, as well as the Video of Wedding-goers Celebrating the Duma Deaths

A grotesque video has been published, which purports to be of an Orthodox wedding, in which people are celebrating the July 31, 2015 fire-bombing that resulted in the killing of members of the Dawabsheh family in the Arab village of Duma.

First let it be said that I in no way want to justify, rationalize, excuse, legitimize or otherwise defend what was a terrible crime.

But I have watched the videos, and it looks to me like a put-up job, a fraud.

I could surely be wrong about this.  It would not be the first time that I would be disgusted by the depths to which some supposedly “religious” people sink.  I have been equally disgusted by the actions of secularists and non-Jews.  But when “religious” Jews are involved, it really hits home.

So I would like to itemize here my reasons for being skeptical.

First, there are still questions about what happened in Duma:

1. There had been four other suspicious fires in Duma in a year, including the home of a relative of the victims on June 19, 2015.  These are related to an 18 year feud between Arab clans. 
2. The house is located in the middle of the village.  This makes it tricky to get in and out without being caught.
3. Yet not only weren’t they caught, but they were able to commit the arson, and write on the walls, without leaving any evidence by which to track them.
4. The ISA says they know “who is responsible”, and insists it was Jews.  How do they know?  By the Hebrew scribbling on the walls?  There aren’t any Arabs who know Hebrew, and would want to pin this on Jews?  Where is the evidence?
5. It is unlikely that amateur teenage “terrorists” would be able to pull off something like this without leaving a trail of evidence.  I think this was either an inside (Arab) job, or that of trained professionals.  Why would they go into the middle of the village, when it would be so much easier on the outskirts?  And why this particular house?

And now, about the videos:

1. It is suspiciously convenient that these videos show up just as protests mount concerning the treatment of the individuals who have been detained since September, but not charged.  Why haven’t we seen these videos before now?
2. Most of the time, when terrorist attacks take place, the security services pick up the culprits within a few days.  It’s quite remarkable.  But in this case, it has been almost six months, and despite “knowing” that it was Jews who did this, no one has been charged.
3. Then, very conveniently, we are told that the lawyers of the detainees have been identified on the videos.  Really now.
4. Every Israeli politician from every spectrum is vying to come out as the strongest supporter of the ISA.  I have never seen such unity about anything among Israeli politicians.  When was the last time they all agreed on something?  That in itself is suspicious.
5. If the people in the video can be positively identified, then why haven’t they been arrested and charged?  Why is Administrative Detention being used instead?
6. Why are the names of those under detention being withheld?
7. Statements have been released of the chatan, kallah and family members at the wedding (names also unreported), and they report that they never saw any such event occur.
8. Why don’t we know the date of the wedding, and the date of the video?
9. Why is the location of the wedding unclear?  We are told that it was somewhere in Jerusalem, but where?
10. 30 guests are being “questioned”.  If they appear on the video, then what is there to question?  If they aren’t on the video, then why question them?
11. If the “terrorists” were clever enough to pull off the Duma attack and leave no evidence, how can you believe that they would publicly dance around with knives, guns, molotov cocktails, and pictures of the victims - and let it be recorded!

As a backdrop, there is a history of anti-yishuv sentiment among the security forces.  The most infamous case of this was in 1994, when the Shin Bet set up a phony terrorist group in order to implicate the Dati Leumi community in acts of terror.  This was revealed in 2001.  The purpose was to de-legitimize the opposition to the Oslo Accords.

In addition, the Duma arson followed the abduction and murder of three Jewish boys by Arabs from Hevron the previous summer, and in the midst of the current wave of Arab terror attacks.  Duma has been viewed as a possible reprisal by “Jewish terrorists”.

Now, I’m not one to hold by conspiracy theories. But, I’ve seen and read enough mysteries and thrillers to know to be suspect of evidence as presented by “authorities”, especially when it looks too perfect.  So I will now present a theory that is based on the scanty information that is available outside of government circles.  It seems, at this time, just as likely as the line that we are being fed by official sources.  Think of this as the outline of the conspiracy novel that I will never write.

The kidnapping and murder of three Jewish boys by Arab terrorists makes the security services look bad.  One of the boys had actually called the Police, who considered it a crank call and never responded.  This makes them all look really bad, and it starts engendering sympathy for the “settlers”.

So, the security services set up a “revenge” attack.  Skilled agents are sent in to an Arab village where several fires have already taken place.  They know what they are doing.  They are able to get in, get out, and leave no evidence.  In any case, guess who would be doing the investigating?

Whether they intended to actually kill anyone or not is an open question. It might not have been the intention.  Or, perhaps, this family had some relationship with the ISA that the ISA did not want to be revealed?

In any case, now the “settlers” look bad, just as intended. As it turns out though, simply blaming it on Jews is not enough.  The world demands suspects.  Uh Oh, now what.  Either there is no evidence, or the evidence would point right back to the ISA.

So, as they say in Casablanca, “round up the usual suspects”.  They want to get some of these “hilltop youth” to confess to the crime.  They use Administrative Detention, but still have not been able to produce plausible evidence.  Opposition mounts to the treatment of the youths in detention.

Now they have to turn all that opposition into support.  They set up a fake wedding scene, complete with “hilltop youth”, knives, guns, and pictures of the victims.  Conveniently, the chatan and kallah never appear.  But they make sure that likenesses of the detainees’ lawyers show up in the crowd, to discredit and implicate them.

Now, Israeli politicians are shrewd characters.  They know a scheme when they see one.  They are skeptical of everything.  So how do they get everyone in line to give believability to the accusations?  Just like J. Edgar Hoover, the former Director of the FBI, the ISA has dirt on everyone.  They make it clear to the leaders of the entire political spectrum that if they don’t show their support for the ISA in the most glowing terms, then certain information might get leaked out.  Now all the politicos are jumping all over themselves to defend the ISA.

I don’t know how this is going to end.  All I do know is that nothing good is likely to come of it.

I’m willing to retract this whole scenario if I see clear proof to the contrary.

In the meantime, as Joe Friday would say, “just the facts, ma’am”.

Or is it just me?