Terrorist Attack 1974, Israel
 May 15th, 1974. Ma'alot Israel's Independence Day. A group of 11th grade students were sheltering for the night at a school after a hike. During the night 3 terrorists dressed as Israeli soldiers attacked the school. 6 a.m. I had 'phone call from Government Press Office, as did every photographer, journalist, and TV crew working at that time in Israel. Israel is tiny, so it didn't take long to race north from Tel Aviv. Negotiations for release were going on all day, enough time for more journalists to arrive from abroad. There were hundreds of us. At 5.45 pm a unit of the elite Golani Brigade stormed the building. 21 children were killed. I rushed to Tel Aviv with my films as they had to be developed and seen by the military censor. To make sure no soldiers faces could be seen. A lot of my photo's were not allowed out of the country. However this one was, plus others. I drove to the airport and sent my package to the The Sunday Times in London. This photograph was not published. |
posted by Rupe at 7:20 PM
Comments on "Terrorist Attack 1974, Israel"
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Rupe said ... (Wednesday, October 11, 2006 8:20:00 PM) :
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Gavin Corder said ... (Wednesday, October 11, 2006 10:32:00 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (Thursday, October 12, 2006 12:09:00 AM) :
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Anonymous said ... (Thursday, October 12, 2006 8:29:00 AM) :
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Name Witheld said ... (Thursday, October 12, 2006 11:27:00 AM) :
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Paul said ... (Sunday, October 15, 2006 2:03:00 PM) :
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The Great Gildersleeve said ... (Sunday, October 15, 2006 4:01:00 PM) :
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Rupe said ... (Sunday, October 15, 2006 6:41:00 PM) :
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The Great Gildersleeve said ... (Sunday, October 15, 2006 8:20:00 PM) :
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Rupe said ... (Sunday, October 15, 2006 10:53:00 PM) :
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The Great Gildersleeve said ... (Sunday, October 15, 2006 11:59:00 PM) :
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Rupe said ... (Monday, October 16, 2006 12:06:00 AM) :
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Mister Frost said ... (Tuesday, October 17, 2006 9:34:00 PM) :
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Rupe said ... (Tuesday, October 17, 2006 10:16:00 PM) :
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The Great Gildersleeve said ... (Wednesday, October 18, 2006 12:59:00 AM) :
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Mister Frost said ... (Friday, October 20, 2006 12:09:00 AM) :
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Rupe said ... (Friday, October 20, 2006 9:54:00 AM) :
post a commentMay 15th, 1974. Ma'alot
Israel's Independence Day.
A group of 11th grade students were sheltering for the night at a school after a hike.
During the night 3 terrorists dressed as Israeli soldiers attacked the school.
6 a.m. I had 'phone call from Government Press Office, as did every photographer, journalist, and TV crew working at that time in Israel.
Israel is tiny, so it didn't take long to race north from Tel Aviv.
Negotiations for release were going on all day, enough time for more journalists to arrive from abroad. There were hundreds of us.
At 5.45 pm a unit of the elite Golani Brigade stormed the building.
21 children were killed.
I rushed to Tel Aviv with my films
as they had to be developed and seen by the military censor.
To make sure no soldiers faces could be seen. A lot of my photo's were not allowed out of the country. However this one was, plus others.
I drove to the airport and sent my package to the The Sunday Times in London. This photograph was not published.
This is not fluffy. At all.
I echo what Gavin has said.
That's terrible Rupe.
This is a terrible thing to have been so close to.
The thing that interested me Rupe was the censorship angle. One of my grandfathers served in WWI and he had a 'book' of photographs that were considered to be too demoralising for general consumption.
I remember the events of 1974 very clearly because our old Gerography teacher had been in Palestine in 1948 and we were studying the Golan Heights at the time and we were reading his old newspapers about the 1967 war.
And how difficult is it to remain disconnected from what is happening around you at the time?
Or do you find yourself touched by the event but manage to carry on and it hits you later when you have time to think about it?
The censorship angle is interesting in that today with digital imaging and ways of sending pictures directly to the media, the images probably would get through but still might be unused by the newspaper or broadcaster.
This ties in with a post on my blog which Paul commented on and that is whatever side you come from in a conflict events like this are horrible and should be judged solely on the suffering of the innocent.
This seperates a story from the political slant that many stories receive.
A powerful image. Also a valued way to share perhaps memories and images that have not been seen. A way to get them seen by a larger audience and to hear the words from a person rather than a newspaper report. A witness.
I don't know how the censor works these days of digital imaging.
Gildy, I have been greatly affected by everything I've seen.
It was called shell shock, there was no other name for it.
It re-occurs every so often.
For instance, when the bomb went off in Brighton, I was in hotel next door. I became quite unwell.
But I don't like to remember.
The last times were when the Iraq war began and I was watching News 24 all the time, and then again when Israel/Lebanon were fighting.
I now avoid all war images, I don't read about anything disturbing at all. No war films, no hospital drama's, no violence.
Most people covering awful events find the camera sort of protects them, that's what I also thought.
But, in my case I was wrong.
So I changed tack workwise, and began to just concentrate on photographing people.
I would be very surprised if its possible to remain untouched or detached from all that is covered even though films that concentrate on the newspaper/news world has it that everyone is a hardened news person.
I can understand perfectly why you changed tact.
If you missed it you may like to try and catch the repeat of Desert Island Discs on Friday 9am on Radio 4 FM with this week's guest the Foreign Correspondent Robert Fisk.
Very enlightening.
He'd even found himself at some point questioning what he was/is doing and whether he would've prefered to have a family and a wife and be covering the kind of stories away from all the wars etc...
I've said it before but though you cannot turn off what is really happening and I know enough, I cannot say that I watch much of the news and films etc...where war is shown but its not a case of trying to hide from the real world.
That's why the station board was so nice and worked after events in London last year.
I always remember the presenter and DJ Peter Murray saying that he never watches the news.
Gildy, I do watch the news and I do read the papers, I just switch off the TV and avoid reading anything that would upset me.
I once went to a press awards lunch, Robert Fisk picked up some award, and he got roundly hissed.
He has the reputation of colouring up his reports which are notoriously unbalanced. Actually I can't stand him. Sorry. x
No, that's fine. I think as far as the media allows I have a pretty rounded view of what's happening.
As for Fisk, I wondered if you'd know him, in fact the thought also went through my mind when watching the BBC2 documentary about photographing the "Royals" that you may know Some of those mentioned such as Lord Litchfield and Lord Snowdon...
Interesting Desert Island programme but of course we are hearing a public image? and that's different to knowing someone.
Interesting hearing about the correspondent angle but he did seem complicated and not very happy.
I think I know him but I may have the wrong person matched up to the name.
Gildy, I knew Patrick Litchfield and he was a really delightful person.
As for Tony Snowdon, he is wonderful and I adore him.
It was his very early photo's when his name was Anthony Armsrong Jones which inspired me to be a photographer. Lovely man.
Rupe. I am so thick. I've just this second realised who you really are. :-( What a dimwit...
Augustus, there was a time when I was emailing you !!
Rupe,
Curmy is having problems posting but I hope my instructions will mean that she can leave messages with you again.
I know Rupe but you kept saying you were not on the boards so I never connected you. I was going to email "you" the other day to see how you were. Why on earth were you worried about getting stuck in over at the MBs? You're great. There's no big trick to it. As long as you remember YOU are right its a doddle. Funnily enough when I saw your blog I had an inkling because the style is so reminiscent of "the other place".
Anyhoo I have finally made the connection! Hallelujah.
BTW I got a warm glow hearing you on Six's blog tell of your meeting with Johnny Marr and that you are a Smiths fan. He is a terrific guy isn't he? I've met him a few times. Delightful. Did you ever get to photograph Edwyn Collins of the band Orange Juice? Now there is a real gentleman.
Augustus, I can't stand the message boards now. The Station MB was once a terrific place, but now
there are a couple of people who I find vile. Also I know one of them has been on your blog, also on mine, so now I forbid anonymous posters.
You have the gift of the gab, very articulate...I'm not, I just lose my temper, and get scared of their venom.
I never met Edwyn Collins.
The one good thing is that we now have blogs, and can keep in touch
if and when they close down the boards.