Abd al-Rahman al-Shaludi, who died early Thursday after being shot by Israeli police following a suspected attack on civilians in Jerusalem, suffered psychological issues following his release from an Israeli jail, his mother said.This story is interesting in a couple of ways.
His mother was quoted by the Wadi Hilweh Information Center as saying that her son suffered mental health issues after being released from Israeli prison custody in March, where he was allegedly tortured.
On the day of the incident in Jerusalem, she had taken al-Shaludi to see a doctor who referred her to a psychiatrist and booked an appointment for Nov. 9.
Shaludi was released from prison last December. Isn't is a huge coincidence that the very day that his mother gets a referral to a psychiatrist (with a very specific appointment date, making it sound quite realistic) is the exact same day he decides to attack the Jews?
And if she was so worried about his mental state thatshe had to accompany him to the doctor, then why is she letting him drive by himself?
There could be two explanations. One is that she is telling the truth, and Shaludi decided to do a terror attack rather than be known as someone who needs a psychiatrist.
But the other possibility is that this story is completely made up.
One other interesting fact: Ma'an did not publish this story in Arabic. And neither did any other Arabic news site.*
In Arabic media, there is not one mention I could find of his mental state. After the initial reports asserting that the terror act was an accident, after the videos came out, Arab sites started being proud of his act - or changed their tone to one of outrage that Israeli police "murdered" him.
The "mental health" (because of Israel, naturally) is probably made up for Western consumption, because only Westerners would be sympathetic to someone who is mentally ill. But such a diagnosis is a source of shame for Arabs, so they make up a different story for their own people.
In an honor/shame society, the truth is not relevant. Only appearances are. This is why they lie so easily, and why Westerners cannot understand them,
Either way, the attack has nothing to do with "Israeli torture." A three month old baby was killed because killing Jews is the most honorable ambition in Palestinian society.
*UPDATE: The story about his mental health was published in Arabic here (h/t Bob K)