Re: [OFFICIAL] NEW FT SHIPS!!

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004, Lachlan Atcliffe wrote:

> Oerjan Ohlson wrote:
>
> > Um... according to FB1, the Brocken class is a new *BB* class
(entered
> > service in 2179).  May I (well, Dean actually <g>) suggest that the
> > new DD is called the Lutzow (or possibly Lützow, I don't remember)
> > instead?
>
> I hate to pitch in on this one, but an Israeli friend of mine also
notes
> that "Sabra" is more normally connected with atrocities committed
during
> the war in Lebenon. In his words, it would be like calling a USN
vessel
> "Vietnam".

"USS Mai Lai", perhaps. Not likely...

Sabra refugee camp is actually in Lebanon; in 1982 Phalangist
Lebanese allies of Israel entered the camp and, depending on who you
believe,
killed 100-3500 people. The current PM of Israel may have been involved
somehow, in a chain-of-command fashion. (do I even need to add that this
is all hugely controversial? And that further details would be wildly
OT?)

> If there are nicer connotations for the name, could some nice person
let
> me know?

Google is good. 'Translation of sabra' got me this:
http://www.midwestworldfest.org/israel/frames_e/03e.html#t13

"Sabra" is a prickly pear cactus. Colloquially it means a native Jewish
Israeli or someone who grew up there. From other Google hits, it's also
used as both a first & last name, possibly in Arabic as well... (is it
actually a loan word to Hebrew from Arabic?)

Given the 'native Israeli' part, it's not a *bad* name for a 24th
Century
NI ship, but here in the 21st Century it might not be a good choice for
a
model name.

Brian.