 |
Israeli Holiday Season Holy Land Atrocities |
By
Stephen Lendman |
| Israeli viciousness against defenseless Palestinians continues throughout
the holiday period, deaths and injuries mounting daily - slow-motion genocide
by any standard. From October 1 through December 26, the Palestinian health ministry confirmed 138 extrajudicial Palestinian executions - premeditated cold-blooded murders, Israeli soldiers and militarized police authorized to use live fire freely. Killing Palestinians unaccountably was declared officially OK! The horrific toll keeps mounting, including thousands injured, thousands more arrested for political reasons, multiple Palestinian communities terrorized daily, young children treated as ruthlessly as adults, women no different from men. Eighteen Israelis died over the same period - only six by stabbing attacks, exposing the myth about knife-wielding Palestinian terrorists. Resistance is either nonviolent or consisting mainly of stone-throwing - a David v. Goliath mismatch, its outcome since October 1 far different from the biblical version. Israel targets all opposition to its ruthless rule for elimination. Its latest scheme may be an attempt to ban the Arab Balad party from Knesset participation. Former ultranationalist Israeli foreign minister/notorious Arab hater Avigdor Lieberman urged new legislation permitting it. Balad is one of four Joint List Arab parties, representing Israeli Arab citizens, despite having no say on official policy, treated disdainfully during Knesset sessions. “Together we will kick terror supporters out of the Knesset,” Lieberman blustered. “So I ask you, the public, anyone who cares about the State of Israel and thinks these terror supporters do not belong in the Knesset - to like, share and demand ministers and MKs from the Likud, Bayit Yehudi, Kulanu, Shas and United Torah Judaism to support the bill.” He vented rage against Arab MK Hanin Zoabi, holding a sign reading: “Kick (Balad party member) Hanin Zoabi out of the Knesset.” In response, she called him “a fascist,” aiming to score “cheap political points.” His legislative proposal “will not deter me or move me from my struggle for the values in which I believe: justice, equality, freedom and democracy. I will continue to struggle for my people and their just struggle.” Non-Jews in Israel, especially Muslims, are denied fundamental rights. Dozens of ruthlessly discriminatory laws target them, affecting virtually all aspects of their lives - including political participation, judicial fairness, access to land, education, medical services and employment, as well as other benefits from budget resources. Lieberman and numerous others like him are notorious racists. Earlier he called for “disloyal” Palestinian citizens to be beheaded, saying: “Those who are against us, there’s nothing to be done. We need to pick up an ax and cut off his head.” Balad leader Jamal Zahalka said “(i)f Israel’s incitement laws” were applied to its Jewish population, Lieberman “would be in jail,” many other Israeli extremists with him. Christmas day brought no peace and good will to Palestine. Israeli instigated clashes raged throughout the Territories. Deaths, injuries and arrests followed. Elderly residents in communities attacked suffered from toxic tear gas inhalation. Invading Israeli forces murdered 22-year-old Gazan Hani Rafiq Wahdan, shot in the head at close range, at least 10 others injured in the same area. Mahdia Mohammad Ibrahim Hammad threatened no one, was driving at normal speed. Israeli forces opened fire multiple times when she was about 100 feet away, then denied her medical treatment, leaving her to bleed to death unattended. Middle East Quartet envoys visited Israel and Palestine last week - doing absolutely nothing to intervene responsibly, especially against Israel’s “shoot-to-kill” policy and other draconian measures, insulting brutalized Palestinians for coming - serving Israeli interests, not theirs. Christmas in the holy land was another day of repressive collective punishment, an entire Palestinian population held hostage to Israeli viciousness. World leaders able to intervene responsibly yawn and do nothing, backing Israeli ruthlessness without publicly admitting it, leaving Palestinians alone to suffer like always - even on Christmas day. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs. |
| Donate to Rense.com Support Free And Honest Journalism At Rense.com | Subscribe To RenseRadio! Enormous Online Archives, MP3s, Streaming Audio Files, Highest Quality Live Programs |