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Ignoring Ruthless Israeli Collective Punishment |
By
Stephen Lendman |
| Western and Israeli officials blame Palestinians for ongoing Israeli
high crimes, ignoring their longstanding suffering at the hands of a brutal
occupier. They’re being killed or injured by live fire, rubber-coated steel bullets and toxic tear gas, armed only with stones, their courage to resist and will to survive. They’re terrorized and murdered daily in cold blood, the body count nearing 50, around 2,000 injured, mostly by live fire, thousands more from toxic tear gas exposure. Weeks of Israeli provocations and state-sponsored terror show no signs of ending. Neighborhoods are being surrounded and isolated. Cement blocks, extra checkpoints and other barriers prevent free movement. Accessing workplaces, schools and hospitals for the sick and injured is severely impeded. On October 19, Huda Muhammad Darwish, aged 65, died because Israeli-imposed blockade prevented her from getting medical treatment in time to save her. Toxic tear gas inhalation killed her. Israel continues murdering Palestinians, alleging stabbing incidents or attempts most often proved untrue. On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Israel - to lend support to its ruthless campaign, refusing to denounce its killing machine, releasing a video before his visit, pathetically addressing “the dangerous escalation in violence across the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel and especially Jerusalem.” Saying he’s “dismayed, as we all should be, when I see young people, children, picking up weapons and seeking to kill. Violence will only undermine the legitimate Palestinian aspirations for statehood and the longing of Israelis for security.” In other words, he’s entirely blaming Palestinian victims for Israeli high crimes, the way he always supports imperial lawlessness, continuing his record of failure and betrayal of UN Charter principles throughout his deplorable tenure - a reliable imperial tool, why Washington installed him. B’Tselem reported on how Israeli soldiers facilitate and at times aid settler attacks. Its cameraman recorded video footage from October 6 - 10 - showing young Israeli settlers approaching Hebron’s Wadi a-Nasarah neighborhood, afternoons and evenings, each time throwing stones and glass bottles at Palestinian houses, while swearing and using racial slurs. Soldiers and police were seen nearby, watching, doing nothing to stop them. On October 9, soldiers and settlers were seen together. Palestinians responded to stones thrown at them by hurling them back in return. Soldiers ignored settler violence, fired toxic tear gas at Palestinians. B’Tselem commented, saying “(t)his latest installment in a longstanding campaign of violence by settlers in Hebron - which lasted five days and received military backing - reflects the ongoing reality of daily life in the city and serves as an extreme example of what life is like throughout the West Bank.” “Israeli security forces routinely allow settlers to harm Palestinians or their property, often accompanying the attackers, providing backup and protecting them; in some cases, they even actively join the attack.” “Given this complex reality, any attempt to portray the military as a buffer between neighboring communities that live in conflict is divorced from reality.” “The power balance in the West Bank is asymmetrical and unbalanced. Security forces provide full backup for violence instigated by one party, the settlers, against the other party - the Palestinians.” Israelis throw stones, bottles, other objects and firebombs at Palestinians with impunity. Netanyahu’s cabinet and Knesset members approved up to 20 years imprisonment for Palestinians convicted of stone-throwing with intent to commit harm, children treated like adults. 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. |
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