|
26 August 2012 By Stephen
Lendman Israelis do that and much more.
Gazans are locked down in isolation. They live in a
virtual war zone. Incursions, bombings, and border
killings happen regularly. Bogus threats are claimed.
Civilians are killed or injured in cold blood. Farmers
are shot in their fields. Children straying too close
to Israel's border are murdered for sport. Israeli
soldiers literally use them for target practice. It's
no joke. Little boys and girls die or get injured. Others end up disabled. Many are
grievously traumatized. Western media reports ignore
what they and adults endured for decades. Washington
aids and abets the worst of Israel's war machine. On September 1, Israeli F-16s
attacked Gaza's Al-Maqousy Towers residential area.
Palestinian medical sources reported two injuries.
Buildings were also damaged. Wounded residents were
hospitalized. These type attacks happen with
sickening frequency. Gazans wonder what's next.
Imagine living in neighborhoods vulnerable to ground
or air attacks. Imagine not knowing from one day to
the next if you'll live, die, or be grievously
harmed. Palestinian fishermen at sea face
frequent Israeli attacks. On August 28, two men
fishing close to shore were accosted and arrested in
two separate incidents. One vessel was heavily
damaged. Israeli gunboats opened fire at
one boat. Soldiers told a fisherman and his son to
disrobe and swim towards their vessel. They were
handcuffed, blindfolded, and taken to a security
center. Their boat and implements were confiscated.
The experience affected the young son emotionally. In a separate incident, Israeli
gunboats surrounded six Palestinian fishing vessels.
Around two dozen men were on board. Soldiers opened
fire. They chased the boats for about 15 minutes. They
forced the fishermen to flee. Somehow they escaped
injury. Israel frequently denies
Palestinians the right to fish in their own waters.
Doing it risks injury, arrest, occasional deaths,
and/or loss or confiscation of their vessels. Since 2000, fishermen lost 85% of
their income. Some are killed or injured. Safe waters
earlier are now hazardous. Who knows who'll live, die,
or be injured next. In the week ending August 30,
Israeli soldiers shot and seriously wounded a Gazan
woman. They violently dispersed a peaceful West Bank
demonstration. They injured 11 Palestinian civilians.
They included a child, an elderly woman, and four
journalists. They conducted 64 incursions into
West Bank communities plus another four in Gaza.
Thirty-three arrests were made, including 10
children. Security forces permit regular
settler attacks. Injuries and property damage result.
Investigations when conducted are whitewashed.
Palestinians have no place to hide. Even at home
they're unsafe. On August 14, the Association for
Civil Rights in Israel discussed government plans to
build seven new lawless agricultural settlements.
October 2011 plans called for establishing them in
areas around Mevo'ot Arad. Documents claimed they're part of
a "Zionist vision to make the desert blossom," as well
as "strengthening organized Jewish settlement." Doing so involves destroying five
bedouin villages. They're home to 8,000 Palestinians.
Israel plans stealing 45,000 acres it claims are
"empty of population" except for "sparse bedouin
scatterings." Three of the five villages
existed pre-1948. The other two were established in
the 1950s when Israel forcibly moved Palestinians from
other Negev locations. Israel wants their land for new
settlements. Seizing it also involves damaging
infrastructure. Also planned is developing existing
communities further by stealing more Palestinian land.
According to ACRI attorney Rawia Aburabia: "A country that is committed to
equality among its citizens cannot decide to remove
Bedouin communities in order to establish new
communities for Jewish residents." Behind the words 'vision' and
'making a wasteland blossom' " hides Israel's lawless
intention to steal all valued Judea and Samaria areas.
Bimkom city planner Nili Bruch
added: "In past decades, many resources
were invested in the establishment of more and more
settlements for Jews only, at the expense of veteran
residents of the Negev - bedouins in unrecognized
villages who suffer from criminal neglect, and
residents of cities and Jewish villages who also
suffer from neglect and are desperate for new
residents. This plan has no justice and no logic -
financially, civilly or environmentally." On September 1, Maan News
headlined "Israeli army fires live bullets at West
Bank protest," saying: Soldiers lied. They claimed they
felt "an imminent threat to their lives." Malik Tamimi
was shot in the hand. Omar Tamimi was injured by a
rubber bullet willfully fired at his head. A woman was
struck in the leg by a tear gas canister fired from
close range. Israeli forces blocked off the
area, made arrests, and prevented an ambulance from
reaching wounded Palestinians. An Israeli military
spokesperson denied responsibility for what happened. The previous day, settlers stoned
a Palestinian bus. Five injuries and damage resulted.
The attack was unprovoked. Extremist settlers carry
out frequent attacks with impunity. At the same time, Israeli forces
attacked peaceful Bil'in village protesters. They do
it weekly against Israel's Annexation Wall theft of
their land. Dozens were hurt from tear gas
inhalation and chemical waste water spray. Among them
were visiting British parliamentarians. They toured
the village and surrounding areas, held talks with
local leaders, and expressed support. Too bad it's
never translated into policy. On August 29, Addameer said
Israeli settlers keep targeting Daraghneh family
members. They live in Laban village near Nablus.
Incidents happen virtually daily. The latest one left
two children hospitalized. Settlers are armed and extremely
violent. They know they can do what they want and get
away with it. Women and children are attacked like
men. Property is damaged or destroyed. When Israeli forces arrived, they
declared the area a closed military zone. One witness
heard a commander telling settlers what to say after
attacking. More incidents followed. The latest incident is one of the
most violent. Daraghmeh family members are ruthlessly
harassed. Soldiers also target and arrest them. Their
continued targeting shows a "complete lack of
justice." Thousands of other Palestinians
suffer the same way. Occupation harshness continues
without end. Being Palestinian means vulnerability to
attacks any time without redress. On August 30, Al Haq addressed
the problem. It headlined "Violent raids in the OPT:
Israeli Army Vandalizes Palestinian Homes during
Military Operations," saying: Since mid-August, Israeli forces
raided Jenin, Hebron, Qalqiliya, and Gaza's Bureij
refugee camp. Twenty-four Palestinians were arrested,
including five children. Homes were stormed, ransacked
and vandalized. Arbitrary incidents like these
happen regularly. Civilians are targeted for being
Palestinian. Their rights are systematically denied.
Children are treated like adults. On August 22, IDF troops raided
Nablus' Jabal al-Shamali neighborhood. Jamal Muhammad
Samhan and his family live there. Patrolling vehicles
woke him and his two sons. Ten soldiers stormed his
home. Two were hooded. They were ordered outside against
a wall and searched. They were told to hand over their
identity cards. Nineteen-year old Mahmoud was
handcuffed, blindfolded, and arrested. When allowed
back in his house, Jamal found most of his furniture
destroyed. Mahmoud remains detained. No
charges were filed. On the same day, 'Ein Beit-al-Ma'
refugee camp residents Ramadan Mustafa Shahin and Iyad
'Issa Ma'rouf were arrested. Their homes were also
ransacked and vandalized. On August 29, Jerusalem Post
writer Eyal Hareuven headlined "Susiya demolition
orders not simply law enforcement issue," saying: Israeli Civil Administration
officials distributed demolition orders for 52 Susiya
village structures in South Hebron Hills. Previous
ones were issued from 1994 - 2001. If new ones are implemented, most
of Susiya's 400-member community will be destroyed.
People will be displaced from their own land. They
lost it twice before. In 1986, Israel declared Susiya a
national park site. In 2001, they were forcibly
ordered removed again. At the time, Israel's High
Court froze the order. Civil Administration authorities
claim residents built on their own land without
permits. Getting them is virtually impossible. Susiya
is one of many affected villages. At issue is
displacing Palestinians for Jews only construction. Most often, Israel's High Court
goes along. Palestinian communities atrophy. Justice
is systematically denied. Israeli officials claim
they're enforcing the law and nothing else. In fact,
Palestinians are ruthlessly targeted, cut off from
essential services, dispossessed, and forced to pay
costs for their own home demolitions. On August 28, Israel denied 100
internationals entry into Occupied Palestine, They
tried crossing over from Jordan. They ranged in age
from 8 to 80. Israel deports foreign visitors
expressing support for Palestinian rights. They oppose
irresponsible Israeli policies. They're committed to
do what they can to help. Activists came bearing gifts.
They included writing implements for children
beginning their school year. They arrived at Jordan's
Allenby Bridge crossing in two buses. One vehicle
entered Israel. Passengers were denied permission to
disembark. Their passports were collected
and stamped "denied entry." The other bus was
prevented from leaving Jordan. Many activists
participating did so earlier. They know how Israel
responds. They come anyway because it's the right
thing to do. Internationals only get in by
falsifying reasons for coming. Human rights supporters
and others say when governments don't act responsibly,
they must respond in protest. Occupied Palestinians face
regular assaults, incursions, air attacks, home
break-ins, targeted assassinations, home demolitions,
other property vandalized and destroyed,
dispossessions, land theft, arrests, detention with or
without charges, torture, and other forms of daily
state terror. Yet they persist. Their struggle
continues. They do it despite ruthless Israeli
persecution. Washington wholeheartedly supports it.
Other Western countries either go along, turn a blind
eye, or resort to empty rhetorical support. Hopefully decades of courageous
resistance will prevail over unconscionable Israeli
injustice. Along with persecuted people everywhere,
Palestinians deserve what they've been long denied. Stephen Lendman lives in
Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is
titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized
Banking, Government Collusion and Class War"
http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit his
blog site at
sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge
discussions with distinguished guests on the
Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio
Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are
archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour |
Add Comments