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Remember Palestine! |
By
Stephen Lendman |
| Americans irrationally fear terrorist attacks, brainwashed by irresponsible
propaganda, a daily diet, enlisting public support for greater US imperial
adventurism than already. Palestinians face real terrorism, state-sponsored throughout the Territories daily - Israeli soldiers, police and extremist settlers attacking, injuring and murdering them with impunity. A state of war exists, ignored by Western and Israeli media scoundrels. Daily horrors persist, Palestinians defenseless against a ruthless, racist rogue state - its killing machine unleashed against them without mercy. No one is safe from its rampaging. Palestinians are fair game to be gunned down in cold-blood, Israeli Big Lies following, claiming terrorist attacks were foiled each time, damning video evidence and eyewitnesses often refuting official statements. On Monday, three more Palestinians were murdered, including a 16-year-old girl. Eyewitnesses contradicted IDF claims about knife-wielding terrorists. Since October 1, at least 94 Palestinian deaths were confirmed, including 24 children, well over 10,000 injured, thousands from live fire, thousands more from toxic tear gas inhalation and other forms of Israeli brutality. Research and Documentation Department at the Palestinian Detainees' Committee head Abdul-Nasser Ferwana condemned Israeli treatment of Palestinian children, saying: “Since Israel invaded the Palestinian territories, it began treating the children as ‘delayed time bombs, that would detonate when they grow up’… confiscat(ing) their immunity and assassinat(ing) their innocent childhood.” “Their young age was ignored, and they were stripped of their rights. This led to the death and arrest of thousands of children.” Since late September 2000 alone, the start of the Second Intifada, over 12,000 Palestinian children were kidnapped, detained, ill-treated, and in many cases tortured. Since October 1, Israeli forces abducted over 1,000 children, many under age 14, hundreds remaining imprisoned - entirely for political reasons. Ferwana said “(e)very detained child faced physical and psychological torture in one way or another. Others were not provided with much needed medical attention.” He cited videos circulating on social media web sites, revealing horrific abuses committed against Palestinian children during interrogations. Testimonies later obtained by lawyers explained their horrific ordeal, serious crimes committed unaccountably. “This is why we need to properly document all Israeli violations, and present them to the International Criminal Court, to the international community, to show them the real horror and dehumanization Palestinians face under this cruel, illegal and immoral occupation,” Ferwana stressed - he himself a former political prisoner, experiencing Israeli injustice firsthand. He emphasized the importance of holding Israel accountable for its decades of high crimes, raging throughout Occupied Palestine now. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time risks death, serious injury or imprisonment for the crime of being Palestinian. On Monday, four Palestinian human rights groups submitted detailed information on Israeli war crimes during Operation Protective Edge against Gaza to the International Criminal Court in the Hague - a longstanding imperial tool, holding victims accountable for crimes committed against them, US, other Western and Israeli perpetrators free to mass murder again with impunity. Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, Aldameer and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights submitted detailed documents, pursuant to Article 5 of the Rome Statute, containing volumes of clear evidence of Israeli war crimes committed in summer 2015 for 51 horrific days. A heart-wrenching statement included from Palestinian grandmother Bouthaineh Al Louh said “(w)e have become used to Israel killing and injuring Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” “The 2014 offensive is the third war on our people in about six years. But nothing could have fully prepared me for the devastating loss of my sons, grandsons and granddaughters in an attack against our family home.” “On 20 August 2014 at 04.45am, Israel attacked our home in Deir al Balah whilst my family was fast asleep. My son and two stepsons were killed in the attack, as well as my nine months pregnant daughter-in-law and her three children.” “Our family will never again be complete, and our house is in ruins. I hope that the ICC can acknowledge the crimes that we endured and punish those that deprived us of our loved ones.” Al-Haq director Shawan Jabarin said “(w)e have provided the (ICC’s) Office of the Prosecutor (headed by Fatou Bensouda) with enough information for it to determine that there is a reasonable basis to believe that senior Israeli military and civilian officials committed crimes against humanity and war crimes during the offensive against Gaza.” “We are confident that the information now at the disposal of the Office of the Prosecutor is sufficient to open an investigation, and urge her to act quickly to begin a formal investigation.” Palestinian Center for Human Rights director Raji Sourani said “(w)e need the ICC to break (Israel’s longstanding) cycle of impunity,” - no longer tolerable, especially with Palestinians being murdered and brutalized daily, heavily armed soldiers and police attacking defenseless civilians. Justice long denied Palestinians demands accountability at last, culpable Israelis held fully accountable for their high crimes - continuing daily. 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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