- Palestinians bear witness daily to Israeli state terror.
Complicit Western and regional nations, in fact, condone it through silence
or failure to condemn what never is tolerable and must end.
-
- For nearly a week, Israeli aircraft struck Gaza preemptively.
As a result, fear of a new war grows.
-
- Israel claims strikes follow rocket attacks. In fact,
when launched, they're few in number and respond to Israeli aggression
in self-defense.
-
- On July 12, IDF jets struck alleged northern Gaza "weapons
manufacturing sites," injuring one woman.
-
- On July 13, three tunnels were bombed. Israel falsely
blamed them for "terrorist activity." Two Palestinians were missing
after one of the tunnels collapsed. Later one body was recovered. Five
or more other Palestinians were wounded.
-
- On July 14, other targets were struck, wounding four
Palestinian civilians.
-
- On July 15, overnight attacks wounded four Palestinians,
including two children. Over the weekend, other preemptive raids followed.
Blaming the victims, a July 14 IDF statement said:
-
- "The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli
civilians, and will respond with determination to any attempt to use terror
against the State of Israel. The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization
solely responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip."
-
- In fact, Hamas is Palestine's legitimate government.
Israel lawlessly terrorizes West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza residents
preemptively, falsely claiming self-defense.
-
- On July 17, four new raids struck Khoza village in Khan
Yunis, critically injuring two Palestinians and traumatizing dozens of
children.
-
- Other same day attacks targeted Beit Hanoun, injuring
seven Al Za'aneen family members, including four children - innocent civilians
Israel calls "terrorists." In addition, Israeli armored vehicles
and bulldozers raided Gaza's Al Bureij refugee camp, firing randomly and
uprooting lands.
-
- The previous day, Israeli planes dropped thousands of
leaflets, asking Gazans to spy on neighbors for Israel. They also warned
of continued strikes, especially in northern areas.
-
- Gaza Emergency and Medical Services spokesperson Adham
Abu Salmiyya said since early July, Israeli soldiers killed three Palestinian
civilians, injuring at least 20 others, including six children.
-
- On July 14, Israeli naval forces attacked the Oliva,
an international human rights monitoring Civil Peace Service Gaza (CPSGaza)
boat offshore, nearly sinking it.
-
- On July 15, a second attack occurred, crew members saying
an Israeli gunboat indiscriminately used water cannons and live fire, including
on 11 fishing boats in the area. As a result, nine vessels were badly damaged.
In addition, the Oliva was too badly flooded to continue. Fishermen rescued
its crew, then towed the boat to shore, pursued by Israel's navy to within
one nautical mile of port.
-
- On July 11, after passing an anti-free speech bill, Israel's
Knesset targeted Balad MK Hanin Zuabi, lawlessly stripping her of parliamentary
privileges.
-
- On July 18, the Ethics Committee prevented her from addressing
the Knesset or vote in committees through the end of the parliamentary
season because she participated in Freedom Flotilla I.
-
- Last July, other rights were lawlessly stripped, including
her diplomatic passport, financial help, legal assistance, and right (Knesset
members have) to travel freely to countries with no official ties to Israel.
-
- At issue, is Zuabi's vocal criticism of Israeli policies.
Last week, security officers forcefully removed her from the Knesset after
interrupting Netanyahu's speech, defending the new anti-boycott bill. In
fact, Knesset practice lets members interrupt, raising issues or voicing
criticism. An Israeli Arab, Zuabi was denied her right to do so.
-
- A Final Comment
-
- Complicit with Washington and Greece, Israel blocked
"Freedom Flotilla II - Stay Human (FF II)" boats from sailing
to Gaza, or so it thought. On July 17, an FF II press release headlined,
"French boat Dignite (al Karama) of Freedom Flotilla II leaves Greece,"
saying:
-
- Departing on July 16, its 10 passengers "view themselves
as (representing) the whole (FF II mission). The rest of the Flotilla's
ships have been detained in different Greek ports, through bureaucratic
obstruction, sabotage, sudden restrictions and withdrawals of flags."
-
- Dignite, in fact, represents past and future missions.
Saying "Gaza, we are coming," its message to Israel, Washington,
and the international community is that initiatives won't stop until Gaza's
illegal siege ends.
-
- The Swedish/Norwegian/Greek MV Juliano also hopes to
sail. So far, however, it's still blocked in the Greek island of Crete,
per orders from Israel and Washington, determined to keep collectively
punishing Gazan civilians illegally.
-
- No wonder growing numbers of Israelis are voting with
their feet and leaving. On July 15, hundreds of others joined with Palestinians
(about 2,000 in total), marching in occupied East Jerusalem, calling for
an independent Palestinian state. Among them were Hadash Party MK Dov Hanin
and Meretz MK Zehava Galon.
-
- Starting from East Jerusalem's Jaffa Gate, they followed
the Green Line dividing East and West Jerusalem, ending at Sheikh Jarrah,
a Palestinian neighborhood often attacked by Israeli settlers. In response,
extremist Israelis tried to disrupt the march with an ineffective counter
demonstration.
-
- On July 15, Reuters writer Tom Perry headlined, "Settler
violence against Palestinians up 57 percent in the West Bank," according
to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) saying:
-
- Palestinian officials call it "a worrying sign of
deepening hostility which they fear could trigger wider violence as hard-line
settlers increasingly appear to be a law unto themselves...."
-
- Coming from hilltop enclaves, they vandalize Palestinian
property and commit assaults with impunity. PA minister Maher Ghoneim,
monitoring settlement activities, says Netanyahu's government represents
settlements. Extremist Foreign Minister/Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman
lives in one. "This naturally encourages" violent attacks.
-
- So far this year, settlers have stoned, run down, or
shot at 178 Palestinians (killing three civilians), compared to 176 all
last year. In response to Reuters' request, Israeli police and army officials
provided no information regarding the scale of violence.
-
- As a result, "(t)he role of Israeli security forces
in dealing with settler violence is the focus of controversy." B'Tselem
says they do little or nothing to protect Palestinians and their property.
Even when arrested, settlers get lenient slaps on the wrist, freeing them
to commit more violence with impunity.
-
- At the same time, when Palestinians respond in self-defense,
including by throwing stones, Israeli soldiers (if nearby) attack them
with tear gas, rubber bullets, and at times live fire.
-
- In Israel and Occupied Palestine, only Jews have rights.
Arabs are denied them for being Muslims in a Jewish state, even on their
own land.
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
-
- Also 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/.
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