Amira Hass writes in Ha’aretz that Israeli soldiers who kill unarmed Palestinians didn’t pop up for the 1st time three weeks ago. Nor did the army’s excuses start only then. Gross violation of human rights (and Israeli denial) are as old as the state itself – even older. The actions excuses continue unabated in spite of smartphones and security cameras.
Samia Nasir Khouri boldly calls out Israel for a list of human rights violations and indignities perpetrated on Palestinians during the 70 years of its celebrated existence. She then offers a prayer of blessing on the dispossessed and repentance for the dispossessors from Rabbi Brant Rosen.
Richard Silverstein reports on the assassination of Gazan engineer Fadi al Batsh in Malaysia and notes it resembles that of of Mohammed al Zoary last year. He asks why Israel kills academics and then protests academic boycott. His answer: An Israeli professor “would never see the equivalence between him or herself and a dead Palestinian professor.”
Doctors Without Borders teams in Gaza report “devastating injuries of an unusual severity” and likely “serious, long-term physical disabilities” for most victims. According to Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s new bullets are “the deadliest” ever; they explode inside the victim’s body, “frequently resulting in death.”
Palestinian journalist Yousef Alhelou’s vivid description of the situation at the Gaza-Israel border brings us up close, where we can see the images and understand the motivations on both sides.
As Israel celebrates its 70th anniversary, a child and grandchild of exiled Palestinian refugees describes his remarkable family history – family members harbored Jewish neighbors in 1929, helped Count Folke Bernadotte, after Israel confiscated the family home, Golda Meir lived there… and discusses the continuing injustices endured as Palestinians resist Israel’s violent colonization.
The death toll in Gaza rises to 39 with over 4,000 injured as Israel continues to massacre civilians for 4th straight week. See the horrific reality mainstream media refuses to show, including footage by and about video journalist Yasser Murtaja, killed earlier by Israeli forces. Be prepared for strong video footage of events…
Killing of Palestinians is not new. It has been going on for decades, unabated, uncriticized, and bankrolled by the US. The Leahy Laws enable us to withhold aid to countries that commit human such rights abuses, but in spite of overwhelming proof of abuse by Israel, our politicians refuse to cut off military support.
Pro-Israel curriculum provider Institute for Curriculum Services (ICS) is working with local Jewish groups and the Virginia Department of Education to whitewash Virginia textbooks by removing words like “occupied” and “settlements” and replacing them with more favorable terms like “captured” and “communities.”
Reuters, the Associated Press, the New York Times can’t seem to say “Palestinians protest nonviolently; Israeli soldiers kill them.” Headlines from the region consistently misrepresent the situation as two equal sides – or worse, as Palestinian aggressors inciting Israel to return fire. Words matter.