Tags: IDF

, , , , , , , ,
NYT investigation concludes Razan Al-Najjar’s death was unnecessary, may be a war crime

Razan Al-Najjar’s death by sniper last June was briefly newsworthy; she was briefly demonized by Israel, then the world forgot about her.

But the NYT chose to investigate, examining 1,000 photos and videos, interviewing experts and over 30 eyewitnesses, and piecing the event together using Israeli 3-D software.

The conclusion: the shooting should never have taken place – no one was endangering Israeli soldiers or the border, and medics were in plain view – and Israel has done little to decrease the frequency of these incidents.

Her death is at best reckless, at worst a war crime.

Read the rest of this entry

, , , , , ,
Remembering Operation Cast Lead, 10 years ago today

Today we remember the 2008-9 Israeli incursion into Gaza, Operation Cast Lead, which was launched exactly 10 years ago. 1400 Palestinians – including 344 minors – and 9 Israelis were killed in the hostilities.

A UN report found that Israel’s military operation “destroyed a substantial part of the Gaza Strip’s economic infrastructure and its capacity to support decent livelihoods for families.” A decade later, little progress has been made in rebuilding, thanks in part to Israel’s 2 subsequent attacks on Gaza.

Read the rest of this entry

, , , , , ,
Truth is stranger than fiction: 3 days in the West Bank

Elderly women, families, children, and of course young men in the occupied Palestinian territories are regularly treated with brutality by Israeli forces. International laws are in place to protect vulnerable populations, but Israel ignores such laws – and gets away with it. Simple, common decency ought to elicit restraint on the part of the occupier, but does not.

These very brief stories are snapshots of Israeli cruelty between December 15 and 17, 3 days out of the 50+ years of violent occupation which the United States endorses and supports to the tune of over $10 million a day.

Read the rest of this entry

, , , , , , ,
Three Palestinians and three Israelis killed in spate of deadly incidents

The Israeli military has recently been conducting aggressive operations inside the occupied Palestinian West Bank, including in Area A, where the Palestinian Authority is supposed to be in full control. 
Israel continues to prolong and entrench the now 50+-year occupation, citing the need for security; in reality the occupation and its injustice are the cause of Palestinian resistance, not the result of Palestinian violence.

Read the rest of this entry

, , , , , , , ,
BDS victory: 2 U.S. Police Departments Drop Out of Training Program With Israel

As a result of public pressure, the Vermont State Police and the police department for Northampton Massachusetts have decided to pull out of the ADL-sponsored, all-expenses-paid “Resiliency and Counterterrorism” program in Israel. The seminar highlights methods Israel uses to “thwart terrorism within its framework of a democratic and multicultural nation.”

Read the rest of this entry

, , , , , , ,
Goliath lives: Palestinian children at risk in school

In the course of just 4 days, Israeli soldiers managed to attack and traumatize scores of school children, as well as adults who were there to serve the children. Mainstream media does not report on these incidents because they don’t match the narrative of benign occupation and Palestinians as terrorists.

Read the rest of this entry

, , , , , , , , ,
Palestinian groups agree to Egyptian-brokered truce with Israel

Last weekend saw an escalation of violence that started when Israeli military infiltrated Gaza, initiated a firefight, and retreated under cover of shelling. One Israeli and 7 Palestinians were killed, and Hamas responded with rockets. Today, factions in the besieged Gaza Strip say they have agreed to an Egypt-brokered ceasefire. “The resistance will respect this declaration as long as the Zionist enemy respects it.”

Read the rest of this entry

, , , ,
Playground or battleground? 2 stories in 1 weekend

On Saturday, Israeli soldiers tried to seize playground equipment from a Palestinian park, but were chased off.

On Sunday, 45 Americans along with 20 Israelis and Palestinians were detained and had their passports photographed after helping repair a playground near Bethlehem; Israel claims the group were rioting and engaging in illegal construction.

Read the rest of this entry