Israeli Police State Crimes: Multiple
Times Daily They Occur In Occupied Palestine
14 May 2012
By Stephen Lendman
Multiple times daily they occur in Occupied Palestine.
In the week ending May 16, Palestinian West Bank
communities experienced 41 lawless incursions.
Numerous arrests followed. Three journalists and three
children were targeted. Dozens of peaceful Nakba Day
demonstrators were injured. Others were arrested.
Security forces wounded 16 Palestinians and three
journalists. They were peacefully protesting in
solidarity with Palestinian prisoner hunger strikers.
Gaza fishermen are regularly accosted at sea. Their
boats are confiscated. Their livelihoods are disrupted
or lost.
On May 18, Israeli forces fired artillery rounds at
Northern and Eastern Gaza. Seven Palestinians were
injured.
Medical spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said two were
seriously hurt. An Israeli army spokeswoman claimed
soldiers fired on "several suspects approaching the
security fence." In fact, farmers were working their
land.
A later army spokesman comment said "tank shells were
fired towards terrorists" near Karni crossing east of
Gaza City. Witnesses said Israeli bulldozers entered
Gaza belligerently east of Khan Younis in Southern
Gaza.
On May 17, Arab 48 News said dozens of Jewish settlers
invaded the Al Aqsa Mosque courtyards. An Israeli
government minister accompanied them. Under tight
police security, they performed "religious rituals."
Imagine if Muslims tried in synagogues.
In addition, hundreds of settlers entered Joseph's
Tomb late May 17 evening and early May 18 morning.
Soldiers protected them. They also performed prayers.
Doing so violated Palestinian controlled territory.
Nonetheless, the Jerusalem Rabbinical Court granted
rabbis custody to do so.
Deputy Nablus governor, Annan Alatyrh, denounced the
judgment. He accused Israel of wanting to Judaize
sovereign Palestine, its heritage and historic places.
On May 17, Israeli forces arrested Al-Asir satellite
channel director Saher Qassem at home. His
broadcasting equipment was confiscated. Doing so shut
him down. In February, Ramallah-based Watan TV and Al-Quds
Educational television offices were raided and closed.
Their equipment was confiscated.
Earlier in May, Israeli bulldozers demolished three
West Bank buildings west of Bethlehem. One was
destroyed for the third time in the past year.
Soldiers also seized land, uprooted trees, and
prevented farmers from accessing their land.
Days later, dozens of settlers destroyed hundreds of
trees around Nablus. They terrorized and chased
shepherds from their flocks. Security forces permit
them to commit similar destruction with impunity. They
also turn a blind eye to their violence.
Kfar Sava's Neir Medical Center banned Arab teachers
and students from speaking Arabic. It's one of three
official Israeli languages along with Hebrew and
English.
Three Israeli Arab families complained. Three teachers
instruct hospitalized Jewish children. One's on staff
to teach Arab kids. Education Ministry orders no
longer permit Arabic.
Parents demanded an explanation. They're humiliated
and alienated. They wrote:
"This is supposed to be an ideal place for
coexistence, where the two peoples can meet, and need
each other's support to get through the ordeal in one
piece."
"We expected to hear Jewish teachers talking Arabic,
not preventing Arab teachers from talking in their own
language, which would make it easier for the children
from the Arab community and make their stay in the
hospital more pleasant."
Hospital management said children's ward classrooms
are operated by Israel's Education Ministry. Medical
staff have no say.
The Mossawa Center (MC) human rights organization also
demanded an explanation. Its attorney, Sameh Iraqi,
called prohibiting Arabic lawless and racist.
"In view of the racist atmosphere prevailing in
Israeli society lately," he said, "Mossawa's legal
department is making efforts to monitor racist
incidents in state and public institutions."
A recent MC report called state and public
institutions Israel's most racist ones. They
discriminate lawlessly against Arab citizens. They
represent 20% of the population. They're treated like
fifth column threats. They're denied fundamental
rights.
"We'll continue to fight racism both locally and
globally in legal and public measures," added Iraqi.
On May 17, Al Haq headlined "Israeli Raid Violates
Palestinian Freedom of Association," saying:
In recent days, Israeli security forces raided
Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign
(Stop the Wall) offices. They also targeted the
Palestinian People's Party (PPP) located in the same
building.
Fundamental expression and association rights were
violated. It wasn't the first time and won't be the
last. On May 8, PPP staff member Haytham slept over in
his office. At around 1:30AM, hammering on its door
awakened him.
Through its peephole, he saw about eight soldiers.
They pushed their way inside, shoved him aside,
ordered him against the door, then confined him to one
room.
From inside, he saw soldiers break into other rooms to
conduct searches. A high-ranking Israeli officer
questioned him. They wanted PPP and Stop the Wall
employee names. They asked about posters and documents
found.
Military jeeps then surrounded the building. Hammering
on doors and breaking sounds followed. He notified
Stop the Wall's Jamal Mousa Ja'afra.
At around 3:00AM, Haytham saw broken locks and forced
entry into their offices. Computers and other property
were confiscated. Meeting minutes and confidential
documents were seized.
Soldiers did it earlier this year. In February, they
confiscated computers, electronic devices, documents,
and other property. At issue is shutting down
nonviolent Palestinian organizations. All are
vulnerable to middle-of-the-night raids, arrests, and
personal property seized.
Stop the Wall activist Hassan Kharajeh vowed to keep
working for justice. "If we stand up united, we can
win, step by step, our freedom and national self-determinination,"
he said.
Popular struggles build momentum. Participants derive
energy from each other. International support is
mobilized. Pressure gets results.
Stop the Wall youths draw support "from many different
political traditions within Palestine." Its mission is
opposing Israel's "apartheid wall."
It's also part of a vast network of Palestinian civil
society organizations. They struggle on many fronts
against colonization and occupation. Settlement
lawless is targeted. So are prisoner rights, including
why they're detained in the first place.
Popular committees interact throughout Palestine.
Youths and many others are involved. Jerusalem
presents special problems. Total Israeli control is
ruthless. Palestinian rights are shamelessly denied.
Daily security force violence and bureaucratic
suffocation confronts them. Only besieged Gaza is
worse.
Nonetheless, organizing continues. It confronts daily
repression, intimidation and state terror. Strength
comes through growing numbers united to live free.
Sustained energy persists for it.
Stop the Wall and like-minded groups distance
themselves from PA complicity with Israel. They oppose
status quo occupation. They struggle on two fronts -
against repressive Israeli occupation and supportive
PA enforcers.
Activists won't be silent. They won't sit home while
their land is stolen, their rights denied, their
freedom to live free destroyed by a ruthless occupier.
Their voices resonate for change. Their bodies remain
on streets in protest. Their identity attracts others.
Israel's notion of normal won't be tolerated.
Growing world support weakens Israel. A new GlobeScan
poll shows it. Respondents in 22 countries were
queried. Results showed 21% view Israel positively.
Three lean positive (America, Nigeria, and Kenya), two
are divided, and 17 lean negative. EU and BRIC
countries were overwhelmingly negative. Traditionally
close to Israel, South Korea, also turned thumbs down.
Egyptians expressed markedly negative views. So did
Pakistanis and Indonesians. Political bullying,
belligerence, and occupation harshness explain why.
Continued Israeli repression turns world opinion
against it. It's also true for America. Both countries
may end up with only themselves as allies.
Belligerent, repressive states are their own worst
enemies.
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.
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