Killing With Impunity: "Killing Without
Consequence" Wants Justice For Ziad Jilani
23 May 2012
By Stephen Lendman
A new initiative called "Killing Without Consequence"
wants justice for Ziad Jilani. Border guard Maxim
Vinogradov murdered him with impunity. More on that
below.
Systemic Israeli crimes against humanity include
neighborhood incursions, unprovoked violence, air,
ground and sea attacks, and killing with impunity.
Daily offenses are commonplace. Rule of law principles
are spurned. Palestinian lives don't matter. They're
murdered in cold blood. Accountability is denied.
In 2010, B'Tselem's report titled "Void of
Responsibility: Israeli Military Policy not to
investigate Killings of Palestinians by Soldiers"
discussed it. Incriminating evidence was presented.
Throughout the Territories, liberation and justice
protests occur regularly. Israeli security forces
attack them with tear gas, rubber bullets,
extended-range gas canisters, other weapons, and live
fire. Deaths result. Evidence shows cold-blooded
murder.
Numerous other incidents occur. Fishermen are attacked
at sea. Border and checkpoint confrontations cause
deaths. Along Gaza's border, farmers are shot in their
fields. Children are used for target practice.
Soldiers have license to kill.
"The vast majority of these cases have never been
investigated." Most others are whitewashed. Guilty
soldiers, police, and settlers are absolved.
Israel's Judge Advocate General's Office (JAGO) claims
"the fact that a civilian is killed during hostilities
does not constitute even prima facie proof that a war
crime has been committed or that the soldiers who were
involved acted in a criminal manner."
Other Israeli officials hold similar views even if
civilians are deliberately targeted in or out of war
zones. Investigations rarely happen. International law
breaches are commonplace.
Impunity encourages "a trigger-happy attitude, and
shows gross disregard for human life." Attacks against
civilians warrants concern. Palestinians experience
them daily. Deaths result. Accountability demanded is
denied.
A culture of impunity prevents justice. Officials to
the highest levels support it. Security forces are
absolved to kill again. Palestinian lives don't
matter. Collective punishment is policy. So is license
to kill.
Fundamental international law is mocked. Israelis
spurn it when other priorities take precedence.
Killing Without Consequence explained "why this
matters," saying:
Border guard Maxim Vinogradov murdered Ziad Jilani.
More on him below.
"At this moment, we have a way to prevent
indiscriminate Palestinian deaths at the hands of
Israeli security."
If Maxim is charged, "it will demonstrate to soldiers
that there are consequences for killing Palestinians."
"Here's why:
When Israel (charges) its soldiers it leads to direct
changes in the behavior of other(s). When they fail to
(act), soldiers perpetuate the same behavior."
"Every time."
For example, before UN official Iain Hooke was killed,
soldiers rarely killed international activists. When
no charges were brought, killing waves followed.
Soldiers, police, and other security forces know they
can kill with impunity.
When activist Tom Hurndal was murdered, killing
international activists temporarily stopped after a
soldier got eight years in prison for manslaughter and
obstruction of justice.
Do it regularly and it'll stop entirely. Security
forces will think before they shoot. Killing has
consequences. Getting off scot free won't apply. In
Occupied Palestine, reaching that threshold has light
years to go.
On June 11, 2010, coming home from Friday prayers,
Ziad was caught in traffic. Border police blocked the
road. He accidently side swiped one of their vehicles.
Vinogradov was alerted.
Ziad left the accident scene. Police chased and opened
fire. A Palestinian bystander was wounded. To avoid
violence, Ziad mistakenly entered a blind alley.
Emerging from his vehicle, police shot him twice - in
the arm and lower back.
Still alive, they approached him. According to their
own testimony, Vinogradov fired two or more times at
his head at point blank range.
As he heard shots, Ziad's cousin Mahmoud ran toward
him screaming. Vinogradov fired warning shots to back
off. He then beat him with a nightstick.
Hospitalization was required.
According to eyewitnesses, when an ambulance arrived,
police prevented its approach.
Ziad lived in East Jerusalem. Most of his life was in
America. He earned a pharmacy degree there. His family
owned an East Jerusalem drug store. He hoped to run it
when his father retired.
His real love was animals. His preference was
practicing veterinary medicine. Few opportunities
exist in Palestine.
His family pharmacy failed and was sold. Ziad opened a
video game parlor. Later it became a billiard hall.
After selling the business, he began distributing
massage chairs in Israeli malls.
Vinogradov considered Ziad a terrorist even though he
was unarmed and nonviolent. On April 2012, Haaretz
columnist Amira Hass headlined "Israel Police shoots
first and asks questions later," saying:
Ziad was lawlessly attacked. "Neighborhood residents
said police fired heavily in all directions. A little
girl sitting in a parked car was wounded."
"The Justice Ministry's Police Investigations Unit
investigated, and the State Prosecutor's Office
decided to close the case for lack of evidence."
Eyewitness disagreed. They revealed indiscriminate
police shooting at point blank range. Ziad's wife
Moira partitioned Israel's High Court for justice. She
wants Vinogradov and his commander indicted for
murder.
On April 24, Combatants for Peace honored Ziad in a
Tel Aviv memorial service. Nearly 2,000 attended. It's
almost unprecedented for a mass Jewish audience to
convene for a Palestinian.
Moira spoke lovingly with passion for justice. Killing
Without Consequence published "A Message From Moira,"
saying:
Vinogradov "executed....(m)y beloved husband....on
June 11, 2010." Undeniable evidence proves he "was
lying unarmed and wounded on the ground, posing no
threat when....shot....point blank in the head."
Vinogradov and his commander Shadi Kheir Al-Din got
off scot free. Doing so sends a message. Palestinian
life is cheap. Take it and avoid accountability.
"My daughters and I have appealed to" Israel's High
Court to "bring criminal charges against" both men.
"We seek international support, not only (for) Ziad
but also to save" other potential victims.
"My husband loved life and enjoyed it to it's fullest,
he loved people and animals and he loved us, his
family, with a passion. He was not a terrorist."
"My American citizenship has meant nothing to the
Israeli authorities and far too little to the American
government."
"I would like answers and to see to it that
trigger-happy soldiers and police men serving in the
Israeli military and border police are not allowed to
kill more innocent people."
Visit Killing Without Consequence for more details. So
far, Moira and her children have been denied long
overdue justice. Nothing can bring back Ziad. What
means more than that.
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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