Inspectors catch Palestinians cutting olive trees

[everythingsxen]

Cutting trees and blaming the settlers?

Inspector caught Palestinian youths in the act as they were cutting olive
trees, claiming they did it at the request of the owner of the grove. The
police suspect that he did it for compensation. Now additional Palestinian
complaints will be investigated

Tal Yamin-Walbowitz Maariv website (Maariv NRG) 22 November 2006
www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART1/508/339.html
(Translation by IMRA)

Are the settlers hurting the Palestinians or are the Palestinians hurting
themselves?

Frequently Palestinians farmers complain that settlers cut their trees and
hurt them and their livelihoods. At times even IDF soldiers and police had
to protect the Palestinians farmers in the territories during the olive
harvest season. But the police suspect now that in some cases the
Palestinians themselves are those cutting the trees and then blamed the
settlers and demanded compensation from the Civil Authority.

MORE

[katsy]

1. I hate to ask, but...

Why are settlers on Palestinian land anyway?

[UndertheOcean]

2. Wow , those Palestinians managed to trick the world all those years , making us blame some innocent

settlers <sarcasm>

Not to say that it is impossible for such incidents to happen, the frequency of its occurence is whats important.

This News story smells of the same technique used by some right wingers that involves mentioning some unfortunate fraud perpetuated by a few Katrina victims as a way to smear the whole bunch.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Poor sarcasm.

First you say that such incidents could occur, then immediately turn around and say its similar to the "false flag" incidents used by the right-wing in the US. So, is this a "false flag" story about Palestinians or Israelis?

[UndertheOcean]

4. A limited number of fraud cases involving Katrina survivors happened ...

who said anything about "false flag" or the tea in china

[Behind the Aegis]

5. False Flag

What those Palestinians were doing is called "false flag." You, however, while even admitting it could happen, made the parallel to fraud cases in Katrina and how the right-wing used that to their "advantage." The implication is that the Israelis are doing the same.

[UndertheOcean]

6. I said it smells that way ,

that doesn't mean its that way , sometimes a cigar is really just a cigar , and sometimes one doesn't help but get suspicious and wonders "Who benefits"

Not all settlers are gun weilding , tree destroying thugs.

On the Other hand , it would be very unfortunate if the Israeli right used this story to say basically that most Palestinians are lying about such incidents an our Settlers are God fearing saints.

[Behind the Aegis]

7. I know what you said.

Yes, sometimes a cigar is a cigar. And...'sometimes one doesn't help but get suspicious and wonders "Who benefits"" Who benefits here?

You are correct that is would be shame if this was misused, the same way we see reports misused that seem to imply "all settlers are gun wielding , tree destroying thugs."

[Scurrilous]

8. What those Palestinians were doing...

...was cutting down olive trees for firewood (with the permission of the owner).

If anyone has proof that the owner of these trees claimed that settlers vandalized his orchard or that the owner submitted claims to be compensated for his cut-down trees, I've yet to see it.

All we have so far is speculation (as in 'police suspect').

Funniest part.."noticed to their surprise a number of Palestinians cutting olive trees in violation of the law."

Cutting down olive trees is a violation of the law? I guess that depends on who's doing the cutting.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. That is what they said.

Perhaps they were cutting the trees down for firewood. Considering the number of reports of olive trees being destroyed in the night by settlers, it is understandable that this act would come as a surprise. Maybe the Israelis should have just filmed the event and waited to see if reports of "settler vandalism" screamed across the papers. But, had they chosen to do that, then they would have been blamed for failing to act.

"Cutting down olive trees is a violation of the law? I guess that depends on who's doing the cutting." Only according to you.

[UndertheOcean]

13. Actually you have a quite valid point here.

Was wondering , Is it illegal there to touch olive trees , even if you own the land from which the trees sprout ?

[Violet_Crumble]

14. Yeah, I thought so too...

But I think the 'logic' being used by some is to use trees being cut down with no indication that the owner was accusing any settlers of cutting them down as PROOF!!!! that whenever settlers are accused of cutting down olive trees, it's actually Palestinians who are doing it and blaming those poor, innocent settlers. Even if they're filmed by human rights groups and internationals, it's really just Palestinians in disguise ;)

[Behind the Aegis]

15. So disingenuous.

[Violet_Crumble]

34. Not at all n/t

[cali]

18. You've summed it up well.

Even if this story is true, it signifies very little. The actions of settlers are well documented- and it's not a pretty thing.

[sabbat hunter]

23. incidents have occured

where israelis cut down olive trees on palestinian lands. However I would not put it past anyone to cut down trees to blame someone else and make them look bad.

[idontwantaname]

9. this article is piss poor and a waste of time

compensation my ass. aint nobody care about the palestinian farmers. you think they expect some sort of compensation or intl news recognition for being "victims"? they all know real deal bad shit happens to them an no israeli govt or PA for that matter will give then a shekel to right the situation.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. And when they aren't really victims?

Munchausen-by-proxy.

[idontwantaname]

16. do you seriously want to get into a debate with me over this issue? n/t.

[Behind the Aegis]

17. Sure.

The Palestinians are not always the innocent victims, no matter how you or any body pretends they are!

[idontwantaname]

19. jealous are we?

i dont pretend palestinians are always innocent victims do i?... if so prove it. lets see some posts.

though what i commented on is the absurdity of palestinian farmers crying wolf as you and many others do not care and do not listen when genuinely tragic things happen.

[Behind the Aegis]

20. LOL! LOL!

I NEVER said you said ANYTHING! So, I have NOTHING to prove!

As for crying "wolf," I see that here way too often! Pretend what you like, they (Palestinian farmers) have cried "wolf." It doesn't mean that the "wolf" hasn't actually eaten the sheep in the past, it just means that sometimes, the sheep, die naturally!

[idontwantaname]

21. though i may be reading this wrong

but you sound way off your rocker. too much whiskey?
so now that we both agree palestinians are not always innocent victims do you have anything to say to me???

----------------------------------

Behind the Aegis
Response to Reply #16
17. Sure.

The Palestinians are not always the innocent victims, no matter how you or any body pretends they are!

------------------------------


LOL! LOL!
Posted by Behind the Aegis


I NEVER said you said ANYTHING! So, I have NOTHING to prove!

[Behind the Aegis]

22. Perhaps you should put down the whiskey.

"though what i commented on is the absurdity of palestinian farmers crying wolf as you and many others do not care and do not listen when genuinely tragic things happen."

[Violet_Crumble]

12. self-delete n/t

[IntiRaymi]

24. Much ado about nothing.

Let's, instead, focus on:

- bulldozing homes,
- targeted assassinations,
- the fate of 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip,
- the middle class self-infatuation of Israelis,
- the environmental damage caused by the IDF,
- unexploded cluster munitions,
- stifling academic discourse, due to pro-Israeli pressure groups,
- near unanimous worldwide condemnation of Israeli actions,
etc, etc.

Let's not get distracted, folks!!

[oberliner]

25. The middle class self-infatuation of Israelis?

Can you elaborate?

[IntiRaymi]

33. Sure.

When I wrote that, what I had in mind had to do with a concept called 'class consciousness.' A good way to illustrate this would be to refer back to Tony Judt's biography in Wikipedia, which describes quite well how this works:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Judt

... Judt enthusiastically waded into the world of Israeli politics at age 15, rising to become the national secretary of the Labor Zionist youth movement Dror. He helped promote the migration of British Jews to Israel. Just after the Six Day War, Judt, then 19, dropped out of Cambridge and went to Israel, where he worked as a translator for international volunteers aiding the Israel Defense Forces.
However, during the aftermath of the war, Judt's belief in the Zionist enterprise began to unravel. "I went with this idealistic fantasy of creating a socialist, communitarian country through work," Judt has said (see this article in the Forward). The problem, he began to believe, was that this view was "remarkably unconscious of the people who had been kicked out of the country and were suffering in refugee camps to make this fantasy possible."

He lost his zionist intestinal fortitude? Or did he just realize that people are people, and that we are all basically the same - a premise that forces upon you the realization that YOU LACK THE RIGHT TO OPPRESS YOUR FELLOW MAN.

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[breakaleg]

27. What's the point of discussing anything if we misquote oneanother?

" near unanimous worldwide condemnation of Israeli actions,
etc, etc.
- wow. That must be proof huh? First of all, it would be really nice if you could provide a link to the world uniting in it's hatred of Israel. "

He said nothing about "hatred".

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[breakaleg]

29. Since when is "condemning Israel's actions" equavelent to "hating Israel"?

[everythingsxen]

30. When the only "condemning" is done..

by the UN who routinely condemn's Israel choice of paint schemes, hair styles and the time of the Goldstein Bar Mitzvah.

Israel is "condemned", but for what exactly? For defending itself? For killing civilians when terrorists use those civilians as shields? For being blamed over and over as the bad guy in Palestinian flase-flag operations?

Yet where is the UN when it comes to Darfur, Rwanda, Uzbekistan..

[breakaleg]

31. The post you responded to said "condemns Israel's actions" and you said

they "hated Israel". I'm just pointing out that you are exaggerating to the point where you are deliberately misrepresenting what that poster said.

Instead of admitting you twisted their words, you then go on to defend your stance. Save it.

[everythingsxen]

32. Save yourself