Met with silence

[ProgressiveMuslim]

Recent Israeli army aggressions against Palestinian charities, beauty salons and shops show unequivocally that Israel is morally lost, writes Khaled Amayreh in Nablus

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

If you still think there are red lines that Israel has not crossed with regard to its treatment of Palestinians, don't be too sure. In recent days and weeks, the Israeli army has been vandalising, ransacking and confiscating Palestinian civilian institutions in the West Bank's largest towns and cities, including Ramallah, the seat of the so-called Palestinian government.

Frustrated eyewitnesses and tearful victims spoke of "unprecedented brutality" and "Gestapo-like behaviour" as Israeli occupation forces moved throughout the central and northern West Bank to destroy what was left of the Palestinian charity sector upon which thousands of impoverished Palestinian families depend for their livelihood.

Israel had been targeting orphanages and boarding schools as well as soup kitchens and sewing workshops serving orphans in the Hebron region. The campaign of terror, with many hair- raising scenes of cruelty and moral callousness, has seriously raised the level of hostility and hatred for Israel.

Palestinian livelihood, like Palestinian lives, appears irrelevant to Israel. It is, after all, the tormentor, murderer, and perpetual oppressor of the Palestinian people.

The latest savagery occurred last week when dozens of Israeli army vehicles, including armoured personnel carriers, stormed the main business district in Nablus, 90 kilometres north of Jerusalem. Nablus is one of the cities the Palestinian Authority (PA) had declared "sovereign", especially after the deployment of hundreds of US-trained and well armed "security forces".

When Israeli soldiers violated the city last week, Palestinian security forces were nowhere to be seen. The invading Israeli troops stormed schools, commercial malls, sports clubs, cultural centres, a key medical centre, a TV station, beauty salons as well as numerous NGO offices, ransacking and destroying equipment. In one instance, educational aides -- including human skeletons, microscopes and school furniture -- were smashed and thrown into the street.

Moreover, soldiers stole computers and many electrical and electronic appliances from the targeted buildings, all declared "property of the Israeli" army. At the Afaq TV station in downtown Nablus, the Israeli army confiscated all its equipment and furniture, "then they left on the front door a military order of its closure for one year," said station owner and director Issa Abul-Ezz in a statement sent to Al-Ahram Weekly.

The most draconian barbarity, however, targeted a commercial mall consisting of dozens of shops. The Israeli army closed the premises, warning that any Palestinian entering the multi-storey building would be arrested and imprisoned for five years.

In Ramallah, Israeli soldiers stormed the municipal council building of Al-Bireh, Ramallah's twin-town, located a few hundred metres from the headquarters of PA President Mahmoud Abbas and the office of his Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The Israeli soldiers, with sledgehammers and welding equipment, forced open offices, confiscating computers and destroyed furniture.

Again, PA forces remained confined to their barracks "in honour of agreements and understandings" with Israel. PA officials, including Prime Minister Fayyad, have argued forcefully that all social, cultural, educational, athletic and commercial institutions targeted by Israel functioned according to the law and were involved in nothing of concern to Israel whatsoever.

"These are legitimate Palestinian institutions, and targeting them is aimed at weakening and humiliating the Palestinian Authority," said Fayyad while inspecting the targeted buildings. He added that he would complain to the United States as well as to Tony Blair, the Quartet's envoy to the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. Neither has uttered a word criticising the latest Israeli savagery.

The Israeli occupation authorities claimed the targeted institutions were owned or run by religious individuals who might be sympathetic to Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement. However, the Israeli army, and its intelligence arm, Shin Bet, failed to produce any evidence whatsoever linking the institutions to acts of violence.

Ironically, it is provocative actions like these that seriously weaken the image of the PA while strengthening Hamas. Fayyad said the Israeli onslaught on Palestinian charities and other institutions would radicalise Palestinian society and deepen hatred for Israel. It is evident, however, that Israel is indifferent to the long-term effects of its vindictive actions against Palestinians. Drawing satisfaction at seeing Palestinians suffer seems to be the main Israeli motive.


more........
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/906/re2.htm

[RethugAssKicker]

1. Silence....you're not kidding.... I haven't heard a word about

this.....No surprise though.....our MSM and govt are totally one-sided and
openly bias towards Israel.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

2. Our MSM has shed even a cursory appearance of being news organizations.

Pretty tragic.

[Vegasaurus]

3. Again, cut the bullshit

This has been widely reported.

Anyone can google and find that ALL the major news organizations have reported on this.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1821125,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics

as one example.

[azurnoir]

4. All the magor news organizations?

like CNN? NYT? or even Yahoo?

[Vegasaurus]

5. You don't like Reuters

The Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, USA Today?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-07-08-Westbank-mall-raid_N.htm

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-wor-israel-palestinian-09-jul09,0,179710.story

How about the AP itself? Check the byline.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=5328300

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2008/06/28/6013931-ap.html

Even the right-wing Moonies report this:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/09/israeli-troops-raid-nablus-city-hall-in-crackdo-1/

Is none of this "mainstream" enough for you?

Time to cut the bullshit.

Israel is maligned by the MSM more than any country on earth.

[azurnoir]

8. Time you cut the selff rightous BS

CNN is the major news carrier or the US oh and Israel is maligned more than any other country LOL by who the UN?

[Vegasaurus]

9. You don't like the sources?

Too bad.

You claimed no major news sources had reported the incidents, and I proved you wrong.

It was picked up by Reuters, the AP, reported in major city papers and even a right wing rag.

[azurnoir]

10. LOL how did you prove me wrong

I did not say no major news carriers indeed ma'm it was you who claimed that ALL major news carriers I pointed out a few who did not, or show where I said no major carriers

edited to add: i will give you a hint when posting in the I/P forum, it is unwise to use "all" or "none" as those terms rarely apply to humans, except for maybe if the reference is to the living needing to breathe.

[Vegasaurus]

11. Your semantic parsing is idiotic

Post #1

Silence....you're not kidding.... I haven't heard a word about

this.....No surprise though.....our MSM and govt are totally one-sided and
openly bias towards Israel.

Post #2

Our MSM has shed even a cursory appearance of being news organizations.

Indeed, every major news organization did report on this story in some form. It was in the AP and Reuters, which means local cities picked it up too.

There was no "silence" or prevention of this news not being published. It was, and I showed just a few examples.

So, let's throw out the crap that the MSM is biased towards Israel.

This story was reported widely, in the US and abroad.

So much for that pro-Israel bias.

[azurnoir]

19. which of those posts were mine? n/t

[Vegasaurus]

22. I think you got the point, even though you were nitppicking over the word "all

Mainstream news organizations reported the story.

That was my point.

There was no silence, no "cover up" of this important news.

It was there in black and white in most every newspaper or news outlet in the country and abroad, including the NYT.

[azurnoir]

27. Please provide

a NYT link? I did a search on NYT using Hamas Charities and got this

http://www.google.com/search?q=Hamas+Charities&btnGNS=Search+nytimes.com&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=nytimes.com&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=VMr

the top story is from 1996, perhaps you will do better.

oh and I got your point from your first post

[LeftishBrit]

6. While the article makes some important points..

it damages its own case by overstating and oversimplifying the issues. 'Drawing satisfaction at seeing Palestinians suffer seems to be the main Israeli motive.' Well, no. The main Israeli motives - like those of most countries - are to protect themselves and advance their own interests (long-term or short-term). Whether all Israeli actions *do* advance their long-term interests, and whether, even if they do, they are fair and just to others, may be another matter. But saying that 'drawing satisfaction at seeing Palestinian suffer' is their main motive is just as unfair and simplistic as to say that the main motive of Palestinians is to 'draw satisfaction at seeing Israelis suffer'.

[Boojatta]

7. I'd like to see evidence that the Gestapo ever went so far as to close dozens of shops.

If you still think there are red lines that Israel has not crossed with regard to its treatment of Palestinians, don't be too sure.

(...)

Frustrated eyewitnesses and tearful victims spoke of "unprecedented brutality" and "Gestapo-like behaviour" as Israeli occupation forces moved throughout the central and northern West Bank (...)

(...)

Palestinian livelihood, like Palestinian lives, appears irrelevant to Israel. It is, after all, the tormentor, murderer, and perpetual oppressor of the Palestinian people.

(...)

The most draconian barbarity, however, targeted a commercial mall consisting of dozens of shops. The Israeli army closed the premises, warning that any Palestinian entering the multi-storey building would be arrested and imprisoned for five years.

[pelsar]

12. no doubt..israelis = gestapo

there is no doubt any more that the israeli army is far worse than the gestapo.......i think the only thing that is missing are the concentration camps, the ovens, the "star of david" on their clothing, the making them walk in the street and not on the sidewalk, the firing of any professionals because they are Palestinians, the boycott on Palestinians business, the pogroms.....other than a few minor details....no difference.

[Boojatta]

14. The OP seems to rely upon emotions associated with the Gestapo.

However, a small pause for thought might suggest some basic questions:

1. Did the Gestapo obey orders?
2. If it didn't, then what was the basis for its actions?
3. If it did obey orders, then what were the orders?
4. Under what legislative framework did it operate?

"other than a few minor details"
Yes, for example, are Palestinians permitted to own land such as for farming?

[Shaktimaan]

15. I don't understand.

1. Did the Gestapo obey orders?
2. If it didn't, then what was the basis for its actions?
3. If it did obey orders, then what were the orders?
4. Under what legislative framework did it operate?

What does this have to do with anything? I'm not sure if you are agreeing with the OP or refuting it... I'm assuming you're refuting it?

1. Yes.
2. It did obey orders.
3. Huh? It had a mission, as part of the SS, generally to keep the National Socialists in power and further their agenda. Their specific charge was to investigate and punish political and criminal acts against the Nazis. They were a secret police force, like the Stazi.
4. They were part of the paramilitary police force that was under Himmler's direct command. They were not accountable to any kind of civilian or judicial review, the Nazis were fascist. They did what Himmler told them to do.

So what's the point? That the Shabak certainly isn't anything like this...? (not anymore than the FBI is anyway.)

Yes, for example, are Palestinians permitted to own land such as for farming?
The answer is, of course, yes they are permitted to own land for farming. Why?

[pelsar]

16. i paused.....

do soldiers in the US army obey orders?...how about in the UK, in France? in israel?....i think they're all pretty similar in that respect....but i admit not to having full knowledge of their legal framework...though i am guessing in that there is probably some similarity to the gestapo

but i do pause to wonder....
========
and are Palestinians permitted to own land you ask

...i'm afraid by asking such a question your showing just how little you actually know about the conflict...in fact on an scale of 1 to 10, such a question makes it difficult to decided if the knowledge you posses about the conflict is between a 0 or a 1

i shall pause to wonder about that

[Shaktimaan]

18. I think he was joking...

...i'm afraid by asking such a question your showing just how little you actually know about the conflict...in fact on an scale of 1 to 10, such a question makes it difficult to decided if the knowledge you posses about the conflict is between a 0 or a 1

I'm pretty sure he was just adding to your own sarcastic list of ways that the gestapo and Shabak don't resemble each other.

I have trouble believing that someone would post a statement like that because they actually believed it to be so. I mean, shouldn't we assume that someone is joking if the only other explanation is idiocy? I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. No one who posts here with any frequency still thinks that Palestinians are forbidden to own land. (Do they?)

[Violet_Crumble]

20. Talk about flogging a horse to death...

Instead of obsessing over ONE quote from Palestinians affected by what happened where they compared it to the Gestapo, how about reading the rest of the article and answering these questions:

1. Do you think what was done was wrong? If not, why not?

2. Don't you think that actions such as this taken by Israel do tend to lead to hatred towards Israel by the victims?

3. Do you agree or disagree that these actions taken against schools and shops etc is a violation of international law?

[cali]

13. blatant propaganda- the equivalent of the stinking crap that

comes out of the right wing Arutz Sheva. Let me make it clear that I'm not saying that what's claimed here didn't transpire, but anyone who knows anything whatsoever about language, knows this is incendiary propaganda- not reporting.

Edited to add that this is simply a polemic aimed at demonstrating how evil Israelis are. It's just the kind of stereotype you rage against when applied to Palestinians and Hamas.

None so blind as those that refuse to see.

[Violet_Crumble]

21. Where was the author demonstrating how evil Israelis are?

The author talked about soldiers and Israel occupation forces, but they didn't talk about the Israeli population. If they had, I'd agree with yr call on it...


It's pretty clear to me what the motive is behind this sort of action in the West Bank. It's a bit of stirring up the hornets nest and hoping that Hamas will do a real good and proper ending of the truce in Gaza. Which is why I think the truce should have also included the West Bank as well as Gaza...

[ProgressiveMuslim]

23. This is a clearly labeled opinion piece

from an Egyptian weekly.

I would prefer that the tone were less strident, but I think the main gist -- that these actions are heinous, indicative of the policy of the gov't of Israel and unreported in the West -- are right on the money.

Unfortunately, in this forum, folks tend to focus on tone of OP rather than content.

[Boojatta]

24. Shall we ignore the content because the gist is nothing but tone?

"unreported in the West" --> I thought this was discussed upthread along with some specific examples of where, in the West, it was in fact reported.

[Vegasaurus]

25. We have long established, from multiple MSM sources

that these events ARE REPORTED IN THE WEST.

This opinion piece is NOT right on the money.

It is more Egyptian propaganda.

The MSM reported it, in nearly every paper, and across all the wires.

It's BS that it isn't reported in the West. Nonsense and anti-Israel crap.

[azurnoir]

26. While you don't deny the actions happened

most likely only because you can not, you do not condemn them either, too busy killing the messenger i hopes of killing the message along with it? When it comes to polemics nice to see you learned a few of your own as in

simply a polemic aimed at demonstrating how evil Israelis are.

however as VC pointed out the article was about occupation forces not the Israeli people and has been a bit over used here.

edited to add: welcome back to DU I/P forum

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

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

[number6]

28. The MSM is pretty much pro Israel and anti Arab, and

anti Muslim

Israeli victims get far more coverage than Palestinian victims...

[Vegasaurus]

29. The MSM reports the news as it happens

and that includes all of Israel's bad deeds.

There is quite a bit of press on suicide bombings and factional violence all over the world because these are facts, and facts get reported.