Daily dehumanization

[Resistance]

by Gideon Levy

As it turns out, even in a hospital - a place where human compassion is supposed to be the sole operating norm - a Palestinian is still not on the same footing as other human beings. This process of dehumanizing the Palestinians has spread to every sector of Israeli society. What started in the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security service, and spread to other branches of power and to the media (which has, for years, deliberately emphasized the violent side of Palestinian reality) has now permeated every part of Israel's social fabric. That's apparently the only way a state can continue with a conquest and oppression without being overly concerned about what it means to the conquered.

The dehumanization is characterized by insensitivity to the value of human life. During the past months, virtually not a single day has gone by without Palestinians being killed in clashes in the territories; dozens of Palestinians, many of them unarmed innocents, have died each month, even during periods in which there were no terrorist attacks. The deaths were a marginal item of Israel's public agenda.

A related attitude is the utter lack of respect for Palestinians' human dignity. This attitude is particularly manifest at the point of everyday contact - the checkpoint. IDF roadblocks, the main point of interaction with Palestinians, are rancid, filthy sties - often they resemble animal holding pens. Is it mere neglect and laziness that has the IDF force anyone who wants to cross through the checkpoints to wallow in dirt and garbage before standing before a soldier? A person who passes through a roadblock is condemned in advance to suffer insult and humiliation.

[JohnLocke]

1. Hmm....

A related attitude is the utter lack of respect for Palestinians' human dignity. This attitude is particularly manifest at the point of everyday contact - the checkpoint. IDF roadblocks, the main point of interaction with Palestinians, are rancid, filthy sties - often they resemble animal holding pens. Is it mere neglect and laziness that has the IDF force anyone who wants to cross through the checkpoints to wallow in dirt and garbage before standing before a soldier? A person who passes through a roadblock is condemned in advance to suffer insult and humiliation.

Got a photo or other source to confirm this or any of the other lies in this piece?

[bluesoul]

4. Oh yeah it's ALL lies

when the IDF and it's ugly side is concerned...

[JohnLocke]

6. Once again, can you confirm this objectively?

[GabysPoppy]

7. And you think he will?

Oh my

[Resistance]

8. How about

not pretending that the reports are lies?

Levy is one of Haaretz's most highly respected reporters.

[JohnLocke]

9. Still, I would like some confirmation.

[Resistance]

10. what do you want confirmed, exactly?

we all know these things happen

[JohnLocke]

11. Here's what I want confirmed:

-- the incident with Bashar Awis.

-- the description of the roadblocks as "rancid, filthy sties."

-- the confiscation of cars at roadblocks.

[Resistance]

13. sounds like Google is your new friend

www.google.com

best of luck to you.

[Gimel]

26. Not all lies

No one says that life isn't tough, and life in Israel is tough, and life in the Intifada Palestinian territories is even tougher. No one has claimed that they don't face this inhumane treatment.

But on the other hand, no one can change this. No one has the resources to offer them comfort while they wait, cold drinks and sandwiches. Maybe you'd be enterprising and open up a root beer stand. Great. All that takes money and resources. the soldiers don't have a picnic here, and neither do those waiting.

Have you ever been in an Israeli hospital? I have. Government hospitals are bare bones. You feel like a cow. Everyone has to bring his or her own support system - family and friends. Someone (a doctor in this case) did phone an organization that was able to bring the dying man's relatives there. People do care, but not much can be done if there is no physical way to change things.

[Lithos]

14. Original source of article

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/374054.html

[Violet_Crumble]

16. I don't think the source is being attacked in this case...

What Mr Locke appears to be claiming is that Gideon Levy is lying in this particular article, so it wouldn't matter where the article appeared. Mr. Locke made his claim without providing a single shred of evidence to back it up and then demanded that the onus is on others to prove that Gideon Levy wasn't lying. Personally I think that if Mr. Locke is so convinced the journalist is lying in the article, then he won't have any trouble coming up with something to back up that claim. And until Mr. Locke does do that, I don't think there's any need for anyone to convince him of anything...

Violet...

[bluesoul]

2. Great article

Resistance!

[Resistance]

3. Gideon Levy

is one of the best.

(Which probably explains why the Israeli army shot at him not too long ago)

[Saudade]

12. Gideon Levy

http://www.bintjbeil.com/E/occupation/levy/

Along with Amira Hass ("Drinking the Sea at Gaza") and Tanya Reinhart and Neve Gordon.

[number6]

5. Daily dehumanization = relative calm

:(

[Gimel]

15. Sad but true

The only effective way to stop terrorism inside of Israel is to close the border crossing to all but humanitarian cases.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

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

[bluesoul]

18. Daily?

One attack now in the last 3 months is daily, while in the mean time numerous Palestinian civilians were killed by the IDF! Give me a BREAK!

Obviously the lives of Palestinians don't bother YOU!

[Violet_Crumble]

19. Not true at all..

Definately not true to those who don't see the ongoing killing of Palestinian civilians as being relative calm any more than they see the killing of Israeli civilians as being relative calm...

The article discussed the dehumanisation going on, and there was a lot of it. Here's some of the examples that were metioned:

The family of a dying Palestinian prisoner not being informed so that they could be at his bedside...

The innocent Palestinian civilians still being killed...

Conditions at the roadblocks and the treatment of Palestinians forced to wait at them...

The demolishing of Palestinian homes...

Raids on residential areas...

Violet...

[Gimel]

21. That is something else

The human rights issues that have surfaced now in the past year were not the issue four years ago. They were not the issue 10 years ago. They have to do with the military operations to round up the militant terrorists. that is not a closure alone. Closing the access points has been effective in stopping terrorist infiltration. That is a fact.

[Resistance]

24. So,

for Palestinians to effectively stop Israeli terrorism, they should start setting up checkpoints throughout Israel? I'm just going by your advocation of creating checkpoints on someone else's land.

[Gimel]

28. You should

go back and review all the background if you are serious on this line of reasoning. This "someone else's land" bit is one of the problems. Where do the suicide attacks happen, if not on someone else's land?

[Resistance]

30. ?

How is the "someone else's land bit" a problem?

Does Israel's military have checkpoints littered throughout the West Bank (Palestinian land - in other words, "someone else's land"), yes or no?

[Resistance]

20. No

"The most effective way of reducing terrorism is to stop participating in it." - Noam Chomsky

[Gimel]

22. Wish they would

yes, wave a magic wand and the terrorists will disappear. Thanks Noam.

[Resistance]

23. Did you really not understand the idea?

Not participating in terrorism reduces terrorism.

[Gimel]

25. Yeah

What you mean is that terrorism can't be fought.

That we've seen world-wide. :crazy:

Where have you been? :eyes:

[Resistance]

27. No

If we're so against terrorism, what are we doing engaging in it?

[Gimel]

29. Speak

for yourself. If you aren't able to distinguish anything, why debate? Check-out your navel. Fine with me.

[Resistance]

31. I am speaking for myself

I don't want to participate in Israel's terrorist strikes on Palestinian civilians and on international workers and peace activists. I pay for these strikes, you see. Therefore, I view myself as holding some degree of responsibility.