Palestine wars

Israel’s War on Palestine

Operation Pillar of Cloud reflects the latest chapter in Israel’s decades-long, slow-motion, genocidal war on Palestine.

So-called memorandum of understanding terms changed nothing. They’re nonbinding, meaningless, and insulting.

Israel disregarded all past agreements. It’ll violate this one with impunity and already did. More on that below.

With full US support, it flagrantly ignored dozens of Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. They condemned or censured Israel for its crimes, deplored it for committing them, and/or demanded they end.

Israel does what it pleases with impunity. Palestine’s Nakba never ended. It continues now. It’s embedded in Palestinian consciousness. It reflects an ongoing journey of pain, suffering, loss, and injustice.

Daily life replicates Palestine’s tortured past. Occupation harshness threatens Palestinian culture, heritage, and existence. Draconian military orders alone create oppressive conditions. They include:
No. 92 giving Israel control of all West Bank and Gaza water;
No. 158 stipulating that Palestinians can’t construct water installations without (nearly impossible to get) permit permission, and those built will be confiscated or demolished;
No. 1015 requiring Palestinians get permission to plant trees on their own land;
No. 128 authorizing the IDF to take over any Palestinian business not open during regular business hours;
No. 107 prohibiting Arabic grammar, Crusades history, and Arab nationalist publications;
No. 101 banning gatherings of more than 10 people without advance notice with names of participants;
Nos. 811 and 847 letting Jews buy land from Palestinian owners with or without their consent;
No. 998 requiring Palestinians get permission to withdraw funds from their bank accounts;
No. 818 authorizing how Palestinians can plant decorative flowers;
No. 329 preventing the right of return; and
Nos. 1649 and 1650 turning all West Bank residents (including native born ones) potentially into “infiltrators;” doing so makes them vulnerable to deportation, fines or imprisonment without IDF-issued permits.

Imagine daily life under these conditions and much more. Brutalizing repression terrorizes Palestinians ruthlessly. Israeli provocations instigate conflicts and full-scale wars.

Fingers point the wrong way every time. Palestinians are blamed for Israeli crimes. Peace, stability, and freedom remain elusive. Operation Pillar of Cloud resolved nothing.

Israel got away with murder and mass destruction. Conflict didn’t end. It continues. Washington and Israel assure it. They’re partners in crime.

On Thursday, a day after both sides agreed on memorandum of understanding terms, Israeli soldiers shot and wounded four Palestinian youths.

They approached Israel’s security fence. They threatened no one. They displayed Palestinian flags. In response, soldiers opened fire.

An IDF spokesman said they “began rioting.” He lied.

Friday morning, Israeli soldiers murdered another Palestinian youth in cold blood. Live fire wounded another 19. They gathered near Israel’s border peacefully to pray.

Incidents like this and greater provocations happen often. Netanyahu pledged to stop them. He lied. He’s been caught red-handed lying many times.

After pledging to pursue peace, he called doing so “a waste of time.” He admitted wanting to destroy Palestinian authority and existence.

He knows he’ll get Western support for claiming self-defense. Washington collaborates with and endorses all Israeli criminality.

The Israeli Lobby boasts about having US administrations and Congress in its pocket. Israel gets away with murder with impunity. It happens every time.

Israeli policy reflects the worst of criminality and duplicity. Palestinians know what they’re up against. Conflict will resume whenever Israel plans it. Under Netanyahu, it’s certain.

A scurrilous Haaretz editorial lauded him. “In praise of Netanyahu,” it headlined.

It admitted that diplomacy could have avoided conflict. “But once (Netanyahu) decided on a military operation, (he) demonstrated relative restraint.”

Imagine calling hundreds of Palestinians murdered or injured “restraint.” Imagine how many families lost loved ones. Imagine mass destruction impossible to rebuild easily under siege conditions.

Imagine shocking crimes of war and against humanity. Imagine Israel again getting away with murder. Imagine editors who know better praising what they should condemn.

“Restraint” showed “strength,” they said. In other words, they killed, injured, and maimed fewer Palestinians than during Cast Lead.

“It’s clear that the Goldstone Report….penetrated deeply into the consciousness of Israeli decision-makers….”

It did no such thing, of course. Internal whitewash followed. So did Ban Ki-moon’s handpicked commission. It absolved Israeli crimes. Goldstone himself fell from grace.



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