MALICE AFORETHOUGHT

Every time Israel commits a heinous crime against Palestine and the Palestinians Israeli politicians, the western powers and their media in unison cry, “Israel has the right to defend itself”.

Children dying in the streets? This is Israel defending itself.

House demolitions on a horrendous scale? Israel is defending itself

Incarceration of minors in Israeli jails? Israel is defending itself.

A 14 year-old-girl from the West Bank, known only as Ghada, arrested by Israel and dumped in the middle of the night in Gaza despite never having been there in her life and knowing no-one? - Israel is defending itself.

Keeping two million Palestinians on an edge of survival diet? Israel is defending itself.

Uprooting our olive trees? Israel is defending itself.

Theft of large swathes of land? Israel is defending itself. 

Construction of illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land? Israel is defending itself. 

Building roads for Jews only on stolen Palestinian land? Israel is defending itself.

Had enough?

I haven’t finished. 

What I am about to say defies credulity.

A young man of 22, Abdullah Ghneimat, after a hard day’s toil is returning home to his village of Kufr Malik, east of Ramallah. As he arrives he is confronted by Israeli Occupation Forces in their armoured vehicles roaming through his village. Terrified out of his wits he runs for cover and hides behind a wall. One of the vehicles chases him at high speed, crashes into the wall, and flipping over demolishes the wall and crushes the young man to death. Not only that, the Israeli army refuses to remove the vehicle for three hours, just to make sure that young Abdullah has no chance of survival. He eventually bled to death.

This is the norm when Israel deals with the ‘goyem’ under its occupation. But there is more to come. The family of the slain Abdullah decide that the least they can do is sue the Israeli army for this horrific murder. What does Israel do? It counter sues the family and the entire village “ for damage done to the jeep.” $28,000.

Are you gasping in disbelief? 

Did this callous act of utter cruelty empty your lungs of any air?

Close your eyes. Imagine if this was your son. Your family member. Your brother. 

How would you feel?

Sako Sefiani