by Karen on December 30, 2008
Nearly all Democrats of note have expressed unquestioning support of Israel’s insanely over the top “response” to so-called “terrorists” in Palestine. Not my man Kucinich.
He’s not only condemned it, but has referred to it as “disproportionate, mass violence” that is a “violation of international law” that Israel is not exempt from.
Kucinich likened the Israeli attacks on Gaza to its war with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in 2006. In both cases, he said, civilian populations were attacked and “countless innocents” were killed or injured.
“All this was, and is, disproportionate, indiscriminate mass violence in violation of international law,” Kucinich said in a statement. “Israel is not exempt from international law and must be held accountable.”
It does my heart good to hear an American politician publicly condemning Israel. It has killed over 300 people in three days (compared to one death in the entire history of rockets being fired into Israel). It’s planning a ground invasion soon and has declared that Israel will continue it’s assault against Palestine until “the bitter end” and that the worst is yet to come.
by Karen on December 2, 2008
If I worked for AP, that’s what I’d put as the title to this article. Why? Because that’s exactly what happened (emphasis added).
Dozens of Jewish settlers rioted Tuesday in the West Bank town of Hebron, clashing with the Israeli troops who guard them but who may also soon evict them from a disputed building they’ve occupied.
In two villages elsewhere in the West Bank, Palestinians said groups of settlers burned animal feed and slashed tires in what appeared to be part of a broader tactic meant to deter Israeli authorities from dismantling unauthorized settlements or attempting to rein settlers in.
Israeli soldiers used stun grenades against the Hebron settlers, most of them teenagers, in clashes near a building which settlers took over early last year.
The building’s ownership is under dispute in a Jerusalem court. But the settlers moved in without government authorization and the Supreme Court has ordered them to leave immediately.
On Monday evening, rumors were circulating that the Israeli military would evict the settlers by force and hundreds of extremists flocked to the site to help resist eviction. No attempt was made to evacuate the building.
The military says rioters broke windows of cars and homes and defaced a Muslim cemetery in the area near the house. Settlers in several other locations in the West Bank also blocked roads and threw stones at Palestinian cars.
This behaviour isn’t just a chance happening, but part of an organized effort to stop the Israeli government from taking them to task and to stop the Palestinians from keeping the pressure on.
In recent months some West Bank settlers have pioneered a policy they term the “price tag,” in which they attack Palestinians and security forces in response to any attempt to evacuate unauthorized settlements.
In other words, if anyone tries to shut down their illegal activity, the criminals will attack them.
