Yes, it’s yet another blog post lambasting Israel. No, I’m not antisemitic. I’m just anti-injustice, and what I see going on in the Middle East is an atrocity of the greatest magnitude. So to help end it I’m doing what I can to increase awareness about it.
What is it this time, you ask. Well, there’s two negative stories making rounds and they both highlight the injustices being perpetuated by the corrupt Israeli government.
The first bit stems from a leaked cable claiming Israeli border guards would block shipments from US corporations unless they offered up a bribe. News of guards looking for kickbacks seems a bit trivial, especially when compared to the second story below, but it still exposes an inherent corruption nonetheless.
The second bit of news: Israeli soldiers broke into a Palestinian home last night, killing a 66 year old man as he slept in bed. He was shot at close range multiple times in the head and body.
The Palestinian man – Suliman al-Qawasmeh – was the unintended target of the raid, as the soldiers had mistakenly entered the wrong home. The Israeli forces were supposed to find a suspected militant who had been released from a Palestinian prison earlier that day.
Well, mistakes happen. No one is perfect, right? I mean, come on… don’t tell me you’ve never been a well-armed pawn, serving some corrupt government’s ideological agenda, when you accidentally assassinated the wrong target.
No? Well, if you say so.
Clearly what transpired is an injustice to the widowed family, to the Palestinian community, even to the soldiers who now have to live with innocent blood on their hands.
All of these tragedies, of which more are coming to light every day, are happening under the umbrella of a giant pile of wrongdoings: Israel’s occupation of Palestine and the continued oppression of millions of people based solely on their heritage.
Will the dead man’s family be compensated for their loss? Will these errant soldiers be held accountable for their actions? The answer to both of these questions will likely turn out to be negative.
If the Palestinians can be held prisoner in their own homes and kept on the brink of economic collapse, what possible hope could they have to personally hold Israel forces accountable for what amounts to just another transgression?
This means it is up to us – the rest of the world with a voice – to rise up and be heard, not just for the subjugated people of Palestine, but for all of the world’s voiceless.
We must let it be known – to our governments, to the media, to anyone who will listen – that we can see these injustices as they happen, and we won’t be quiet about it anymore.
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If we’re to gain a positive from this tragedy, it can serve as another reminder of how the war on terror is inherently flawed. Rather than deepening the cesspool of extremism with the blood of more innocents, we ought to rethink the logic behind using a militarized approach in a battle of ideas.
don’t tell me you’ve never been a well-armed pawn serving, some corrupt government’s ideological agenda, when you accidentally assassinate the wrong target.
