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Terrorizing Palestinians and Israeli Arabs - by Stephen Lendman
Israel spurns international law and its own.
Two new reports provide more evidence besides volumes already available.
Explaining daily life in Occupied Palestine, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said about half of Palestinian households experience Israeli and other forms of violence.
For Gazans, it's slightly higher than in the West Bank - 49.1% - 47.8%. In Qalqiliya governorate, however, (in northern West Bank) it's 60%.
Youths are especially affected, notably males. From July 2010 - July 2011, about 10% were targeted, including about 3% of children aged 12 - 17.
About 6% in this age category experienced psychological trauma during the same time frame.
Violence happens often at checkpoints. Over 13% of males are affected. Women face sexual harassment. However, street violence is most common, affecting about 20% of youths aged 18 - 29. About 29% of males are exposed.
In addition, physical and/or psychological violence can occur anywhere, including at home. Over 14% of youths are affected. In educational institutions, 9% suffer psychological trauma. Over 20% experience physical violence.
Other physical and/or psychological violence is committed by one family member against another. Women are mostly affected. So are children witnessing it. Elderly females more than males experience it through "health negligence."
PCBS defines violence as acts causing or threatening "physical, sexual or psychological abuse," including actions generating fear.
It can also be economic, political, verbal, and in other forms by anyone, including occupiers, settlers, household members or others.
Deprivation of basic rights are also included "such as shelter, food, drink, clothing, education, freedom of movement and loss of self-determination and self security."
Life in Palestine is harsh and intolerable. Imagine being repressively occupied under a system of institutionalized racist persecution.
As a result, Palestinians have no power over their daily lives. They live in constant fear. They're collectively punished and economically exploited. Free expression, assembly, movement and other basic rights are denied.
Gazans are besieged. West Bank and East Jerusalem residents face militarized state terror, cantonized separation, closed borders, imposed curfews, roadblocks, checkpoints, electric fences, Separation Wall land theft and isolation, neighborhood incursions, other forms of land theft, home destruction, dispossessions, targeted assassinations, mass arrests, torture, and virtually all other forms of abuse and cruel indignities.
