I shook my head in disbelief as I watched CNN (the "liberal" cable news) manage to portray this gross miscarriage of justice as if the Israeli military strike was justified in its action. It defies logic to argue that Israel was warranted in destroying infrastructure critical to the survival of over a million people and laying siege against brutally oppressed human beings in its "hostage rescue" and in its attempt to root out the perpetrators of recent Qassam rocket attacks which have resulted in zero Israeli casualties. As is often the case, Israel's actions represent blatant abuse of power and violations of human rights.
Yet why would I feel surprised? For years the corporate media has conditioned United States citizens to believe in Israel's right to savagely punish virtually defenseless Palestinian civilians using our military hard-ware. The Israelis specialize in electrocution for stealing a loaf of bread. And they don't care if those receiving the punishment are guilty or not.
The Madness of King George and Prince Ehud
Like its benefactors in Washington, Israel is ruled by Machiavellian militarists who routinely violate international law and human rights. Mainstream media propagandists have worked vigorously to maintain the perception that both nations are pillars of morality and civilization, but the façade is rapidly eroding.
Quotes attributed to Caligula, the hedonistic and blood-thirsty Roman emperor, would roll quite naturally off the tongues of George Bush or Ehud Olmert. It is not much of a stretch to imagine either of them quipping:
"I wish the Palestinian people had but a single neck"
or
"Let them hate, so long as they fear."
Playing With a Stacked Deck and Acting With Impunity
Consider that during its relatively short existence, the United Nations has targeted Israel with Resolutions 65 times. They have condemned Israeli attacks on neighboring Lebanon, collective punishment and repeated human rights violations against the Palestinian civilian population, theft of Palestinian land, and violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel's response to the condemnations? More violations of international law. Incidentally, there have been no United Nations Resolutions against the Palestinians.
From the beginning of the conflict, Israel has held distinct advantages over the Palestinians. In 1850, Palestine was inhabited by about 500,000 Palestinian Arabs, 80% of whom were Muslim. By the 1880's, the European Zionist movement had determined that Palestine was to be a Jewish homeland. Zionists started to establish Jewish settlements there. As the population of Jewish settlers rose, conflicts erupted. By 1947, the United Nations intervened and determined that 55% of Palestine would belong to a newly formed Jewish state. This was an astounding conclusion when one considers that at that time the Jewish settlers only owned 7% of the land. It seems the Zionists had friends in high places.
Harmony eluded Palestine. In 1948 a well-equipped and well-trained Jewish military force predictably crushed the smaller and much more primitive Palestinian army. Israel was born and greedily swallowed 78% of Palestine.
750,000 Palestinians became refugees. To this day Israel persists in denying the United Nations right of the refugees to return to their homes. Approximately 4 million Palestinians currently subsist in squalid conditions in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
After the 1967 War, Israel began a military occupation of the remaining 22% of Palestinian territory when it seized the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the Oslo Peace Accords of 1993, Gaza and the West Bank were eventually to form a Palestinian state. However, Israel has continued to encroach on Palestinian territory and to deny the Palestinian people sovereignty. In September of 2000 the Palestinians launched armed struggle against their oppressors with the Second Intifada. Their courageous resistance to Israeli tyranny persists as I write this article.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon withdrew Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip in September of 2005. Ostensibly Israel was fulfilling its obligation to return this region to the Palestinians. However, Israelis maintained austere control of Gaza's air space, ports and borders. The Palestinians were essentially prisoners in their own tiny territory.
When the Palestinians had the audacity to democratically elect Hamas as the majority party in their nominal government known as the Palestinian Authority, Israel responded by withholding the Palestinians' $60 million per month in tax revenue. This has financially crippled the Palestinian Authority and worsened the already devastating poverty in Gaza and the West Bank. Hamas' history of fighting back against their merciless colonial masters and violent rejection of Israel's genocidal agenda have earned them the label of "terrorists". However, Hamas also has a history of providing badly needed social services for many poverty-stricken Palestinians.
Yet why would I feel surprised? For years the corporate media has conditioned United States citizens to believe in Israel's right to savagely punish virtually defenseless Palestinian civilians using our military hard-ware. The Israelis specialize in electrocution for stealing a loaf of bread. And they don't care if those receiving the punishment are guilty or not.
The Madness of King George and Prince Ehud
Like its benefactors in Washington, Israel is ruled by Machiavellian militarists who routinely violate international law and human rights. Mainstream media propagandists have worked vigorously to maintain the perception that both nations are pillars of morality and civilization, but the façade is rapidly eroding.
"I wish the Palestinian people had but a single neck"
or
"Let them hate, so long as they fear."
Playing With a Stacked Deck and Acting With Impunity
Consider that during its relatively short existence, the United Nations has targeted Israel with Resolutions 65 times. They have condemned Israeli attacks on neighboring Lebanon, collective punishment and repeated human rights violations against the Palestinian civilian population, theft of Palestinian land, and violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel's response to the condemnations? More violations of international law. Incidentally, there have been no United Nations Resolutions against the Palestinians.
From the beginning of the conflict, Israel has held distinct advantages over the Palestinians. In 1850, Palestine was inhabited by about 500,000 Palestinian Arabs, 80% of whom were Muslim. By the 1880's, the European Zionist movement had determined that Palestine was to be a Jewish homeland. Zionists started to establish Jewish settlements there. As the population of Jewish settlers rose, conflicts erupted. By 1947, the United Nations intervened and determined that 55% of Palestine would belong to a newly formed Jewish state. This was an astounding conclusion when one considers that at that time the Jewish settlers only owned 7% of the land. It seems the Zionists had friends in high places.
Harmony eluded Palestine. In 1948 a well-equipped and well-trained Jewish military force predictably crushed the smaller and much more primitive Palestinian army. Israel was born and greedily swallowed 78% of Palestine.
750,000 Palestinians became refugees. To this day Israel persists in denying the United Nations right of the refugees to return to their homes. Approximately 4 million Palestinians currently subsist in squalid conditions in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
After the 1967 War, Israel began a military occupation of the remaining 22% of Palestinian territory when it seized the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the Oslo Peace Accords of 1993, Gaza and the West Bank were eventually to form a Palestinian state. However, Israel has continued to encroach on Palestinian territory and to deny the Palestinian people sovereignty. In September of 2000 the Palestinians launched armed struggle against their oppressors with the Second Intifada. Their courageous resistance to Israeli tyranny persists as I write this article.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon withdrew Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip in September of 2005. Ostensibly Israel was fulfilling its obligation to return this region to the Palestinians. However, Israelis maintained austere control of Gaza's air space, ports and borders. The Palestinians were essentially prisoners in their own tiny territory.
When the Palestinians had the audacity to democratically elect Hamas as the majority party in their nominal government known as the Palestinian Authority, Israel responded by withholding the Palestinians' $60 million per month in tax revenue. This has financially crippled the Palestinian Authority and worsened the already devastating poverty in Gaza and the West Bank. Hamas' history of fighting back against their merciless colonial masters and violent rejection of Israel's genocidal agenda have earned them the label of "terrorists". However, Hamas also has a history of providing badly needed social services for many poverty-stricken Palestinians.
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