Israeli settlements

(Photo: mar is sea Y / Flickr)
 

 
In an open letter, a Palestinian boy describes how life has changed since settlers took part of his family’s home
 
 
Dear President Obama,

Israel detained 1,266 Palestinian children in 2014 (Image: courtesy Veterans News Now)

Regardless of the outcome of the March elections, Israel’s habitual violence and its ongoing violation of international laws and the standards of human rights will not change.

 

by Dr. Lawrence Davidson 

Image: Israeli forces have murdered a senior Palestinian official during a protest rally near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.
 
 

Moments before he was murdered and standing in the middle of a group of Israeli soldiers, the minister spoke live to TV reporters,

‘This is an occupying terrorising army… we came here to plant trees. We are peaceful. No one was violent, yet we were attacked brutally by this terrorist army.’

Image: A Palestinian boy surveys the destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, 12 August. (Mohammed Asad / APA images)
 
 

Suhail Khalilieh a researcher at the Applied Research Institute in Jerusalem noted that the Israeli government is adopting the policy of “silent settlement expansion” likely because it fears an increase in popular anger in the West Bank and a rise in international pressures on Israel

Image: A delegation of international bishops has described Gaza as “a shocking scandal” and an “injustice that cries out to the human community for resolution.”

Muhammad Qattri’s funeral procession in al-Amari refugee camp near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, 9 August. (Shadi Hatem / APA images
 
 

 

“We suspect that the settlers shot him, not because the soldiers won’t do it, but because maybe they don’t want to face repercussions if they shot him while he was injured and not posing any threat to them.”

Seize the moment! There was never a better moment for the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement to mass-mobilise for a mega-campaign to not only impact more heavily on the lawless Israeli state.