In a Viewpoint submission written by Daniela Karlin and Nat
Schuster on Oct. 8 (“U.S. can learn from Israeli effort on
terror”) the authors fell into the trap of Israeli
propaganda.
That is, they echoed the words of many pro-Israelis (such as
Israeli legislator Michael Eitan, whose speech they based their
article on) without researching the truth behind the most common
false claims. It is statements like the ones in that article that
constantly misrepresent the reality of the situation in
Israeli-occupied Palestine.
First off, I found it quite amusing that the authors kept
labeling the pro-Israeli argument as a “liberal” one,
while consultation with any pro-Israeli source would immediately
label Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon’s policies toward
the Palestinians as right-wing conservative. After all, a country
that does not grant equal rights to all of its citizens, builds
“Jewish-only” roads on Palestinian land, and uses
extreme and unnecessary force against the Palestinian refugees is
anything but liberal in political ideology.
The article also boasted Israel’s human rights record as
if the country was marked by a humanitarian conscience. The reality
of the situation is far from it. Just recently, several Lebanese
men were released from Israeli “prisons” after years of
confinement.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to ask them about their
experiences. They told me about their tiny rat-infested rooms,
where they saw no light for several months. They were brutally
beaten by the prison guards. They were blindfolded, fed dirty food
and water, and given no legal rights. After being released, the men
told me Israeli officials admitted they were innocent.
Are these the rights of prisoners of war that Karlin and
Schuster are so proud of?
Their submission goes on to state, “Palestinians have
access to the courts and to a fair and speedy trial.” Not
likely. As Amnesty International reports, “More than 115
political detainees arrested … remained in detention without
charge or trial. … Trials … failed to meet international fair
standards. … Torture of detainees remained widespread. Seven
detainees died in custody.” Enough said.
The submission continues to state that with Sharon’s
disengagement plan, “Palestinians are moving closer to
statehood.” In fact, they have never been further from it.
The enormous “Apartheid Wall” Israel has built on
Palestinian land is separating villages from their farmland,
breaking up families, and destroying lives. Entire towns are being
wiped out by increased home demolitions. The proposed
“state” would more accurately be described as a
polka-dot conglomeration of Palestinian villages. Is this the
glorious state that the Palestinians should live in?
They go on to state that “(Israel does not use) all
available force when dealing with terrorists.” In July 2002,
several news agencies reported that Israeli F-16 jets (purchased
from the United States) were used to drop a one-ton bomb on Gaza
City, killing 16 people and wounding 145, claiming they wanted to
kill just one individual.
So I pose the question ““ is dropping a one-ton bomb in the
middle of one of the most densely populated cities in the world not
extreme force? I suppose the definition of “all available
force” would have to stretch to the use of Israel’s
hundreds of nuclear weapons the world constantly turns a blind eye
to.
In addition, the article comments that Israel “(sends)
troops into dangerous areas … rather than bombing civilian
areas.” Just recently it was reported that 27 reserve pilots
in the Israeli Air Force signed a petition saying they would not
take part in “illegal and immoral” strikes in
Palestinian areas. This suggests the Israeli Air Force does in fact
send its fighter jets to bomb civilian areas.
Next, they state that the “Israeli army is subject to the
scrutiny of the law,” which is also far from true. Renowned
British filmmaker James Miller was filming a documentary in the
region last year when he was shot in the neck by troops in an
Israeli tank.
Video of the sequence shows the crew wearing fluorescent helmets
and vests marked “TV” while waving white flags and
yelling out “We are British journalists!” Nearly a year
and a half later, the perpetrators of this crime have not been
brought to justice by the Israeli army. Is this the “scrutiny
of the law” that Israel should be hailed for?
In sum, I’d like to remind readers that Palestine is under
illegal occupation and that those living under occupation for 56
years develop an instinct to resist it. They have the right to do
so. In addition, I agree that all viewpoints should be respected,
but they should also be researched.
Saab is a second-year psychobiology student.