The worst kind of anti-Israel folk are the Israeli left-wing academia. Touting a Ph.D. or a Dr. as approbation of their merits, supposed higher social rank and morality.
So it’s no wonder that the truth is only a side note when bashing Israel. According to Aeyal Gross, Associate Professor and a lecturer on international and constitutional law at Tel Aviv University, who is already on CAMERA’a focus, no less than 50 Palestinians were killed in the last decade in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip by Israeli civilians, aka settlers.
When the High Court of Justice upheld the constitutionality (in 2006 and again in January ) of the Citizenship Law clause prohibiting residency permits in Israel for Palestinians from the territories, even if they have an Israeli domestic partner, it based its ruling on the state’s justification for the clause. That justification ostensibly stems from security concerns: The state said that in 54 cases since 2001, Palestinians who where involved in terror, or their parents, were legal residents in Israel.
In its ruling the High Court cited laws in other countries that limit the right of citizens of enemy countries to enter them. But in the case of Israel and the territories, this limitation is unilateral. Israelis can settle in the territories, dispossessing the local population, but in a discussion of the right of an Israeli citizen who married a Palestinian to live with that person in Israel, the territories suddenly become a sort of enemy country, over a border that is forbidden to cross.
The unilateral nature of the justification to limit the entry of Palestinians into Israel for purported security reasons is underscored by the violence of Israelis toward Palestinians. On Saturday a settler shot and wounded a Palestinian after settlers had set fire to Palestinian wheat fields [According to anti-Israeli sources, no proof or confirmation found. JD]. A few days earlier, settlers were caught on camera firing at Palestinians while Israel Defense Forces soldiers stood by [Yet another out of context “fact”, but others have discussed it. JD].
There are many other instances of settler violence toward Palestinians, some of which are what are known as “price tag” incidents, including stone-throwing, incursions into Palestinian villages and arson.
Only in a minority of the cases of violence against Palestinians were indictments served. (According to statistics provided by the human rights group B’Tselem, since 2000 Israeli civilians have killed 50 Palestinians in the territories, in addition to perpetrating many other non-fatal instances of violence. ) And even if convicted, the assailants were let off with light sentences.
From certain points of view, the security risk to Palestinians from Israelis is more serious than that to Israelis from Palestinians. Even if Palestinians manage sometimes to hurt Israelis, sometimes in serious terror attacks, when it comes to Palestinian violence against Israelis the police and the army are there to protect the Israeli population. The authorities put on trial and severely punish Palestinians who use violence.
But when violence is perpetrated by Israelis against Palestinians, the Palestinians are given no protection by the authorities ruling the region – that is, by Israel.
If the Citizenship Law is truly security-oriented, and its purpose is to protect the population from people who might attack it – logically it should be applied in the opposite direction. Israelis – in light of their proven tendency to steal Palestinian lands and act violently toward Palestinians – should be prohibited from entering the territories.
The failure to apply this logic shows that according to the dominant understanding in Israel, the concept of “security” is for Israelis only. At most, Palestinians have rights, which, in the name of the supremacy accorded to security, can be taken away from them.
Perhaps we should begin thinking of the Palestinians, too, as being entitled to security. Then we will see how the Israeli presence in the territories denies it to them.
Let’s look at these B’Tselem data for some of the 50 Palestinians, shall we?
Palestinians killed by Israeli civilians in the Occupied Territories, 29.9.2000 – 26.12.2008
- Muhammad Saleh Saber Shreitah
18 year-old resident of al-Mazra’a al-Qibliya, Ramallah and al-Bira district, killed on 03.03.2008 next to Talmon, Ramallah and al-Bira district. Additional information: Killed while throwing stones at a buys in a demonstration of youths. - Muhammad Fathi Yunes Sabarneh
21 year-old resident of Beit Ummar, Hebron district, killed on 24.01.2008 in Kfar Ezyon, Bethlehem district. Additional information: Killed by gunfire of teachers in a yeshiva after he entered the yeshiva area with another armed person and stabbed the instructors. - Mahmoud Khalil ‘Abd al-Fatah Sabarneh
20 year-old resident of Beit Ummar, Hebron district, killed on 24.01.2008 in Kfar Ezyon, Bethlehem district. Additional information: Killed by gunfire of teachers in a yeshiva after he entered the yeshiva area with another armed person and stabbed the instructors. - Bassam Mussa Ahmad ‘Odeh Tawafshah
26 year-old resident of Sinjil, Ramallah and al-Bira district, killed on 17.08.2005 next to Shilo, Ramallah and al-Bira district. Additional information: Killed in a shooting attack in the factory where he worked. - Osamah Mussa Ahmad ‘Odeh Tawafshah and Ahmad ‘Ali Hassan Mansur also killed while perpetrating the aforementioned attack
- Tareq Suleiman ‘Abdallah Yasin
22 year-old resident of Gaza city, killed on 24.07.2005 in Kissufim, Khan Yunis district. Additional information: Killed while carrying out a shooting attack. Two Israeli civilians were killed and three others were wounded in the attack - ‘Alaa’ Muhammad ‘Abd a-Rahman Khalil
14 year-old resident of Bitunya, Ramallah and al-Bira district, killed on 15.02.2005 near the Separation Barrier in the area of Bitunya, Ramallah and al-Bira district. Additional information: Killed while throwing stones at an Israeli vehicle driven by private security guards the Separation Barrier. - Salman Yusef Salman a-Safdi
17 year-old resident of ‘Urif, Nablus district, killed on 26.10.2004 next to Yizhar, Nablus district. Additional information: Killed by a settler after he penetrated his house. He was not armed. - Mahmoud Amin Hanani
21 year-old resident of Beit Furik, Nablus district, killed on 30.04.2003 next to Alon Shvut, Bethlehem district. Additional information: Killed by settler gunfire while attempting to attack the settlement. - Azher Ghassan Hanani
18 year-old resident of Beit Furik, Nablus district, killed on 30.04.2003 next to Alon Shvut, Bethlehem district. Additional information: Killed by a settler gunfire after trying to infiltrate the settlement when armed. - Tareq Abu Snineh
23 year-old resident of Hebron, killed on 17.01.2003 in Hebron. Additional information: Killed by settler gunfire after he fired at Nethaniel Ozeri, near Hebron [What B’Tselem doesn’t tell you is that Ozeri was murdered in the attack]. - Isma’il Berris ‘Ashur
23 year-old resident of Khan Yunis, killed on 06.11.2002 in Rafiah Yam, Gush Katif district. Additional information: Killed by the settlement security officer after shooting two Israelis. - Khaled Abu al-Iz
Resident of Zeita, Tulkarm district, killed on 30.10.2002 next to Tulkarm. Additional information: Killed by guards of the Trans-Israel Highway after he fired at men working on the highway. - Name unknown to B’Tselem
Killed on 31.08.2002 in Har Bracha, Nablus district. Additional information: Killed by the security settlement unit after he infiltrated the settlement and wounded two people. - Ibrahim Mahmoud Abu Zur
Resident of Balata, Nablus district, killed on 31.05.2002 in Shavei Shomron, Nablus district. Additional information: Killed after entering a settlement and opening fire - Name unknown to B’Tselem
Killed on 28.05.2002 in Itamar, Nablus district. Additional information: Killed by an Israeli civilian after he infiltrated the settlement and opened fire. - ‘Ali Edris Hamdan
17 year-old resident of Dura al-Qar’, Ramallah and al-Bira district, killed on 17.05.2002 in Beit El, Ramallah and al-Bira district. Additional information: Killed by the security officer after he penetrated the settlement and wounded the security officer in the neck. - Muhammad ‘Awad
21 year-old resident of a-Nuseirat Camp, Deir al-Balah district, killed on 10.03.2002 in Netzarim, Deir al-Balah district. Additional information: Killed by the settlement’s security office after he infiltrated the settlement and killed a soldier. - Tawfiq a-Shamali
22 year-old resident of Bethlehem, killed on 22.02.2002 in Efrat, Bethlehem district. Additional information: Killed by settlers while attempting to commit a suicide attack in the Efrat settlement. - Jamil Muhammad Abu ‘Adwan
22 year-old resident of Hebron, killed on 24.12.2001 in Ramin, Tulkarm district. Additional information: Killed by an Israeli civilian after firing at him and severely wounding him. - Najib Muhammad Muhammad ‘Abido
19 year-old resident of Hebron, killed on 22.12.2000 in Beit Hagai, Hebron district. Additional information: Killed after he infiltrated a settlement. He was shot by a settler when he tried to attack a police officer. - Muhammad Hamed ‘Ali Shalash
18 year-old resident of Shuqba, Ramallah and al-Bira district, killed on 17.12.2000 in A’bud, Ramallah and al-Bira district. Additional information: Killed by settler gunfire when throwing stones at their car. - Muhammad Judeh Abu ‘Aasi
27 year-old resident of a-Shati’ Camp, Gaza district, killed on 07.12.2000 in Erez (Industrial Zone), North Gaza district, by live ammunition. Additional information: Killed by an Israeli civilian after he had stabbed his employer.
Half of those supposedly innocent Palestinians about which Gross is lamenting, are ruthless terrorists who either killed, were planning on killing, or would kill if given the chance. Their deaths were caused in self defense, by the people who’s job it is to protect their communities from such murderous terrorists in the first place. Gross, either by dishonesty or malice, purposely omitted these facts when writing his op-ed in Haaretz.
When a chain of people and institutions are hellbent on delegitimizing Israel by twisting events and facts in such a way to fit their agenda, we better rethink who the enemy is.
