Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Ahmad Mousa was 10 Years Old

According to the LA Times Ahmad Mousa, a ten year old Palestinian child, was shot by an Israeli soldier (from a distance of 100 meters) when he and others went to their village's olive groves Tuesday afternoon to observe the damage done to their trees by Israeli bulldozers.  The people of the village of Nilin have been protesting the erection of a fence, slated to run through their farmlands and orchards.   Seventeen protesters had been injured earlier in the day. Reportedly, at the time he was killed, the protest had ended and the Israelis were preparing to leave.

Yesterday's killing is only the latest in a spate of brutal acts by Israeli soldiers: see McClatchy bureau chief Dion Nissenbaum's post about recent abuses here. He notes that the Public committee Against Torture in Israel reported last month on documented widespread abuse of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. Another organization, Yesh Din, reports that soldiers are rarely punished for questionable attacks on Palestinians.

Recently Army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi admitted that the route of the Separation Fence is defined by political motives (not security considerations), with the aim of removing land from Palestinians for Israeli settlement expansion.  

How much longer are we willing to stand in silent complicity as these abuses continue?  How long will we continue to act as though denouncing the human rights violations committed by the government of Israel is equivalent to an attack on all Israelis and/or an attack on Judaism? 



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