Sunday, January 02, 2011
Israel and Non-Violent Protest
Next thing you know, American progressives, like Michael Tomasky, will soon be telling us that, not only should Palestinians adopt principles of non-violent resistance, as they have previously done, but that they should seek redress in the Israeli judicial system. Oddly, though, they can't seem to follow through on their own advice and support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Very odd, when you realize that the proponents of BDS have not expressly rejected a two state solution that would permit the continued existence of Israel as a Zionist state. Maybe, it would be better if these progressives would just shut up and stop making fools of themselves.A resident of the West Bank village of Bil'in died on Saturday morning in a Ramallah hospital after she was exposed to tear gas that was shot by IDF soldiers to disperse the crowd of demonstrators against the separation wall in the village on Friday.
Jawaher Abu Rahmah, 36 years old, was the sister of Bassem Abu Rahmah, who was killed by an extended-range tear gas projectile fired at his chest by IDF soldiers at a demonstration against the separation wall in Bil'in on April 17, 2009.
Weekly demonstrations against the fence have been held in Bil'in for the past five years, where villagers say the barrier unjustly separates them from their lands. In 2007, the Supreme Court accepted these arguments and ruled that the route of the fence should be moved, and that some 170 acres of land be returned to the villagers. The IDF has yet to implement the court's decision.
Labels: Activism, Boycott Divestment and Sanctions, Israel, Palestine
