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This weekend I commenced the thankless task of reviewing the latest anthology by an Israeli academic.
Naturally, his ramblings do not constitute my usual reading list; nevertheless, I am ploughing ahead like a good little reviewer.
The following news is particularly pertinent as the author reiterates that the Israelis never resort to unnecessary violence.
I would love to read his interpretation of this, then:
A teenage Palestinian shepherd has been shot dead by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian security officials said on Sunday. The young man, identified as Yehia Apa Riham, 18, was among a group of shepherds grazing flocks south of Nablus and near the Itamar settlement on Saturday when they were attacked by settlers, the sources said.
The others managed to flee, but relatives found Riham’s body on Sunday morning near Itamar, the Palestinian sources said.
Israeli police confirmed the youth had been shot dead. “At approximately midnight, the body of a 17-year-old Bedouin was found by a family member,” claimed police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. “The investigation is continuing to establish who is behind the killing.”
Several violent attacks by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank have been reported in recent months.
Local rights groups have long accused Israeli forces of failing to combat settler violence against Palestinians, especially around the hardline settlements that surround the northern West Bank town of Nablus. The Palestinians have repeatedly said the settlements themselves — built contrary to international law on land occupied by Israel in the 1967 war — are the greatest obstacle to the so-called Middle East peace process. [Source.]
Really terrible story..but you`ll find bad guys on both sides of this conflict..the number of israeli civilians dead because of palistinians is frightingly high..over 1200 killed since the year 2000…
Most israelis don`t resort to unnecessary violence..but to say it NEVER happens would be to believe in an Utopia..which the middle-east is a few steps away from..! The IDF are trying their best to avoid civilian targets..but when the Hamas bangers hide among the civilians on purpose it makes it pretty complicated..
The IDF goal is to kill as few civilians as possible, but on the palistinian side it seems like it`s rather the opposite..after the school massacre in Jerusalem palistinians in all ages were running in their streets celebrating like crazy..barbaric, that`s for sure one word for it…
Thank you for your contribution Bentemaria – you raise some pertinent points.
It is true that there are bad elements on both sides, and there is no justice in celebrating the loss of human life.
Nevertheless, having witnessed the conditions in which many Palestinians have been compelled to dwell since 1948, and the impact the loss of Palestine and in certain cases their rights, bears, the impetus behind such actions becomes clearer.
It is a complex issue, but I believe wholeheartedly in your assertion that “the middle-east is a few steps away from [Utopia]” – it is an incredible region, which is why the conflicts raging render it all the more tragic.