For the last 15 or so years, we've seen the word terrorism used and manipulated for political gains with an amazing increase in frequency. Under Bush the label was used to topple regimes that America did not see/no longer sees as an ally. And under Obama/Clinton, the label has been used to assassinate any foes left over from the Reagan/Bush years and nowadays to target exiled political prisoners like Assata Shakur. But today no nation exemplifies the true definitions of terrorism (and tyranny for that matter) like The State Of Israel. The Non-Israeli inhabitants of these long disputed lands live in constant fear as they are subjected to every sort of human rights abuse imaginable. But yet few dare to speak out.
Just last week, settlers of a long disputed village in the deserts of Israel woke up to bulldozers. The entire village of Araqib was demolished, for what its now former occupants say to be the "hundredth time." The people of Araqib Village have laid claim to this land since the days of The Ottoman Empire; but the land was "appropriated" in 1953, and the people were evicted from the land. Since 2010, the longtime owners of the land returned to reclaim their their past; and have been denied vital services such as water, electricity, and sewage systems. There are no schools. There is no health care. The residents are not allowed to vote. And this most recent assault on their village came during the Holy Month Of Ramadan. In similar fashion, Israeli authorities cut off and/or limited access to clean drinking water for Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank Area. According to The Palestinian Hydrology Group, some areas have been without water for more than 40 days. Even worse, Israel has spent the entire Holy Month Of Ramadan raiding Palestinian villages-arresting more than 300 Palestinians inside of 20 days, and untold numbers since then. The arrests were allegedly targeting activists, after a shooting that injured four Israelis; but more than 30 children were detained in the process? Did the kids shoot anyone? Did 330 people shoot these four people? But yet the same tired excuse of having the right to protect Israeli interests continues to make the wholesale oppression of the people whose land they stole away inexplicably okay. According to Al Jazeera, there are currently more than 400 children languishing inside Israeli prisons-and an estimated 500-700 are prosecuted in military courts each year. For the past few years, Israel Military and Police forces have enforced edicts to take back lands provisioned to The Palestinians under prior agreed upon peace accords-and then locking up all who protest their actions. Aren't these the types of human rights violations American and European Nations identify as reasons to invade and/or destabilize other nations? But yet Israel quietly gets a 60+ years pass. I guess democracy is only meant for some; and not for others.
SOURCES:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/04/rise-palestinian-children-held-israel-alarming-160424081159486.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/palestine-hundreds-detained-ramadan-160626084302084.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/israel-destroys-palestinian-village-100th-time-160703091747401.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/israel-cuts-water-supplies-west-bank-ramadan-160614205022059.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/israelis-mark-annexation-east-jerusalem-160605141135181.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2016/06/vanishing-palestine-making-israel-occupation-160605090749034.html