Israel’s recent actions, including attempts to discredit victims’ families and eyewitnesses, deliberately targeting civilians and pursuing a policy of collective punishment, epitomize the repression and systematic violations of human rights inherent in Israel’s unjust occupation.
Israel’s occupation sanctions oppression and forbids justice at every turn. Israeli authorities must end its policy of collective punishment and ensure that Palestinian civilians are protected and are not targets of violence.
Over the past 65 years since the unjust formation of the Zionist State of Israel, Israel has conducted a systematic campaign against a civilian population to drive them out of their homeland. More than 500 villages have been destroyed and over 70 percent of the total land of Israel previously owned by Arab Palestinians has been stolen from them with the blessings of the US.
There would be no need for Palestinian suicide bombers if Israel were to respect international law and treat the Palestinians with justice. There would be no “security problem” for Israel if it did not oppress the Palestinian people. Peace only possible if it is based on justice and respect for international law.
Thus the US government, the Bush administration and the American people are just as morally responsible for the oppression of the Palestinian people as the government and people of Israel.
American foreign policy (and $30 billion economic and military aid to Israel) and the contributions of rich American and South African Jews are prolonging the suffering and oppression of the Palestinian people.
Israel’s war crimes
