Wednesday, November 30

The Settlers and Palestinian Olive Trees

There have been increasing reports in the Israeli Press about the uprooting of olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers. The perpetrators of these disgusting acts are settlers who had established illegal outposts and seem to get away with impunity (or is it immunity from punishment by the Israeli courts?).

There always seems to be some sort of self-righteous attitude by many settlers that allows them to do everything in order to prove that they are the owners of disputed territory. The Israeli authorities treat them with kid gloves.

If this is the case, one can understand Palestinian animosity towards settlers living beyond the green line, establishing illegal outposts according to their whims and twisted ideological fantasies. If these settlers behave in this manner, it is not conducive to peace and understanding with the Palestinians.

How can anybody justify this kind of behaviour? Olive trees are very much part of the Palestinian farmer’s livelihood. How can these illegal settlers lay claim to Palestinian lands and some how get away with it?

There is no reason to justify these abuses and it would be in Israel’s interests if these settlers were brought to justice and made to pay the price for the damage caused.

This is a result of the occupation of the Palestinians! Many settlers view the Palestinians as sub human and once they have demonized them, they take the liberty to vandalize Palestinian olive groves without any conscience. This hideous, inhuman attitude does not serve anybody. It is not surprising that this kind of violence towards simple Palestinians will create more violence and hate towards Israelis.

1 comment:

Yoel.Ben-Avraham said...

Dear friend! Have you spoken to these "demons" and asked them what their description of the events sounds like, or have you accepted that everything written and broadcast in the Israeli media is "gospel truth"?