Funding Apartheid

Although "apartheid" was originally used to describe the policy of segregation and discrimination on grounds of race in South Africa, it's now valid and necessary to use that same term to describe the same policy in the state of Israel.

This means that as long as countries keep funding the state of Israel, they're funding apartheid. It's that simple. There's no other way to describe Israeli policies than apartheid, except maybe fascism; "Funding Fascism" would be an equally applicable title for this post. I'm sure you've all heard about the violent clash between the Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. This clash came after the rising tensions over the planned eviction of Palestinians from land and houses claimed by Jewish settlers. "Claimed by Jewish settlers". Think about that. What would you do if someone came to your house and said: "Hey buddy, it's time to move; that house is no longer yours, it's mine." I believe we would all laugh in their face and tell them to f#%k off. But if you're a Palestinian in Israel, you can't do that. If you're a Palestinian in Israel you better get the hell out of your own house because you're NOT ALLOWED to defend yourself. Worse even; you can't call the police. No, if you don't move right away, the Jewish settler will call the police, and the police will force you out of your own house, or shoot you if you don't comply...

This is why it amazes me, even after many decades of this apartheid policy against Palestinians, that politicians in America and other western countries always talk about the Israeli's right to defend themselves against attacks from Hamas, but the Palestinians' right to defend themselves is never even mentioned. This is a travesty and it's been going on since Israel's foundation in 1948. The "news" here in the west on this ongoing conflict always frames the violence as if it were a conflict between equal sides: "Hamas attacks, the Israeli Military Force responds". The reality is more like: "Hamas shoots fire-crackers, the Israeli Military Force bombs civilian targets into oblivion killing innocent men, women and children." Israel has the strongest and most advanced military in the middle-east, the Palestinians don't even have a state. This is not a "conflict", not even a "war", it's a slaughter.

Andrew Yang, who's now running for mayor in New York, garnered much anger with a tweet saying: "I'm standing with the people of Israel who are coming under bombardment attacks, and condemn the Hamas terrorists". This is the typical one-sided response we've come used to from American politics; no mention of the innocent civilians and children killed by Israeli air strikes, no mention of the fact that the Hamas missile attack was a response to the Israeli police force shooting grenades and rubber bullets at Palestinians in one of their most holy places, while they were barefoot and praying no less. Yang is also one of many politicians who condemn the BDS movement; The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law. This movement, in other words, tries to move governments to stop funding Israel's policy of apartheid. This leaves Palestinians in an impossible position: no resistance of any kind is allowed, not violent and not peaceful. I'll end with two quotes from Nelson Mandela:

“The UN took a strong stand against apartheid; and over the years, an international consensus was built, which helped to bring an end to this iniquitous system. But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians”.

“Apartheid is a crime against humanity. Israel has deprived millions of Palestinians of their liberty and property. It has perpetuated a system of gross racial discrimination and inequality. It has systematically incarcerated and tortured thousands of Palestinians contrary to the rules of international law and waged war against a civilian population, in particular children.”

Now watch the short videos included to get an idea of how this new atrocity in Israel is being handled. In the video from "The Hill" you'll see an interview with a Palestinian who deals very well with the ill-framed questions asked of him. He corrects the interviewer on almost every question, something we rarely see, but is a delight to watch; these "reporters" should be put in their place more often. However, watch the last video as well: that brave Palestinian has now been violently kicked out of his house for telling the truth...

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