Democratic Palestine : 11 (ص 8)
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- Democratic Palestine : 11 (ص 8)
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Occupied Palestine
Zionism is Racism
Palestinians under occupation are facing heightened Zionist aggression with ever clearer racist
overtones. The Zionist government has renewed use of emergency measures allowing for deportation
and administrative detention for 6-month renewable periods on the grounds of mere suspicion. Zionist
settlers have again escalated assaults on Palestinians. The first week of September, armed settlers
instated their own patrolling all over the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Israeli army reinforced its ranks
in the occupied territories. This aggressive Zionist campaign is being presented as a response to
increased attacks on Israelis, and certainly the oppressors always attempt to squash the people's resis-
tance, a similar dynamic is at work in South Africa today. Yet the causes of racist violence go even
deeper, being related to the Zionist state’s nature and present crisis.
Mob violence
In late July, an Israeli mob indis-
Criminately attacked Palestinians arriv-
ing for work in Afuleh in the occupied
Galilee, after learning that two residents
of the town had been found dead. The
settlers broke bottles in order to stab the
workers, all of whom were beaten and
15 seriously injured. The Israeli police
did not interfere. Kahane arrived in
Afuleh and was hailed as a king by the
mob. Afterwards three entirely different
Palestinian youths were arrested on
suspicion of the killing; their families’
homes in a village near Jenin, in the
occupied West Bank, were demolished
by the occupation forces. The funeral for
the two slain Israelis became another
rallying point for the racists who shouted
for revenge and «Death to the ter-
rorists».
The truth of the incident was that
three Palestinian youths, out hunting,
stumbled over an Israeli couple. The
Israeli man drew his revolver, and the
Palestinians reacted. Fanatical Israelis
jumped on the incident, whipping up
mass hysteria to promote their political
goals. A few days later two Palestinian
youth from Tubas village were found
dead near Nablus, their bodies charred
and mutilated.
Several polls taken before the
Afuleh killing attest to Israeli attitudes:
the Israeli daily Haaretz published a poll
on July 28th, that 70% of Israelis support
imposing the death penalty on Palesti-
nian commandos. Four Likud ministers
have declared their support to this:
Minister of State Moshe Arens, Minister
of Justice Moshe Nissen, Minister of
Tourism Abraham Shareer, and Minister
of Trade and Industry Ariel Sharon.
8
Burhan Karkutly
CTT T ET 4
,
. The racist, lynching atmosphere is
not confined to Afuleh or the extreme
‘right. Jerusalem Post, often billed as
«liberal», carried an article by Yusef
Goell, member of the editorial staff,
where he wrote: «The concept of ‘mur-
dering terrorists’ is a contradiction in
terms. | have nearly been tempted to
resort to the analogy of wild animals, and
| certainly do not believe they should be
killed, Terrorists, however, are mankil-
ling animals. As such, they cannot be
murdered. They can, and must, be
expunged from human society...|deally,
potential terrorists should be made to
live with the perception that they will be
torn from limb to limb by the enraged
citizenry...» (as quoted in A/ Fajr, August
23rd).
Legalized murder
The Zionist state gave its stamp of
approval to murdering Palestinian com-
mandos in mid-August: Brigadier Gen-
eral Yitzhak Mordechai, commander of
the Israeli infantry and paratroopers,
was Cleared by a military court of impro-
per conduct in the killing of two comman-
dos in April 1984. He was the responsi-
ble officer present when the two were
mY removed from the bus they had high-
jacked and beaten on the head with gun-
butts, causing death. Yet the military
court found that Mordechai had used
only «reasonable force» and he can now
be promoted to full general.
Earlier in July, a poll indicated that
10% of Israelis and 40% of Israeli youth
agree with Kahane’s goal of driving out
all Arabs. Another poll published by
Haaretz showed the possible political
results: If elections had been held this
July, Kahane’s KACH would have
received 9% of the votes, as opposed to
1% last year. The Tehiya party, also on
the extreme right, and KACH together
would have polled 16%, equal to 19
Knesset seats, making them the third
largest parliamentary group. (Presently
KACH has 1 MK and Tehiya 5.)
Besides whipping up racist senti-
ment, KACH is using its growing influ-
ence to undertake concrete steps
towards its goals. The August Sth edition
of Syria Times cited a Reuters report that
KACH has established its first youth
training camp at Mitzpe Jericho settle-
ment; 60 teenagers are reportedly train-
ing there. In the latest elections to the
Kiryat Arba settlement council, KACH - هو جزء من
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