IPFS Stephen Lendman

More About: Israel - Palestine

Europe's Parliamentary Assembly Accuses Israel of Murder

Europe's Parliamentary Assembly Accuses Israel of Murder

by Stephen Lendman

Longstanding Israeli viciousness against defenseless Palestinians exceeds the worst of Saudi Arabia's high crimes - an apartheid system far worse than South Africa's, affecting millions of occupied people and Arab citizens.

Based on a Council of Europe report addressing humanitarian crisis conditions in Gaza, its Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) passed a resolution by a 46 to 12 majority, blaming Israel for "systematic unlawful killings."

The report accused Israel of ruthlessly using "excessive and intentional force without justification against Palestinian civilians in the buffer zone, including against farmers, journalists, medical crews and peaceful protesters…blatantly (violating) human rights principles and the international law-enforcement standards."

"Cases of the deliberate fatal shooting of individuals who posed no imminent danger to life amounts to an appalling pattern of apparently systematic unlawful killings."

It also accused Israel of "a massive and exceptional escalation in…attacks and harassment of Palestinian fishermen, including use of live fire."

It explained they're "reduced to severe poverty and unemployment as a direct result of Israel's policies and practices against them."

It discussed horrors inflicted on Palestinian civilians by Israel's summer 2014 aggression, the ravages of the conflict still affecting many thousands.

It called for ending Israel's blockade - illegal by any standard, imposed solely for political reasons, not security related.

The problem with these type reports, Security Council resolutions and other international actions citing Israeli lawlessness is they lack teeth.

Throughout its sordid history, no international enforcement mechanism ever held Israel accountable for any of its high crimes.

Instead, Washington provides billions of dollars in annual military aid. Both countries partner in each other's wars. 

Lip service alone is paid to occupation harshness, nothing done for nearly seven decades to change things. 

Israel is free to do whatever it pleases - perhaps freer than ever given Trump's one-sided support, Palestinian rights ignored.

On Sunday, Netanyahu announced unlimited illegal settlement construction in East Jerusalem. On Tuesday, Israel's war ministry said 2,500 new West Bank settlement units will be built - on stolen Palestinian land.

No comment from Trump. When asked about expanding settlements, White House press secretary Sean Spicer ducked the issue, saying "Israel continues to be a huge ally of the United States."

Trump intends closer relations "to make sure it gets the full respect in the Middle East."

Netanyahu knows he's free to do whatever he wants with impunity. Palestinians know they have no friend in Washington - not earlier or now.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.


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