http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/blogs/politics/6133-zeev-elkin-and-government-for-settlers
Ze'ev Elkin and government for settlers Ramona Wadi Tuesday, 28 May 2013 14:32 - [image: Print]<http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/blogs/politics/6133-zeev-elkin-and-government-for-settlers?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=> Israel's deputy foreign minister, Ze'ev Elkin, has claimed that settlements 'have become a fact of life that must be recognised'. In an interview with Associated Press, Elkin, himself a settler in the West Bank, claims that the policy of building settlements is in accordance with the views of the Israeli majority. While 'peace' continues to function as a bargaining commodity, it is clear that within Netanyahu's government peace exists only within the expanding borders of the occupying state - an internal phenomenon to be achieved at the expense of serious human rights violations against Palestinians. Elkin describes the representation of settlers in government as a natural occurrence. Far from advocating an end to, or restriction of, settlement construction, Elkin resorts to the tactics of expecting forced acquiescence from Palestinians and the international community. Instead of Israel abiding by international law, the world is expected to 'get used to dealing with Jewish settlers and right-wing Israeli politicians'. Israel is rumoured to be losing international support over its policy of settlement expansion, a tactic also openly used as retaliation against Palestinians' political gains. However, there is no outrage from leaders at the violence which settlers inflict upon Palestinians, despite the knowledge that such violence is routinely practiced and sanctioned by the Israeli government. While the violence may be misrepresented as isolated incidents pertaining to hate crimes, it is clear that Israel is violating international humanitarian law by failing to provide security and safety for the population living under the occupation. The unequal struggle for territorial domination has been endorsed by the state of Israel to the point of providing settlers with impunity for horrendous crimes against Palestinians - criminal accountability is disregarded and at times settlers are protected by the military during their rampage. It is vital, therefore, to view the 'fact of life that must be recognised' as a strategy to further displace Palestinians. Elkin's statement, coupled with deputy defence minister Danny Dalon's declaration that Israel is 'proud of its settlers', are void of any apologetic ramifications. Settlers constitute an important hierarchy of Israeli society and are necessary in ensuring that the political strategy of expansion in the name of Zionism is actually implemented. Elkin still expects his self-portrayal of a 'democrat' to be accepted by the international community, despite opposing the legitimate Palestinian stipulation to halt settlement construction. Yet again, the ramifications of democracy within a wider context and especially within the Israeli context are elaborated upon - Elkin is 'willing to accept any decision made by a democratic majority'. The statement would be further elucidated if 'democratic majority' had been replaced with 'demographic majority'. Palestinians are marginalised from the political processes involving their land, invoked by Israel only when it serves the narrative of 'protecting the state against terror'. Undoubtedly, Elkin and Netanyahu's government indulge in attempts to undermine settler violence by accusing Palestinians of 'glorifying violence'. Protecting settlers by electing them to serve as government representatives while sporadically recognising the existence of Palestinians within contexts that serve the Israeli narrative clearly demonstrates the occupying power's commitment towards enacting the Zionist myth of the barren land. ---------------------------------- By Noam Sheizaf <http://972mag.com/author/noams/> |Published May 28, 2013Soldiers beat family members, damage home while arresting Palestinian teen *Israeli soldiers beat and dragged Abed Al-Rahem Awad down the stairs of his home, pepper sprayed his sisters and threw several stun grenades through the familys windows. Earlier this year, the family lost Abed al-Rahems younger brother, who was shot in the back at close range after trying to cross the separation barrier near his home.* <http://972mag.com/soldiers-beat-family-members-damage-home-while-arresting-palestinian-teen/72309/012-12/> IDF stun grenades that were thrown into the Awad familys home in Budrus. Israeli soldiers violently arrested 19-year-old Abed al-Rahem Awad yesterday (Monday) morning, Palestinians from the village of Budrus<http://972mag.com/tag/budrus/> reported. According to the reports, several soldiers entered the family home in the early morning, breaking through the doors with a compressed air device. Family members said they were awakened by Abed al-Rahems cries as soldiers were dragging him down the stairs. His sisters tried to prevent the arrest and soldiers beat and pepper sprayed them. The two sisters were taken to a hospital, one with a broken arm. The soldiers also broke two of the houses windows in order to throw several stun grenades (sound bombs) inside. Photos of where they exploded inside the home can be seen above. Soldiers did not give the family a reason for the arrest during the raid or in the day after. In January, Israeli soldiers shot to death Abed al-Rahems 16-year-old brother, Samir Awad, near the village. Samir was hit once as he was trying to cross the separation fence some 200 meters from Budrus, and a couple more times from close range one shot to in the back of his head and one in his back after he tried to escape from the soldiers by running back toward the village.<http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/an-infiltration-thwarted-a-palestinian-youth-left-to-die.premium-1.496372> Israeli authorities brought Abed al-Rahem to the hospital yesterday with both his legs and his arms shackled (see below). He was later taken back to jail. This morning (Tuesday) the Shin Bet (Israel Security Service) requested that an IDF military court extend his remand by 14 days. No charges were filed against him and so far the allegations against him are very minor throwing stones at soldiers and participating in protests. His interrogation is being conducted by the Shin Bet. A judge at the Ofer military court extended Abed al-Rahems arrest by eight days. I asked the IDF Spokespersons unit for comment on the reasons for Abed al-Rahems arrest, the beating of family members and the damage to their property. I will update this post if and when Ill receive a response. Earlier, an army spokesperson told the BTselem human rights organization that members of the Awad family tried to attack the soldiers during the arrest. A friend of the family told me that if there was any resistance to the arrest, it was because family members panicked when they saw their kid being dragged away by the soldiers. In an earlier incident, soldiers came looking for Abed al-Rahem when wasnt home, so when he got back his father took him to the police station. I was told, they wouldnt have objected if they knew what was happening. The investigation of Samir Awads death is still ongoing. <http://972mag.com/soldiers-beat-family-members-damage-home-while-arresting-palestinian-teen/72309/001-20/> An Awad family member who was beaten by IDF soldiers during the arrest of her brother, May 27, 2013, in Budrus. <http://972mag.com/soldiers-beat-family-members-damage-home-while-arresting-palestinian-teen/72309/awad/> Abed Al-Rahem Awad, 19, from Budrus, being held in an Israeli hospital following his arrest by IDF soldiers. May 27 2013 http://972mag.com/soldiers-beat-family-members-damage-home-while-arresting-palestinian-teen/72309/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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