An Israeli on Settler Violence
From UMC friend Ginny Latham: "Amos Gvirrtz is an Israeli of good heart who writes every week what is going on in Israel/Palestine. He tells the truth. His column is titled, Don't Say We Didn't Know. This time he did more than report. He gave his opinion and challenges the Israeli people with questions. It is a challenge to all of us. Do we want to know the truth?"
From Amos Gvirtz (shared from his Facebook page)
"Dear Friends, I wrote the text below following the attack by Israeli Settlers in the village of Kisan and the injury of two elderly Jewish women volunteers assisting with the olive harvest.
Instead of Don't say we didn't know...
To what depths of evil must a man descend in order to attack elderly women who pose no threat to him? How distorted must an education be to produce so many criminals who regularly attack unprotected people, because they have been taught that this is the land that God promised them, and in the name of that promise every criminal act is permitted. What kind of religious education is it which, when it sees what it considers to be land trespassing, permits the desecration of the Sabbath and the harming of unprotected people? What is the ethical level of a community which sends its juvenile delinquents to be rehabilitated by attacking helpless people, whose land it covets, and sees them as its pioneers?
To what depths has the Israeli army descended when its soldiers, instead of arresting the rabble who attack farmers in their fields and people in their villages, guard them and occasionally join in their attacks? What kind of police is it which refuses to act with determination against these criminals, and all too often believes their lies and arrests the victims instead of the criminals who attacked them? To what depths have the state attorneys reached, when instead of prosecuting criminals and murderers - because they are Jews who have harmed or murdered Palestinians - prosecute the victims of these criminals' attacks? To what depths have the courts deteriorated when they relate to these criminals with such leniency? And how far has the political system deteriorated when there are so many elements which back and defend these criminals? What will it take before the Jewish citizens of Israel can begin to look in the mirror?"
For further information: amosg46@gmail.com