Extra

Basic fundamental Jewish teachings, in Leviticus, states categorically, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The Torah outlines some specific ways that this mandate can be put into practice: “You shall not steal; nor shall you deal falsely nor lie to one another…. You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him…. 

It's a pity that this wonderful homily has been systematically ignored by Israel since it drove out the Palestinians in 1948. Israel’s latest crime was to launch raids raid on Palestinian Human Rights Organizations and then accuses them of being “Terrorist” Groups. It is a ludicrous assertion given Israel has been censured by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the UN Human Rights Council for its appalling behaviors. 

Details of the raid are as follows: Israeli forces raided and closed the offices of seven Palestinian civil society rights groups in the occupied West Bank. The raid came as the United Nations condemned Israel for killing 19 Palestinian children in recent weeks, and 100 days after Israeli forces shot dead Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while she was covering an Israeli military raid in the Jenin refugee camp. Sahar Francis and Brad Parker, senior officials with two of the human rights groups condemned Israel’s Gestapo attacks. 

Israel’s human rights group, B’Tselem, Amnesty International and other human rights groups harshly condemned Israel’s actions and praised the Palestinian groups targeted. One Amnesty official said, “These organizations have contributed enormously to human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and across the globe, yet Israeli army boots trample all over their work.” 

Democratic Congressmember Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and 21 other congressmembers sent a letter to the Biden administration demanding public rejection of the Israeli designation of Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist” groups. 

Israel has only been propped up by $billions of US taxpayer money by successive US administrations, too timid to resist pressures from powerful lobbyists. By killing innocent men, women and children and ignoring its own, simple but poignant scriptures, Israel has lost its humanity and its very soul.