The killing of four Palestinian citizens in the occupied territories by Israeli forces over two days demonstrates that Arab lives are cheap, whether in times of conflict or uneasy calm. Odeh Mohammad, a 17-year-old boy shot by Israeli troops on Thursday while playing with friends in the West Bank town near the odious’separation wall,’ was one among the fatalities. Tel Aviv originally remained silent about the killing, but later claimed the child was throwing Molotov cocktails at Israeli forces. Ghufran Warasneh, a Palestinian lady shot by Israelis outside a refugee camp, was one of the three other victims. The Israelis said she was racing towards them “with a knife,” however this assertion has been disproved by witnesses. Clearly, Tel Aviv’s military apparatus has no doubts about using fatal force on the flimsiest of pretexts, even if it means murdering children in the name of self-defense. According to one estimate, Israel has killed at least 65 Palestinians this year, including 16 teenagers. Furthermore, Israeli forces flattened the home of a suspected Palestinian gunman near Jenin on Wednesday and arrested his father, a procedure that dates back to colonial times. Fundamental rights and due process for Palestinians do not appear to exist in Israel. Arabs can be killed, injured, or imprisoned permanently if they are suspected of being involved in militancy. None of Israel’s adoring Western allies are willing to question why Tel Aviv chooses to extrajudicially kill Palestinians it suspected of militancy. Perhaps this is due to the dehumanization of Palestinians by the majority of Israelis. Israelis, including many children and teenagers, were happily screaming ‘death to Arabs’ during the recent so-called Jerusalem Day event, which commemorates the occupation and seizure of the holy city. If this is what is instilled from birth, it is scarcely unsurprising that Palestinians be slaughtered horribly by Israeli forces. Furthermore, few in the world community, including Israel’s new Muslim allies, have the courage to condemn Tel Aviv’s crimes.
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