Disgusting. Barbaric. Horrific. Immoral. Choose any or all words and apply them to recent events in the West Bank where Ali Dawabshe, an 18-month-old Palestinian boy was burnt to death in his home in a blaze deliberately set by suspect Jewish terrorists. His parents and a sibling are also in serious condition after the arson attack on their home in the village of Douma, near Nablus.
And as a result of the expected response to this emotional and unprecedented event, Israeli occupation forces shot and killed a Palestinian youth who dared take to his streets to express his anger at the savagery of the arson.
Rightly so, the arson and subsequent events have been roundly condemned by the UN, the US and the European Union, who have appealed for calm in the wake of the toddler’s burning to death. But it’s hard to take those condemnations seriously when the UN has failed in its responsibilities to admonish Israel for its litany of brutality and oppression of Palestinians for so long.
Every motion that has become the UN Security Council that sanctions Israel for one act of brutality or another, criticises an Israeli plan to build colonies in occupied East Jerusalem, or condemns Israel for waging three brutal air and ground wars against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in the past seven years has amounted to nothing. Why? Because Israel acts with the blanket support of the US. Washington has proven itself all too quick to veto Security Council moves against Israel, and had proven itself all too willing to give Israel the latest fighter jets, smart bombs and military technology to allow it to kill more Palestinians more effectively — and without recourse to international law.
The sanctimonious words of condemnation from the US ring hollow. Just four months ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was being wined and dined in Washington by Republicans and a Jewish lobby proud of his tough stance against Palestinians. How proud are those now of colonists who burnt a baby to death? Or soldiers who shoot a youth who dared say ‘enough’?
