Following Tuesday’s shooting by a Palestinian gunman at an illegal Jewish colony in the occupied West Bank, which left three Israelis and the attacker dead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “This murderous attack is the result of... systematic incitement by the Palestinian [National] Authority and other elements, and I expect Abu Mazen [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas] to condemn it and not attempt to justify it.”
True to form, the right-wing Netanyahu omitted to mention the real issue: The daily humiliation and unending frustration felt by Palestinians who have had to endure the brutality of Israel’s control over every aspect of their lives. In their own land, they continue to be Israel’s hostages. The attack happened at the entrance of a well-guarded colony, where armed colonists have carved out a cosy existence for themselves with the full backing and protection of the Israeli state. In line with Tel Aviv’s illegal policy of collective punishment, the occupation army’s engineers have already mapped out the shooter’s home in Beit Surik, west of occupied Jerusalem — in preparation for its demolition. It is precisely these kinds of atrocities, in addition to the original crime of occupation and building of illegal colonies, that propel some to indulge in acts of violence.
Israel has always insisted on having a peaceful occupation. Its stranglehold over Palestine remains the last such colonial enterprise. It should be a source of shame for the international community that in this day and age — in the year 2017 — something like this is allowed to continue. In fact, few even seem to be talking about it seriously. The Middle East peace process has to be revived to engender hope in Palestinians, who feel a sense of abandonment and despair that leads to violence.
