"A Good Arab is an Arab in the Grave"

So this has been a bad week for the IDF and the Israeli Government. Apart from admital to the vandalisation of Palestinian homes, the truth behind the murder of innocent, unarmed civilians, including women and children has been revealed in testimonies from Soldiers. They have made claims that they were both allowed and on some cases even ordered to do so!!

I need not saying anything more than the words of the Soliders themselves:

"What's great about Gaza; You See a person on a path, he doesn't have to be armed, you can simply shoot him. In our case it was an old person on whom I did not see any weaon when I looked. The order was to take down the person, this Women, the minute you see her. There are always the saying, 'Maybe he's a Terrorist.' What I felt was, there was a lot of thirst for blood"

"The atmosphere in general; How should I say this? The Life of Palestinians is much less important than the life of our soliders"

"At the beginning the directive was to enter a house with an armoured vehicle, to break the door down, to start shooting inside and to ascend floor by floor and – I call it murder – to go from floor to floor and to shoot at everyone we identify. In the beginning I asked myself how could this make sense? Higher-ups said it is permissible because everyone left in the city [Gaza City] is culpable because they didn't run away. This frightened me a bit. I tried to influence it as much as possible, despite my low rank, to change it. In the end the directive was to go into a house, switch on loudspeakers and tell them 'you have five minutes to run away and whoever doesn't will be killed'." (Note: That is Ethnic Cleansing Philosophy)

What more do I need to say on the matter. Surely this is all the evidence the ICC needs to at least begin an investigation? I do not have much faith left in the ICC. Much like the UN and the EU, these organisations semm to fail to look after the most vunarable people of the World. Time and time again positions of power have corrupted the purpose behind these organisations.

After incidents of Trauma, one of the methods of recovery is to find sanctuary. For many, returning home after these traumatic expeirences is exactly the sanctuary the people need. After all many fond memories revolve around ones home. The return brings the feeling of safety and security. Not always the case, but for many it is.

Palestinans have always been denied this right. For many Palestinians, once they leave their home, there is no return. Bulldozers, F-16's and Tank Shells usually make sure of that. However for those that have been luck enough to return to their homes after Operation Cast Lead, they are not granted the feelings Peace, Safety and Security. They are returning to find their Homes vandalised and defaced.

The squad leader said: "To write 'death to the Arabs' on walls, to take family pictures and spit on them, just because you can. I think this is the main thing: To understand how much the IDF has fallen in the realm of ethics." - Squad Leader Aviv

Crude sexual diagrams, Racist drawings of Mosques urinated upon and Hate slogans have been left all over the remaining homes, or ruins of homes.

"The writing left by Israeli soldiers in the homes in Gaza provides an insight into the disturbing culture of hatred and racism towards Palestinians and Arabs which exists among parts of Israeli society,"- Hamdi Shaqqura (The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights' (PCHR) director of democratic development)

In light of the evidence PCHR has gathered of the willful and wanton killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, this graffiti is even more disturbing.

A stairwell, includes the following sentences written in chalk:

"There will be a day when we kill all the Arabs."

"Bad for the Arabs is good for me."

"A good Arab is an Arab in the grave."

"Peace now, but between Jews and Jews, not Jews and Arabs."

I don't even know where to go from here. Will we never see a world where people do not hate. Where people are not constantly trying to one up the other??

In other news, an article I read in the Gaurdian, by Seth Freedman, he reports upon threats of a third Intifada. The article is entitled "Trouble Brewing in Jerusalem". I would suggest reading it. Its very interesting.

I think I will end here, with my request as usual. Boycott Israel, Economically and Academically.

God Bless
Peace