The Israeli military medic caught on video shooting and killing a wounded Palestinian will no longer face a murder charge, and is simply confined to his base pending lesser charges of manslaughter, which also seem increasingly unlikely to stick.
In the end, the only person who gets in real trouble over the incident might be Emad abu-Shamsiyah, the Palestinian member of leftist NGO B’tselem, who is being investigated by Israeli police for filming the incident in the first place.
Though filming the extrajudicial execution does not appear illegal under Israeli law, far right activists who have lionized the medic as a national hero have vilified Shamsiyah for filming in the first place, complaining to the police that the fact he was in a major Palestinian city (Hebron) to film the military killing someone proved he, and B’tselem in general, were secretly in league with terrorists.
B’tselem is harshly critical of the Israeli settler movement, and has long been a documenter of the excesses of the Israeli occupation. With Israel’s far-right government increasingly turning on NGOs seen as unfriendly to the settlement enterprise, they seem increasingly a target.
None more than Shamsiyah, however, who has repeatedly received death threats since filming the killing, and last weekend had a group of settlers attack his home, throwing rocks and chanting “death to Emad.” Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene, but did not interfere with the settlers’ attack.
They quoted one guy saying B’Tselem had been able to film such things before, so-maybe-they’re-coordinating-with knife attackers. Well, if it were so unlikely that they’d happen to be on scene for multiple incidents, more likely they’re tailing the right IDF——is there a predictor of who in IDF is so inclined?
“far right activists who have lionized the medic as a national hero”
I wonder if these “activists” squatters will start wearing brown shirts and goose-stepping while they beat the natives and steal more land.
Any critical thinking person should AT LEAST wonder why the Palestinians side of this awful story is never heard. If Americans knew the truth about how Israel has basically stolen Palestine from Palestinians by the use of terror and is in violations of over a HUNDRED UN Resolutions, the USA would NOT support Israel like it does, blindly and to the tune of AT LEAST 3 BILLION dollars a year! The American “leaders” who protect Israel’s terrible crimes should all be arrested and tried for treason!
israel is more interested in punishing Palestinian who filmed murder by IDF rather than the actual murderer…..
a recent multi nation survey (Canada, Mexico and US) reveals that UNLIKE the rest of the globe a MAJORITY of US citizens believe that Palestine Occupies Israel–49.2% actually think that is what happened…38% understand that Israel has been Occupation miltiary of Palestine but 11% have no clue what the situation is.