Met American-born, Israeli West Bank [illegal] settler Yaakov “Jack” Teitel:

“Jack” is just a typical Israeli settler that the Israelis believe represent the heart of Zionism and American media loves to portray as romantic pioneering settlers no different than Puritans (of course, the Puritans also ethnically cleansed and brutally repressed the native people as well).

But an Israeli settler who recently caught the eye of Israeli police. He attracted attention and arrest not for any of the following crimes, however:

12 years ago he confessed to killing an Arab shepherd, as well as an Arab taxi driver from East Jerusalem . But Teitel was released from police custody due to insufficient evidence. The murder cases fell onto the back burner and ultimately into oblivion.

Teitel, a native of Florida , was only visiting Israel at the time. He left and returned to the United States .

9 Years ago he returned to Israel , took up residence in a West Bank settlement and got married. He had 4 kids. According to Police and Shin Bet intelligence, Teitel sporadically embarked on a campaign of hatred which did not stay limited to Arabs.

Initially, according to reports, Teitel stayed focused on Arabs, placing anti-personnel mines in the Arab-Israeli town of Abu Gosh , injuring no one. Police say in March of 2003 he placed a bomb near the home of a Palestinian in a little Village near Ramallah. In 2004, according to Police he left poison laced bottles of juice in another Palestinian Village . Still, no one was harmed.

No, you see, all this crimes were against Arabs and Israeli police did not notice or if noticed did not care. Militant Jews are allowed to kill Arabs in that apartheid state as long as they plead self-defense.

But, then “Jack” spilled up, you may say, and started to attack Jews as well:

in November of 2006, Teitel attempted a series of attacks intended to dissuade police from providing security for the gay pride parade through Jerusalem . That included placing an improvised explosive device at a police station. It was identified and diffused.

Teitel told police that on April 20 of 2007 he bombed a monastery, injuring a tractor driver, because he heard the monks had been enticing Jewish children with candy and attempting to sway them to Christianity.

March 20, 2008 a bomb exploded at the home of a Messianic Jewish family, seriously injuring a 15 year old boy. Teitel told police he placed the bomb because members of the family were “missionaries who intended to trap weak Jews.” Police say a security camera caught him placing the bomb and although he made an effort to hide his face, Teitel was identified.

His last alleged attack came on September 25, 2008. A bomb was placed outside the home Zev Sternhell, a university professor who spoke publicly against the Jewish settler movement. Teitel confessed.

Ironically, it was bloodshed in which police say Teitel took no part that led to his arrest. August 1st of this year, a lone gunman opened fire in a Gay youth center in Tel Aviv. The Gunman escaped. Teitel posted signs around a Jerusalem ultra orthodox neighborhood praising the attack. That’s when he was arrested. He boasted that he was the gunman. However, without releasing much, Police have said the evidence does not support Teitel’s involvement in that attack.

It was only when “Jack” started attack Jews or when Jews were the victims of crimes that “Jack” celebrated that the Israeli police noticed and had him arrested:

Israeli columnist Avi Issakarov opines today that the Teitel case points to a glaring double standard when police investigate the deaths of Palestinians as compared to those of Jews. “His big mistake, it seems, was targeting non-Arabs as well,” writes Issakarov. “The (justifiably) prevailing feeling among Palestinians in the West Bank is that their blood is of no consequence.”

These are the standards of a racist state. Arab life is made to be subhuman and Israeli police are indifferent to the frequent attacks and murders of Arabs by Jews. “Jack” is not atypical of the settler movement. While more violent than most, he represents that same militant, extremism that is widespread among Israeli settlers amongst many of whom routinely attack Palestinians and Palestinian property with impunity from Israeli police and the occupying IDF.

Furthermore, while Israeli police and the army never resort to force or fire bullets at protesting Jews (even when they throw acid in the face of the police), they are trigger happy with Palestinians both in the occupied territories and Arab citizens in Israel “proper”. Since 2000, 40 Arab citizens of Israel have been killed by Israeli officers during protests and not a single one has even been charged. Do you think if an Israeli officer even beat up a Jewish protester he would get away with it?