While Gaza is in the news, the Palestinians in the West Bank have been suffering even more from, alas, even more oppressive Israeli occupation techniques.

At least a dozen Palestinians were killed in the West Bank by Israeli terrorist occupation soldier for protesting the indiscriminate attack against Gaza. You see, Israeli terrorist occupation troops hiding behind their armor are afraid of stone-throwing Palestinian youth.

And Israeli terrorist continue to physical abuse the Palestinians. In the last three months, since Israel’s attack against Gaza; Israeli human rights group B’Tselem “documented 24 cases in which police officers and soldiers beat Palestinians, using rifle butts, clubs and other means of injury.”

Israeli troops are incredibly thuggish. They cannot but help themselves in hitting the Palestinians for no reason. Israeli terrorists troops view Palestinians as sub-human because they are raised in a country that preaches Zionist racism.

B’Tselem continues:

The documented cases took place throughout the West Bank – some at checkpoints, others in Palestinian homes, and some on roadways. In one case, testimonies given to B’Tselem indicate that soldiers stopped Na’im ‘Awad at the Huwara checkpoint and beat him. His brother, Muhammad, arrived at the checkpoint by chance and asked the soldiers why they were beating his brother.
An argument ensued between him and one of the soldiers, who then slammed him hard in the head with his rifle butt, causing him irreparable speech damage and weakness on the right side of his body.

What kind of person hits another with a rifle because he comes to the defense of his brother? Do you see how cavalier they are in using violence. Normally a soldier would be dishonorably discharged for such behavior, in apartheid Israel this is the norm.

Majed Hajahjeh is another one of those beaten for several minutes by the side of the road:

They beat me all over my body, especially my head. I covered my head with my hands to protect myself. My hands were bloody from the blood from my head. I went down onto my knees and cried out in pain. The soldiers continued to beat me with clubs and to kick me in the neck, back, and hands. My right hand hurt in particular. It hurt so much, I thought I was going to die.

And yet Israel continually speaks about punishing Hamas so that the Palestinians learn a lesson and then join with Fatah instead. If Israel wants to strengthen Fatah, then why does it continue to kill and abuse Palestinians in the West Bank, and continue to steal Palestinians land through settlement expansion? Why is it ethnically cleansing Palestinians in East Jerusalem so as to deny them a capital there? Such actions only weaken Fatah vis-a-via Hamas because it shows Palestinians that no matter how cooperative and submissive a Palestinian government may be Israel will not stop its occupation, abuses and settlements. Because it is not about this or that ideological Palestinian group. It is about the Palestinians as a people. Israel is opposed to the Palestinians having their own state no matter the ideology of a government presiding over that state. Israel has no intention to allow the Palestinians to be free.

September 18, 2008 - Muhammad Khawajah, 12, from Ni’lin, was arrested at his home in the middle of the night by soldiers who beat him and dragged him along the ground. During his interrogation, he was beaten and held for four days alongside adults in Ofer Prison.
Photo credit: Iyad Hadad, B’Tselem

But the Palestinians will never be defeated. Israel is strong today, but does anyone really think that 6 million Jews are going to always be able to hold off hundreds of millions of Arabs. Just by the year 2025, which is relatively soon, there will be 400 million Arabs, including millions more Palestinians. The first Crusader state lasted 120 years, Israel has been a country for less than 61 years. The tide will eventually turn. The military advantage by Israel will be lost and when that happens Palestine will be liberated from one end to another. And all those who ever harmed the Palestinians will be brought to justice.