31, July 2011 Israel
The horrifying spectacle of Israeli troops raiding a popular theatre for Palestinian children breaking windows and arresting its hugely popular director is further proof of a deepening malaise gripping Israel. The Freedom Theater has been a great boon to Palestinian children living under Israel’s brutal apartheid system. Two of the theatre’s co-founders were surrounded by 50 heavily armed soldiers and forced to squat next to a family with four small children.
According to the ‘Economist’, every Friday and after school Israeli soldiers ‘fire tear gas and sonic bombs at Palestinian children in the village of Nabi Saleh. Children as young as eleven have been detained; many snatched from their beds and sent off to languish in Israel’s dark dungeons for months. Apparently, Palestinians – not even children - are afforded basic human rights that we take for granted in the US. Iran Segal, a settler at a Jewish Halamish settlement was heard complaining that “the soldiers don’t maim enough Palestinians.”
Predictably, there was no outrage shown by the ‘pro-Israel can do no wrong’ letter writing lobby. It is unconscionable that our lawmakers and administration continue to remain silent in response to Israel’s outrageous behavior.
I would readers to write to your lawmakers and demand that we end our military and economic support to Israel. Our own economy is in a free fall and there is no justification in sending billions of ‘deficit-dollars’ to enhance Israel’s already bloated military and encourage its continuous violations of international law.
