UPDATE: Two Palestinian youths, one a teenager, were shot dead by the IDF during massive rioting in the West Bank today. Over 400 Palestinians have been arrested.
My Israeli source tells me that based on what he’s heard from intelligence sources, the three boys kidnapped last week are likely dead. He rated the possibility at 90%. He tells me that though the Hamas detainees have not revealed any involvement of the movement with the crime, they have told interrogators that militants, since the kidnapping of Nachshon Wachsman, have learned you cannot remain undetected in the West Bank (as opposed to Gaza) with two security services hunting for you. In the Wachsman case, they kept him alive as a bargaining chip, only to have the IDF assault his hiding place in an attempt to free him, and kill him instead in the process. That is why most kidnap victims are killed.
There is a rumor, which Israeli journalists have publicly circulated on social media, that the intelligence services in fact know that they are dead. Amos Harel alluded in a recent Haaretz article (Hebrew) that there is a security gag order prohibiting the media from reporting a major aspect of the case. Namely, that the boys are dead. Those reporting the rumor add that the government has placed this information under gag because it wishes to maximize the pressure on the PA to renounce Hamas as its partner in a unity government. Israel also wishes to deal Hamas a body blow in the West Bank. It also wants to distract world attention from its role in sabotaging the Kerry peace process. With a possibility the Israeli victims might be found, this is still possible. If they are found dead (or alive for that matter), Israel’s leverage disappears.
Yet another example of the cynical manipulation of tragic events by Bibi Netanyahu.
Today’s massive resistance to the ongoing IDF invasion of the West Bank can’t have caught Bibi off-guard. In fact, I believe this mayhem is Bibi’s answer to the peace process. He gets to say (without any justification): you see what your peace process leads to? These are the animals you want me to negotiate with?
Note who’s remained virtually silent during this mayhem? Pres. Obama and John Kerry have left the Israel-Palestine to benign neglect, to use Daniel Moynihan’s remarkable phrase. They don’t care about Palestine, despite their professions to the contrary. If they don’t want a third Intifada, they better do something fast.
On a slightly different subject: Haaretz plans to host the Israel Conference on Peace on July 8th. In the current climate, the very notion of such an event is a tasteless joke, but one that is typical for the clueless ones still clinging desperately to their liberal Zionist illusions.
Strikes me as kind of ghoulish when you rate the mortality of these three young lives with a percentage.
What is so bad about 90% dead? There are 5 palestinians, that we know, which are 100% dead.
Murdering a kidnapped Jew in cold blood and killing an armed Arab resisting the I.D.F. are not the same thing.
No, not the same thing. A person who resist an occupation is worth less than someone that is in the side of the occupier (illegally).
Though, you are speaking so generally, that I cannot say you are talking about the case here. There is not a proof that anyone was kidnapped nor proof that all the palestinians killed here were passerbies reader than taking part in any action. Say, I can be involved in a shooting, even though, I am hiding with a child to not be shot. You see, a victim is also part of the action.
That happens all the time in my country with black and homeless people.
‘ A person who resist an occupation is worth less than someone that is in the side of the occupier (illegally). ‘
First, the occupation is legal, although some aspects, like the settlements, are illegal.
Daniel. Would you rather die with your hands tied, or die shooting a gun or throwing a rock at your enemy?
One victim dies in an exercise of free will, while the other victim dies in bondage. You do see a difference, don’t you?
@Lou: My comment rules demand that commenters not publish falsehoods. You have claimed the Occupation is legal when it is not. The only individuals who claim it is legal are settlers, Likudists, and a few minority legal authorities either paid or ideologically allied with them (which includes you apparently). So you may not state falsehoods. Period. Do it again & you will be moderated.
“An unjust law is no law at all.”
– Augustine of Hippo
Even if the occupation were “legal”, it would still be unjust, illegitimate, immoral, and wrong.
@Lou: So you’re claiming that of the 20,000 Palestinians killed since 1967 that all were armed??? Now why would you make such a stupid claim?
I didn’t make that stupid claim. You put those words in my mouth.
BTW. Here’s proof of the legality of the occupation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/21/opinion/annan-s-careless-language.html
@ Lou: You bring a NYT op ed from 2002 from someone I’ve never heard of claiming the Occupation is legal and that’s “proof?” Excuse me? As I said before, there are legal authorities who make this claim. But they are either paid by the Israel Lobby or share its far-right settlerist ideology.
George Fletcher is a Columbia Univ. law professor. His legal field is criminal law. This gives him little or no authority in the field of the international laws of war or the Geneva Convention. I do note that Fletcher has taught at the Hebrew University. I’m virtually certain that his NYT op ed came at the request of someone like Alan Dershowitz or the like.
For every source you can show like Fletcher I can show 10 that declare the Occupation illegal under international law in the most emphatic terms. Not to mention that there are no countries that recognize Israel’s Occupation as legal. None.
@ Lou: That is precisely what I was told by my Israeli source. If you don’t like the wording I’m afraid you’ll have to take it up with him. And btw his history and experience as an Israeli in service to his country far exceeds yours. But do remonstrate with him. I’m sure he’ll find your criticism quite well-founded.
Sure, the settlements are illegal. But it’s nice that you recognize that Israel is an occupier.
Do you prefer to die by drowning or to die by burning on a stake? Well, are you referring to how Saddam Hussein died and comparing it to Palestinians that throw rocks at heavily trained and armed soldiers?
“If they don’t want a third Intifada, they better do something fast.”
Richard. I do not understand this statement. I agree that Obama and Kerry do no really care what happens and that the entire “peace process” was Kabuki theater to impress the American Jewish vote. Are you referring to in the statement above to the U.S. doing something about a “third intafada”? I do not believe that this is a U.S. responsibility and your previous statement seems to indicate that there is no U.S. inclination to solve anything in Israel. Can you clarify?
With all the love i have for my fellow human beings of all ages and genders, I as Israeli have had enough of Terrorist Netanyahu hijacking OUR LIVES for no other purpose than for HIS OWN AND WIFE GLORIFICATION. there is no such thing as search and recovery of the missing teens. there has been so much ink and talk in the last 10 days about this subject than there was during the whole WWII. This situation is no humanitarian action it is a SUBJUGATION PURPOSE, the worst is that past Palestinian youth generation grew up idolizing Hamas, ISRAEL PLEASE WAKE UP FOR THE NEXT PALESTINIAN YOUTH IDOLS ARE “ISIS”. Israel will woe the day that it washed Hamas from the map only to be replaced by something ‘SLIGHTLY’ worse. as it is said be careful for what you wish for, well Israel wished hoped coveted the glory of erasing Hamas, well SURPRISE guess who the new kids on the block are. – how many jails will need to be built to house a whole revolutionary Palestinian generation. BRAVO NETANYAHU, BDS WILL HAVE BEEN A CAKEWALK VERSUS FIGHTING THESE NEW GUYS
a truly fed upIsraeli overtaxed underserved Israeli senior disable citizen
Unfortunately, the death of the three teenagers is probably true.
Hitchhiking in Occupied Palestine by Israelis is not a wise idea, period. The longer the occupation goes on, the more risky matters will become for Israelis living in the illegal settlements.
Isn’t it possible that the three Israeli youths are just being held in “administrative detention?” Perhaps??
What are you, some kind of wise ass?
@ Slender Man: While I thought David’s comment a little silly. Yours was even less substantial. Cut the back & forth & make your future comments of substance.
The IDF has made a raid on the RT office in Ramallah and seized archives of data. The raid was supposedly related to Arab TV stations. Perhaps this was an attempt by Israel to prevent some information being leaked.
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_06_23/RT-expects-Israel-to-return-seized-archives-from-its-Palestinian-office-5858/
I have a question about international law. I see the term used quite often when talking about Israel and its current occupation. I looked up the ICC on wiki and from what I understand the only way for a case to go to court is if both parties are signatories and ratified the rome stature or if the unsc asks for the ICC to handle the case.
Now from what I read Israel had signed but formally sent a notification that they were no longer members. Also it seems that Palestine in 2009 accepted the jurisdiction of the court but has yet to become a full member.
So in reality since the USA china and Russia are non members what are the chances they would prosecute israel for its violations?
If the answer is slim and due to isreal leaving the ICC means that the occupation wont see its day in court … why do we continue to say international law all the time? Is it purely for morality and propaganda? Is this the reason why peace groups are soo gung ho about BDS because thats the only way to punish Israel because there is no legal recourse?
International law is not a concept rooted only in the ICC. It is a recognized term of art for the law that governs conduct throughout the world. The ICC is one forum in which claims are adjudicated. Palestine will certainly become a signatory and participant in the ICC in a matter of years if not sooner. I’m not sure any nation can become a signatory and then back out of it. Nor am I certain that both nations must be signatories for the ICC to be able to take a case. Finally, other nations may adjudicate international law cases especially if one nation refuses to address the problem in its own courts, as Israel has, AND if the ICC cannot adjudicate for technical reasons.
Using the term “propaganda” in the context of international law is insulting. International law applies to Israeli conduct. Such conduct is accountable to the world.
Without taking any sides in this issue, I’m just surprised that in this blog which is committed to discussion, debate and truth a reader’s claim that the occupation is legal is answered with a warning of future moderation claiming that it is a manifested false.
As you probably know, this is the official position of the Israeli government that endorsed the Levi report which states the same position explicitly. So, even if we think that its wrong (and I have my own considerable doubts about it) it is certainly not appropriate to claim that it is false in a manner that justify removing a comment.
@ Dan: Please don’t use a common nickname as your commenter name.
A legal claim supported by a single nation in the world out of 170 doesn’t justify calling it credible or serious. It is a patently false self-interested claim. I don’t support publishing fake claims here, just as I wouldn’t allow anyone to claim evolution was merely a “theory” or that climate change wasn’t real. This Israeli assertion is equally fake. If you don’t like it, that’s not my problem.
(Luke 21:25) . . .and on the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out . . .