Palestinians, Israeli peaceniks, and various anti-Israel internationals attended their weekly riot against the separation barrier in Bilin. Tear gas was used. A Palestinian woman died a day later, and the media are using this as yet another example of the horrible, horrible Israelis who ruthlessly and aimlessly use overwhelming amounts of force on “peaceful” protesters, and kill them. At least, that’s the narrative. Watch AP slant the story so much as to make it look like Israel is making shit up, even when supplying photographic evidence of the violence of the “protesters”.
The military described Friday’s protest as a “violent and illegal riot” and released photographs it identified as being from the demonstration showing Palestinian youths using slingshots and a firebomb against troops. The military said it was investigating Abu Rahmeh’s death but had not been allowed to see the Palestinian medical reports.
Why the words “it identfied as being”? Why not just “released photographs from the demonstration”? Because this way, the AP narrative continues that evidence from Israel is not to be trusted. Whose evidence do they trust? Guess.
Michael Sfard, the Israeli lawyer representing the woman’s family, said troops used “incredible quantities of gas” at the protest, a weekly event that often deteriorates into violent clashes between protesters and soldiers.
Right. Quote uncritically the anti-Israel side. Put all kinds of qualifiers when describing Israel evidence that there was, indeed, a violent riot, just as there is every week–not “often.” And, of course, let’s tally up the Palestinian deaths, and ignore all Israeli casualties that come out of the riots. A border guard was blinded by a “protester”? BFD, he should have ducked from the rocks that are “often” thrown. Let’s see, broken leg, broken arm, injuries, injuries, injuries… no, I don’t see any reason whatsoever why the IDF always has to use force during the weekly Bilin “protests.” And here is a picture of the stones used to injure the soldiers. (Also charges that Palestinians were harmed by the tear gas.)
Abu Rahmeh’s brother, Bassem Abu Rahmeh, was killed at a similar demonstration in 2009 after being hit by an Israeli tear gas canister, becoming the 17th Palestinian to die at barrier protests since 2004.
They aren’t protests, and they aren’t peaceful. They are weekly riots against Israeli soldiers, disguised as riots against the security fence. But of course, the narrative must continue its mission: Demonize, demonize, demonize Israel.
According to a story cross-posted at Solomonia, the woman was not even at the demonstration; she had been in the hospital for the past 10 days and was there until her death from cancer, when her body was cynically photographed and claimed to be a casualty of the tear gas she was never exposed to.
Follow -up: I got my facts wrong, but here’s a partial story from IsraelMAtzav:
“In a call this evening, a senior security source told me that Jawaher Abu Rahma did not die from inhaling teargas as the ‘Palestinians’ have claimed.
The source raised several questions regarding Abu Rahma’s death. First, the lab test report, which the IDF has obtained, is dated 35 minutes before Abu Rahma arrived at the hospital. The lab test is dated 2:45 pm, whereas Abu Rahma did not arrive at the hospital until 3:20 pm.
There is no emergency room report.
The cause of death in the certificate of death is listed as “inhaling gas of Israeli soldier according to the family.”
The ‘Palestinians’ also claim that there was no prior medical history, but the IDF has discovered that Abu Rahma visited the same hospital ten days ago.
On Friday, Abu Rahma was prescribed medications that had nothing to do with mitigating the effects of teargas, but which were medications that are used in the treatment of chronic illnesses such as blood cancer (Leukemia).
The IDF has never heard of anyone in the five years of riots at Bil’in who died of inhaling teargas.
Abu Rahma had been participating in the riots at Bil’in weekly for five years, and did not have any respiratory problems before.”
Read the rest. http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2011/01/senior-security-source-raises-questions.html