(note: Not the child in question).
Back in the olden days, Israelis called the occupation “enlightened” — our army was the most moral in the world, after all, and our cause was just. The occupation was unfortunate, but we were doing the best we could. Right?
Last week, the Jerusalem police detained and interrogated a seven year old boy for throwing stones. Even when his father came to collect Muhammad, two hours later, they wouldn’t let him in the room. For three more hours.
Have the Jerusalem police, the Israeli army, and Israel’s political class done worse, and to seven year olds no less? Yes. Destruction of the seven year old’s home would be worse. Killing his parents would be worse. Killing the boy himself. Israel has done all this and more to Palestinian children, more times than we can count at this point.
But there is something to that image, of a second grader on a chair in a spare police office, his feet not reaching the floor, his face a blur of tears and mud and snot, his heart pounding, and all he wants is to go home, to be far away from these frightening men, some of whom are nice but some of whom are yelling, all of whom are keeping him from his Baba, his Daddy, all of whom represent so much that is wrong in his young life, why his mother cries at night and his brother can’t build a new house and his sister can’t get to university in the morning and his Baba’s friend was shot — it is an image that makes the breath catch in the throat. An image that makes clear just how seriously Israel takes the holy status of its Holy City.
The details:
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Petition #1: The US should pursue diplomacy with Iran, not military action.
