The nightly terror of home invasions
The bare headings “night home invasions” and “peace disruption raids” reported day-in and day-out in the PHRC's In Occupied Palestine (www.palestine.org.nz) daily newsletter must, inevitably, lose something of their impact after years of repetition. It is hard for us to
imagine life under such circumstances. Here is a video that brings to life the horror of living under belligerent Israeli military Occupation. As you watch, just imagine what
it must be like to bring up children under this unrelenting violence and realise also that generations of children have
known no other life. Then consider the pro-Israel stance of our politicians – Prime Minister John Key tells us that New
Zealand has a lot to learn from Israel. Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully would have us believe that favourable
treatment of Israel and what he calls “dialogue” with the Zionist state is moral and justifiable.
New Zealand supports sanctions and even gets itself involved in military action against selected states (in defence, we
are told, of civilians). Yet Palestinian civilians, whose plight is the result of earlier decisions taken by the leaders
of the world community, are abandoned and left to fend for themselves. This reeking hypocrisy from those who pander to
Israel while posturing on the moral high ground does not go unnoticed. It lies at the very heart of the dangerous
destabilising conflict that divides humanity. Our government at present refuses even to countenance sanctions and
boycotts against Israel and yet together these measures, known internationally as BDS, offer the most peaceful path to
justice and reconciliation for all in the Middle East.
Leslie Bravery 18 July 2011
Palestine Human Rights Campaign
ENDS