Israeli Channel 2 aired a rare interview with the "hilltop youth," a network of young settlers associated with the recent attack on an Israeli army base in the occupied West Bank (and with "price tag" graffiti). All between the ages of 18 and 20, these right wing zealots live in structures built from the debris of demolished houses and find delight in news of a mosque burning to the ground.
The juxtaposition of images and words in the video is disturbing: "behind the smiles and summer camp atmosphere in the middle of winter, there are very rigid opinions."
The interviews begin in the West Bank outpost Ramat Migron with three "young, giggling women" who describe the West Bank, and everything on it, as belonging to the Jewish people. As for the Palestinians who live there:
"Arabs are like dogs. They smell fear and then they come to bite."
Next Oded, a young man in favor of colonizing and ethnically cleansing Jordan, takes Channel 2 to a small stone structure known as "the hut," where he describes Jordan as part of "land of Israel... I am all for going to war with Jordan, to conquer them and live there."
The correspondent's voice makes a slight shiver in confusion and fear, and he asks what of the Jordanian women and children, and their houses? Oded replies that they will be removed with "decisiveness and sensitivity."
In the third and final stop on the settlement tour, we meet Meir Bretler, a hilltop youth "leader" who Channel 2 says is responsible for organizing the Kasser el Yahud border crossing to Jordan. Bretler closes the interview informing Channel 2 there are approximately 1000 families in the hilltop youth. He hits at the fears of the IDF, and secular Israeli society, that the settlers are growing in numbers, and won't take direction from the military.Via Mondoweiss
Here is the dirty little secret. Israelis hate Settlers and can't stand them. Israelis are actually scared of settlers. So they "STRONGLY" encourage them to move "AWAY." Doesn't matter where. Occupied territories is as good a location as any.
ReplyDeleteBut Palestinians can't stand settlers either. What Israelis are doing to Palestinians is wrong.
I tried listening to the clip. I couldn't understand it. No subtitles.
ReplyDeleteHow could human beings behave like this? Why would they say such hateful things? Why don't they like ordinary Palestinian and Jordanian people? I get that they don't like the Palestinian and Jordanian governments. But people are people. Why would they dislike people?
It's great puzzle anan isn't ?
ReplyDeleteIt is.
ReplyDelete