2022 was a brutal year for Palestinians under Israeli Apartheid, with more than 150 homes demolished, untold miles of Palestinian land confiscated for Jewish-only settlements, 235 Palestinians killed and 3500 wounded, and over 6300 imprisoned (over 150 of whom were children). Yet Israel’s apartheid regime is about to become more extreme with the addition of militant settlers to the Cabinet, ministers who openly call for the expulsion of Palestinians and annexing the West Bank into Israel. Since the United States and Europe are the primary financial and political supporters of Israel, it is incumbent upon us to say: “ENOUGH ...
2022 was a brutal year for Palestinians under Israeli Apartheid, with more than 150 homes demolished, untold miles of Palestinian land confiscated for Jewish-only settlements, 235 Palestinians killed and 3500 wounded, and over 6300 imprisoned (over 150 of whom were children). Yet Israel’s apartheid regime is about to become more extreme with the addition of militant settlers to the Cabinet, ministers who openly call for the expulsion of Palestinians and annexing the West Bank into Israel. Since the United States and Europe are the primary financial and political supporters of Israel, it is incumbent upon us to say: “ENOUGH! We demand accountability and an end to these illegal practices.”
One of the many advocacy strategies for us to undertake in 2023 is to call upon citizens of the United States, Canada, and Europe to demand international law and human rights be applied as the standard for Israel’s policies toward Palestinians. One place to begin is to demand that Israel end its brutal policy of kidnapping, detaining, and abusing Palestinian children.
The case of 16-year-old Shadi Khoury is representative of what hundreds of Palestinian children endure every year. On October 20th, the Israeli military broke into the Khoury home in East Jerusalem at 5:15 am, beat Shadi, breaking his nose, dragged him bleeding from his head, and threw him into a jeep. He was transferred to a prison and detained without charges. His next days were spent facing interrogation and beatings by military personnel. Neither his parents nor his attorney were allowed to be present in this process. Shadi was not engaged in any illegal activities and the only accusation leveled against him was the bizarre claim that he “conspired to throw stones.”
This Sunday, January 8, 2023, the Israeli Military Court will hold a hearing on Shadi’s case. Please take time immediately to write or call your legislators requesting that they demand Israeli officials to drop all charges and declare him innocent.
In addition:
Ask your legislators to tell Israel to end this illegal practice of detaining and abusing children as it violates international law and your government’s policy. US citizens should contact Secretary of State Blinken immediately and ask him to intervene with the Netanyahu government and declare Shadi Khoury innocent.
Urge U.S. legislators in the House of Representatives to join Congresswoman Betty McCollum and 30 legislators to sign onto the new legislation calling for Congressional hearings on Israel’s illegal policy of detaining and abusing Palestinian children (the bill HR 2590 will receive a new number for the year 2023).
Citizens of England or the European Union should make the same request of their legislators, asking them to intervene in Shadi’s case and insist Israel end these practices.
For additional information, please read:
Beatings, Humiliation, Fear: Israeli Jail, According to a Palestinian Teen, by Gideon Levy and Alex Levac (Haaretz)
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