A chronicle of Israeli actions against Palestinians in 2021
by Kathryn Shihadah 2021 has been quite a year for all of us, marked for many by several
significant events. If Americans Knew has posted or reposted roughly 300 articles so far
in 2021, covering the situation in Israel-Palestine and news relevant to the
region. Some of the major events included Israel’s attack on Gaza and
aggressions in Jerusalem and Sheikh Jarrah, Israel’s designation of Palestinian
human rights organizations as terrorist entities, and two recognized human
rights groups’ recognition of Israel as an apartheid state. No one knows better than Palestinians themselves that, in between these major
stories, Israeli oppression has been ongoing and crushing. Headlines and data don’t paint a picture of the lives lost, childhood ruined,
homes decimated, and dreams deferred – but perhaps, by surveying this year’s
news, we can get just a hint of the magnitude of Palestinian suffering and
tenacity. Let’s not forget that behind each statistic and headline is a family that has
lived through several generations of grave injustice. At least 279 Palestinians (77 children) and
12 Israelis* have been killed by someone from the other side in 2021. The vast majority of the losses on both sides
happened during Israel’s attack on Gaza in May: 260 Palestinians and 7 Israelis*
were
killed
(66 Palestinian children, 2 Israeli children). One Israeli paper
reported
that Israel’s military dropped 80 tons of explosives in one 40-minute campaign. An estimated 2,400 Palestinian homes and 5 Israeli homes were destroyed;
120,000 Gazans were displaced due to the attack; an estimated 50 Israelis were
displaced. Here are some If Americans Knew headlines on the situation: * besides the 7 Israelis listed on IAK’s
Israel-Palestine Timeline who
were killed by Gazan rockets, another 3 died as a result of falling on their way
to take shelter; 3 non-Israeli foreign workers were also killed. Israeli forces
killed about 28 Palestinians (4 children) amid escalating settler and
military violence during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (mid-April to
mid-May). Palestinians were shot or attacked while praying, protesting, driving,
and walking in Palestinian East Jerusalem, the Palestinian neighborhood of
Sheikh Jarrah, and even inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 2
Israelis were also
killed. Over 6,800 Palestinians were
injured and 3,100 were
arrested. A few articles from IAK covering this period: There are
currently over 4,500 Palestinian political prisoners (including children)
and 500 administrative detainees (including children) in Israeli prisons (this
fact alone violates multiple international laws). Israeli prisons are
notoriously harsh, and Palestinian prisoners (including children) are routinely
subject to torture. Since 1967, Israel has imprisoned more
than 700,000 Palestinians from the occupied territories (West Bank, Gaza,
and East Jerusalem). In 2021, Palestinian prisoners experienced great suffering; several conducted
high-profile hunger strikes, holding on for months before Israel finally
acquiesced to their modest demands (some are still
striking at this moment). If Americans Knew reported: In addition to the 77 Gazan children who died at Israel’s hands in 2021, at
least 17 more Palestinian youths were killed in the West Bank and East
Jerusalem. In many cases, they were shot in the head. This tragedy is
unspeakable, of course – but we must speak about it if we expect to make Israel
stop this bloodshed. On a smaller scale, but more widespread, are the daily indignities that
Palestinian children must endure, simply because Israel is allowed to get away
with it. Here are just some of the headlines IAK posted this year, calling attention
to the slaughter and abuse of Palestine’s innocents: It’s no secret that Israel is a world leader in spyware – which has been used
worldwide against people advocating for democracy. Saudi journalist Jamal
Khashoggi was targeted using software developed in Israel. It remains to be seen whether Israel will be held accountable for this, like
its other wrongdoings, by justice-loving people and nations. IAK told you about the issue in these and other articles: 2021 saw a major spike in Israeli settler violence against Palestinians. In
many cases, Israeli forces either stood by or even assisted the settlers in
their attacks. But while multiple organizations have reported on this disturbing
trend, the Israeli government has not felt the need to do anything about it. It is generally accepted that settler violence is an integral, if informal,
component of Israel’s effort to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from parts of
the occupied territories. Here are a few 2021 posts from If Americans Knew about settler
violence: Palestinians living in Gaza have struggled constantly to get medical care for
14 years. Israel has blocked the entrance of medicines, medical supplies, and
equipment. This is bad news all the time, but during Israeli attacks, these
shortages are particularly catastrophic – and even magnified as Israeli bombs
destroy hospitals and clinics and kill doctors. Palestinians living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have their own set of
Israeli-imposed health issues. Just a few of the stories that IAK shared this year: Recent weeks have seen a targeted attack by Israel against Palestinian human
rights organizations: PM Bennett accused 6 well-known orgs have having ties to
terrorism – a tactic that Israel has used for years to demonize and delegitimize
groups that report on things Israel would rather keep secret. Israel has also been harassing or imprisoning individual activists and
journalists. Some examples from IAK in 2021: Not only do Israel’s military and police use lethal force as a first resort,
they also have the admiration and support of their government in doing so. Here are some of the too-many stories you heard here in 2021: Not always, but all too often, Israel partisans pull strings and manage to
perpetuate Israel’s innocence myth in various arenas. (IAK has reported
for years about mainstream media’s pro-Israel bias – see
this and
this and
this, for example). Here are a handful of the many stories If Americans Knew has shared with you
this year on this issue: It’s bad enough to know Palestinians are enduring all this oppression from
Israel – but the horror reaches a whole new level when we remember that our
government is bankrolling these atrocities –
over $10 million every day. Our Congress members are actively
supporting this regime using our tax dollars. (And we typically expend an
additional $10 million per day on projects because they
benefit Israel.) Here are just a few of the many ways our government have been perpetuating
Israeli human rights abuses this year: Israel couldn’t get away with murder like it does, without the help of its
great team of devotees. They don’t just solicit money – they influence foreign
policy, trample on Americans’ right to free speech, and dictate politicians’
responses to Palestinian suffering. How do they do it? Simple: nobody is
holding them accountable. A few of the many achievements by friends of apartheid Israel: The stories, sadly, never seem to end – although If Americans Knew
dreams of the day when a just peace comes to the region. Here is a sampling of the various other issues that we addressed in 2021: Palestinians are not without agency. 2021 has seen a huge number of weekly
protests throughout the West Bank, demonstrations in East Jerusalem, and several
weeks of protests by Gazans. Resistance against occupation is legal – even armed
resistance is compatible with international law, though the vast majority of
Palestinian resistance is unarmed. Here are a few examples of Palestinians taking on Israel in 2021: Worldwide, there is a large contingency of Palestinian rights supporters. We
have yet to gain the upper hand over Israel’s propaganda machine, but 2021 was a
year of progress. Here are a few positive stories that If Americans Knew brought you
this year: It’s clear to see that Israel and its allies are determined to keep a boot on
Palestinians’ necks – but times are changing. “Apartheid” has become a common term to describe the situation. Americans’
love affair with Israel is
declining. Especially after the slaughter in May, attitudes are
shifting. This is great news. But we know from experience that when the Palestinian narrative begins to
find acceptance, Israel doubles down on its efforts to silence the truth-tellers
(for example, IAK has struggled mightily against bot attacks on our
website throughout the year). And we know that Israel is stirring up trouble on other fronts besides
Palestine – bombing Syria, pushing the US toward war with Iran (as it did with
Iraq – read
this), inserting itself in African politics (this),
pushing its agenda in
Europe. Bottom line is: If Americans Knew is committed to justice and peace
for the long haul. We hope you will join us. Please share our posts, talk about
the Palestinian struggle, contact your Congress members, and support us
financially if you possibly can. We thank you for partnering with us in this worthy cause. Our
operations are funded solely by generous individuals like you. Your
contribution will help us continue shining a light on the Israel/Palestine
situation and the U.S. connection.
Israel has outdone itself in 2021 – destroying large swathes of Gaza,
shooting to kill Palestinian protesters, endangering Palestinian children, and
more. Here is a rundown of the year’s violence – with hopes that together, we
can work to bring justice and peace in 2022.
ISRAEL’S ATTACK ON GAZA, MAY 2021
ISRAEL’S AGGRESSION IN EAST JERUSALEM AND SHEIKH JARRAH, SPRING 2021
ISRAEL’S WAR ON PALESTINIAN PRISONERS AND DETAINEES
ISRAEL’S WAR ON CHILDREN
ISRAEL’S (GLOBAL) WAR ON PRIVACY
ISRAEL’S WAR ON PALESTINIANS VIA SETTLER VIOLENCE
ISRAEL’S WAR ON PALESTINIAN HEALTH
ISRAEL’S WAR ON HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, ACTIVISTS, AND JOURNALISTS
ISRAEL’S “SHOOT FIRST” POLICY
CORPORATE AMERICA, MAINSTREAM, AND SOCIAL MEDIA SIDE WITH ISRAEL
US GOVERNMENT’S WAR ON JUSTICE AND PEACE FOR PALESTINIANS
ISRAEL LOBBY’S AND ISRAEL PARTISANS’ EFFORTS TO KEEP ISRAEL HAPPY
Israeli police officers detain a Palestinian protestor during scuffles
outside the compound housing al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City March
12, 2019. (reuters)MISCELLANEOUS INJUSTICES THAT DESERVE MENTION
PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE
AMERICAN AND GLOBAL ALLIES OF JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS
BOTTOM LINE