Thousands attend Jaradat funeral in his hometown of Sair

The UN is now calling for an inquiry into the death of Arafat Jaradat, after Palestinians demanded an international investigation.

Al Jazeera, the BBC, Reuters, all recorded Jaradat’s funeral in his hometown of Sair in the southern West Bank yesterday, as thousands gathered to show their respect for the family. I chose this video because it includes a spokesperson for Palestinian Government Media Center as well as Netanyahu spokesperson Mark Regev:

Mark Regev: Israel expects the Palestinian Authority to act responsibly and to prevent incitement and violence that can only exacerbate the current situation.

Palestinian government spokesperson: Settler attacks against ordinary Palestinians is on the rise the raids of the Israeli army also against Palestinian cities and towns have increased sharply. That’s in addition to the rising tensions inside Iraesi prisons where a Palestinian detainee has lost his life.

The full statement of from the Palestinian spokesperson yesterday can be heard here.

I have repeatedly reported there has been a dramatic rise in provocative actions taken by the Israeli government, by their lawmakers and military, that increase tension. Israel has been “igniting violent protest” for months, just like this:

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Israeli undercover troops broke into a West Bank apartment building in a failed arrest raid Thursday, igniting a violent protest and signaling that Israeli-Palestinian security coordination may be in trouble, officials said.

Thursday’s raid targeted a suspected Islamic militant and marked the second time this week an army operation sparked clashes. Palestinians accused Israel of taking provocative actions in retaliation for their successful bid in November to win U.N. recognition of a state of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, the territories Israel captured in 1967.

Would Mark Regev, Netanyahu, or the government of Israel like Abbas to “act responsibly” by using Palestinian security to clamp down on unrest being incited by Israeli raids which have “increased sharply” in Palestinian cities and towns as well as arrests, imprisonment, interrogation and torture? The government of Israel needs to change and the world needs to hold them accountable.

 Ynet last month claimed Palestinians are fomenting the unrest and provoking a   violent Israeli response:

[T]he Palestinian leadership is fomenting controlled unrest in the West Bank territories.

While Israeli intelligence officials and politicians argue over whether a third intifada has erupted, the PA has already activated a “soft intifada” – or an “awareness intifada.” The goal is to methodically place their demands at the top of the international media’s agenda while avoiding violence and terror. The PA is initiating dozens of non-violent provocations, or provocations that involve a minimal level of violence – without the use of weapons or explosives – such as the building of “outposts” in Area C, holding demonstrations near disputed sites such as Bil’in, and throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails.

Fatah operatives and PA clerks refer to this growing phenomenon as a “peaceful intifada,” but these tactics are meant to provoke violent responses from Israeli security forces, which also make for good photos for the international press. Foreign news teams are invited to the scene in advance, so these incidents become victories in the Palestinian “awareness” campaign.

May the death of Arafat Jaradat not lead to more innocent death. One of Jaradat’s relatives speaks in this Al Jaareza video about events surrounding his death (1:35 ):

The Palestinian street was boiling before, with Arafat’s death things became more tense, I hope nothing happens, we don’t want innocent people like Arafat to die