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‘They are the terrorists’–-Palestinians mourn a second death from settler arson attack

Hundreds of mourners from the northern West Bank poured into the hamlet of Duma to lay to rest a second Palestinian who had succumbed to wounds from a settler arson attack last week. Sa’ad Dawabshe, father of baby Ali Dawabshe who burned to death in the attack, died in the early morning hours in a hospital in southern Israel where he was being treated. His remains were transferred to his parents’ home outside of Nablus.

Seated in her courtyard around dozens of relatives, Dawabshe’s mother wept as she clutched a white tissue cloth. Her son’s body was ceremoniously displayed in front of her atop a low table draped in the Palestinian flag. Journalists clamored around her for photographs and interviews under the canopied patio. 

The mother of Sa’ad Dawabshe and a relative grieve. (Photo: Dan Cohen)
The mother of Sa’ad Dawabshe and a relative grieve. (Photo: Dan Cohen)
Artwork inside the burned-out Dawabshe home blames the Israeli government for the firebombing. (Photo: Dan Cohen)
Artwork inside the burned-out Dawabshe home blames the Israeli government for the firebombing. (Photo: Dan Cohen)

Amid the summer heat wave two relatives fainted while overcome with grief, causing a stir from aiding family members who themselves were also sobbing.

“Killing women, children, the elderly,” said Maitha Selman, 60, an aunt of Dawabshe who stood in the courtyard, “it is not allowed in monotheistic religions. It’s sinful.” 

“They say we the Palestinian are terrorists, but no, they—the Israelis—are the terrorists,” Selman continued.

Dawabshe’s remains were then hoisted through the town to the village cemetery, followed by chants of “strike, strike Tel Aviv,” shouted by Palestinians who marched behind Dawabshe’s shrouded body, singing out a protest anthem that was popularized during the last two wars in Gaza.

Mourners carry the body of Sa’ad Dawabshe wrapped in a flag. (Photo: Dan Cohen)
Mourners carry the body of Sa’ad Dawabshe wrapped in a flag. (Photo: Dan Cohen)
The funeral procession walks from the Dawabshe home to the graveyard. (Photo: Dan Cohen)
The funeral procession walks from the Dawabshe home to the graveyard. (Photo: Dan Cohen)

Mourners from villages throughout the Nablus region joined the bereaved—first lining up at their towns’ entrances in shoulder lanes of a main Israeli highway in the West Bank, and then they caravanned to the funeral. During the funeral ceremony some called for “revenge,” appealing for al-Qassam brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, to retaliate. They brought flags representing a spectrum of Palestinian political factions: Fatah, Hamas, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Popular Arab Front, and Islamic Jihad. 

“I came because he is my brother. He is Palestinian and I am Palestinian, Nour Salam, 21, said, a Palestinians from the nearby village of Talfeet. Salam was draped in a black and white Islamic Jihad flag and emphasized he felt settler attacks against Palestinians would not stop until Palestinians have freedom. For Salam, his plight is simple: he wishes for life in the West Bank to resemble the quality it held before the Israeli occupation of the territory occupied in the June 1967 war. Yet Salam lamented, daily life under occupation had crushed his spirit for a brighter future. He does not believe he will live to see Palestinians free from Israeli control.

“It’s impossible. Every day settlers kill people, and every day the army kills people,” Salam said.

Palestinian men gather at the entrance to the village of Duma before the body of Sa'ad Dawabshe arrives. (Photo: Dan Cohen)
Palestinian men gather at the entrance to the village of Duma before the body of Sa’ad Dawabshe arrives. (Photo: Dan Cohen)

The past two years have marked a sharp increase in settler violence against Palestinians. Attacks, which include arson, beating and destruction of Palestinian agricultural fields, skyrocketed from 93 incidents in 2012 to 963 incidents in 2013, and 1011 incidents in 2014, according to data complied by the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s monitoring group. Israeli human rights group note there were 8 arson attacks against Palestinians in 2014.

Since January 2014, Palestinians killed 16 Israeli civilians in the West Bank and Israel. In that same period seven Palestinians were killed in nationalist attacks by Israeli citizens, and 58 killed by Israeli security forces, according to the Israeli human rights group B’tselem. 

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Allison and Dan,

Your daily lives are so immersed in the outrage of the Palestinian living misery and tragedy under Occupation …
I am in awe of your fortitude in your perseverance with depicting and reporting on the sad developing events.

Thank you.

Try to imagine how many Palestinians would now be dead if the victims of this terror attack had been Israelis. If history is anything to go by it would be more than a thousand, including hundreds of children. That’s just how they roll.

The past two years have marked a sharp increase in settler violence against Palestinians. Attacks, which include arson, beating and destruction of Palestinian agricultural fields, skyrocketed from 93 incidents in 2012 to 963 incidents in 2013, and 1011 incidents in 2014, according to data complied by the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s monitoring group. Israeli human rights group note there were 8 arson attacks against Palestinians in 2014.

Since January 2014, Palestinians killed 16 Israeli civilians in the West Bank and Israel. In that same period seven Palestinians were killed in nationalist attacks by Israeli citizens, and 58 killed by Israeli security forces, according to the Israeli human rights group B’tselem.

look at that jump from 2012 to 2013!!! tell me this was not calculated! let’s see what began, the GROSS incitement beginning in dec 2012:

timeline beginning dec 5-6 2012 Israeli prediction of third intifada follows days of provocation in Hebron: http://mondoweiss.net/2012/12/hebron-video-alleging-announcement-of-3rd-intifada

day after day after of provocation!

this began right after nov 2012 “Operation Pillar of Defense” which at the time i wrote about as being in response to palestinians seeking their bid at the UN. it became very clear the night obama was elected for the 2nd term. the very night of the election:

Palestinians circulate draft resolution at UN as Barak implores US to help Israel delay bid – See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2012/11/palestinians-circulate-draft-resolution-at-un-as-barak-implores-us-to-help-israel-delay-bid#sthash.eBgkBKQn.dpuf

On election eve when Netanyahu was giving his ‘we don’t need America to attack Iran interview, nine Israeli ministers were in a closed meeting discussing ways to threaten Palestinians over their bid. The day after the election Haaretz reported a long list of retributions, characterized as harsh sanctions towards the Palestinian Authority in response to the PLO seeking the UN upgrade.

Haaretz: Israel may expand settlement activity if PA seeks UN upgrade:

more at the link. the day after i wrote that israel invaded gaza and began the 2012 nov slaughter and as soon as that was over, palestinians were determined to go to the UN, within days israel announced this so called 3rd intifada which they did everything in their power to start.

The Times of Israel reports that Israeli political officials, responding to another video gone viral, state soldiers “should not be subject to restrictions in their response to demonstrators”, ”soldiers should make maximal use of all weapons at their disposal”and “troops…hands were tied by superiors.”

it was only obama’s impending visit that spring which slowed that down a notch.. but it’s been an escalation ever since.

everything became radically escalated. live ammo used against palestinians, it becamse open season. they are on a race with the international community — with the UN — to establish ‘facts on the ground’. it makes my blood boil!

this is policy. no doubt in my mind.

Artwork inside the burned-out Dawabshe home blames the Israeli government for the firebombing. – See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2015/08/terrorists-palestinians-settler#sthash.jFUPs5l7.dpuf

The dastardly murderous arson was a horrible act. Indeed the occupation created conditions that exacerbate hatred and create a vacuum that is filled by acts of hatred and the current government is part and parcel of this occupation, hatred and vacuum.

The artwork is too neatly summed up in the words that you use in the caption. It is a Jewish hand with a Jewish menorah burning Palestine. The colors of the clothing on the arm of the hand holding the menorah are the colors of the flag and the menorah is a symbol of the Jewish state.

Duh. This picture is worth 10,000 words. Certainly not like the cartoons of the Israeli gov’t.