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jenin massacre
A Visit to Jenin Shows the Consequences of Performative US Policies
The assault in July was executed using weapons from U.S. arms deals, despite tightened restrictions issued by President Joe Biden in February.
Aug 25, 2023
A couple of weeks ago, I visited the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank where a major attack by the Israeli Occupation Forces , or IOF, was carried out in July under the guise of a military operation targeting militants. The two-day raid resulted in the murder of 12 Palestinians, including four children, over 100 wounded, and 3,000 forced to evacuate by the IOF’s indiscriminate violence.
Nearly a month later, there were signs of the invasion everywhere, forcing Palestinians to relive this violence daily. Streets that were destroyed by the IOF remained inaccessible, homes torched by drone strikes were haunting, bullet holes marked almost every home I passed by. The local showing me around, a resident of Jenin refugee camp, informed me that the IOF struck the streets first so that movement would be restricted. The IOF deliberately destroyed the streets of a densely populated refugee camp before attacking it from ground and air.
I witnessed two especially devastating sights that day: Shireen Abu Akleh’s memorial covered in bullet holes, a testament to the relentless violence perpetuated in Jenin, and the graves of the martyrs that this attack produced. The 12 graves were gathered on a small patch of land, with flowers planted on top of them. Some included pictures of the martyrs, revealing how young these so-called “militants” were. I could feel the collective grief for the martyrs in the air. Two young boys were visiting them when we arrived, and those passing by exclaimed, “May God have mercy on them.” The invasion failed to destroy Jenin’s spirit of resistance.
If it’s one thing being Palestinian teaches you, it’s that there is always room to resist, because our personal power is our greatest tool.
Despite the devastation brought on by the occupation, Palestinians continue to have a conviction to live a joyful life. Their vitality somehow made even the occupation digestible. Hearing about Jenin’s spirit of resistance is one thing, but witnessing it in person is another—that is when you understand. You understand that resistance is continuing to live next to your neighbor’s home that was struck by an IOF drone, not allowing the destroyed streets to stop you from walking to prayer; it’s passing by bullet holes in almost every building on your way to visit family. After witnessing these conditions, I wonder what type of attitude towards Israel Palestinians are expected to have. Think about a Palestinian child growing up in these conditions, living amid the destruction of a military raid that left their community members dead, injured, and detained. It is unreasonable to expect that these circumstances would foster a positive attitude towards Israel. In fact, they only fuel the resistance, and Israel is well aware of it, therefore their intentions for the outcome of this “operation” must be investigated.
The erasure of Palestinians is at the core of the Zionist political movement, making Israel a constant threat to Palestinian life. The actions of the IOF make it clear that their goal is to literally target and murder Palestinians who resist against Israel, even if they are children. Furthermore, the nature of this attack, which took place in a densely populated refugee camp, represents Israel’s frequent strategy of collective punishment. It’s used as a way to intimidate and punish all Palestinians in hopes of deterring them from resisting the occupation. The invasion was so brutal and indiscriminate that Palestinians fled in fear for their lives.
Israel cannot hide behind their narrative of Palestinian terrorists, and call their invasions military operations, when at this point in history we’ve seen this language weaponized to downplay Israel’s crimes against humanity time and time again. The world has watched Israel attack and oppress Palestinians for decades, we’ve watched the violent settler colonization of Palestine progress, we are aware of Israel’s genocidal goals. Our governments have witnessed this as well, yet the U.S. government remains a staunch supporter of Israel and consistently violates its own policies while doing so.
The residents of the Jenin refugee camp have been recurrent targets of Israeli military violence, particularly since the second intifada in 2002. The assault in July was executed using weapons from U.S. arms deals, including the Boeing-made Apache helicopter. Despite President Joe Biden’s Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) policy, which prohibits authorizing arms transfers if the recipient is likely to use them for “grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949,” including violence against children, these deals continue. The Jenin attack resulted in the death of four children, and over 35 children have been killed by Israel this year. The same Apache helicopter used in the July attack was also used in 2002, leading to the killing of 53 Palestinians, the destruction of over 400 homes, and the displacement of more than a quarter of the camp’s population. Despite the use of the Apache helicopter by Israel to breach the Geneva Conventions in 2002, the U.S. government has taken no action to halt future arms sales to Israel. These actions clearly violate both the CAT policy and international law, but the arms deals are still being authorized, implicating the U.S. in the ongoing occupation and emphasizing the lack of accountability.
Biden’s CAT policy was just released February of this year, specifically to include tighter restrictions on arms deals, but somehow Israel is evading accountability yet again. It begs the question, are policies written in a way to allow exceptions when it benefits U.S. interests? The tighter restrictions take form in the language used to define the standards by which the recipient of arm sales will be assessed. The previous policy uses the phrase “actual knowledge,” which Biden replaced with “more likely than not.” This is in reference to the standards by which the recipient of the arms sales will be assessed in their likelihood of using the weapons to commit atrocities. However, in the context of a subjective policy which serves as a guide rather than a prescription of specific outcomes, the difference between “actual knowledge” versus “more likely than not” does not translate into a tangible change in accountability. Furthermore, the U.S. government is given more than enough proof that Israel uses U.S. weapons to commit atrocities when the IOF targets and murders children and the former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett confirms and defends this on BBC. It is clear that even the U.S.’s own policies cannot stop them from aiding ethnic cleansing abroad.
That does not mean that all is hopeless. If it’s one thing being Palestinian teaches you, it’s that there is always room to resist, because our personal power is our greatest tool. As a Palestinian American, I was born into this cause and I bear a responsibility to it twofold. First, in the commitment to the liberation of my people and my land, and second, in the commitment to global peace and liberation, which requires me to hold my own government accountable. As U.S. citizens, and citizens of the world, we all have the responsibility to use our personal and collective power in every capacity we can. If the U.S. writes a subjective policy perpetuating oppressive structures abroad, it is our job to do everything we can to pressure that subjectivity in favor of the oppressed. During my visit to Palestine, the Palestinians there emphasized how important international support is, especially in the U.S. It is our duty to honor that.
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At Least 7 Killed in Jerusalem Synagogue Attack After Israeli Troops Kill 10 Palestinians
"We grieve for all this unthinkable loss. And with our grief, we also rage," said Jewish Voice for Peace. "The Israeli government's domination and oppression of Palestinians is the root cause of each of these senseless, tragic deaths."
Jan 27, 2023
Human rights defenders condemned a Friday attack outside a synagogue in an illegal Israeli settlement by a Palestinian gunman who murdered at least seven people—a massacre that followed the killing of 10 Palestinians by Israeli forces during a raid in the occupied West Bank Thursday.
The Times of Israelreports the unidentified gunman shot and killed seven people and wounded three others during the Friday evening attack in Neve Yaakov in East Jerusalem. Friday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The attacker was shot dead during a gunfight with police as he attempted to flee into the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina. An ambulance service said the deceased ranged in age from 20 to 70.
In a statement, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, said the U.N. chief "strongly condemns today's terrorist attack by a Palestinian perpetrator outside a synagogue in Jerusalem, which claimed the lives of at least seven Israelis and injured several others."
"It is particularly abhorrent that the attack occurred at a place of worship, and on the very day we commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day," Dujarric added. "There is never any excuse for acts of terrorism. They must be clearly condemned and rejected by all."
\u201c\ud83d\udea85 #Israelis killed & 5 wounded in a shooting attack near a synagogue in the Neve Yaakov settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.\n\nViolence begets violence begets violence....\n\nPeople don't understand how close the occupied territories are to a full disastrous explosion!\u201d— Muhammad Shehada (@Muhammad Shehada) 1674846498
Tom Nides, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, tweeted that he is "shocked and disgusted at this heinous terrorist attack on innocent people, including children. Praying for all of the victims and their loved ones."
The synagogue massacre came one day after Israeli occupation forces killed 10 Palestinians including an elderly woman and wounded around 20 others during an early morning raid on the Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces then bombed Gaza early on Friday morning after Palestinian resistance fighters fired two rockets at Israel.
The Jenin raid was part of Operation Breakwater, a nine-month campaign targeting Palestinian resistance in the camp and nearby Nablus. Human rights groups say 30 Palestinians, both fighters and civilians, have been killed so far by Israeli forces in 2023. Last year was the deadliest year for West Bank Palestinians since the second intifada—or general uprising—a generation ago, with 150 people including 33 children killed. Another 53 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in 2022.
\u201cInstead of linking today's terrible attack in Jerusalem to Holocaust Remembrance Day, which it has nothing to do with, you might connect it instead to the 30 Palestinians that have been killed by Israel just this month. This is a cycle of violence borne of Israeli apartheid.\u201d— Arielle Angel (@Arielle Angel) 1674851482
In a statement following the synagogue murders, the U.S.-based group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) called the attack "the inevitable, horrifying outcome of decades of Israeli apartheid"
"We grieve for all this unthinkable loss. And with our grief, we also rage. The Israeli government's domination and oppression of Palestinians is the root cause of each of these senseless, tragic deaths," JVP contended.
"The violent, racist speech coming from the Israeli government makes it clear that the Israeli military will continue to escalate its violent attacks on Palestinians. Already the Israeli army has invaded Palestinian neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem," the group said.
\u201c10 killed in #Jenin and now 5 dead, 5 wounded in Jerusalem shooting attack: these are the ENTIRELY PREDICTABLE RESULTS of a vicious extremist #Israeli government that leaves no room for hope, no room for peace, more to come. https://t.co/kQt5NgIMw3\u201d— Sarah Leah Whitson (@Sarah Leah Whitson) 1674845638
JVP continued:
What we are witnessing is not a "conflict," a "clash," or a "war" between two equal parties. There is no mistaking the massive disparity of power between the Israeli government and the Palestinians it targets. Backed by $3.8 billion in annual military funding from the U.S. government, the Israeli government controls, dominates, and dispossesses Palestinian lives and lands.
"We are on the side of unconditional commitment to justice, equality, freedom, and dignity for all people, no exceptions," JVP added. "To achieve a future where all are safe and free, we must end the Israeli government's settler-colonial apartheid regime."
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