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The Swedish/Norwegian/Greek MV Juliano also hopes to sail. So far, however, it's still blocked in the Greek island of Crete, per orders from Israel and Washington, determined to keep collectively punishing Gazan civilians illegally.
No wonder growing numbers of Israelis are voting with their feet and leaving. On July 15, hundreds of others joined with Palestinians (about 2,000 in total), marching in occupied East Jerusalem, calling for an independent Palestinian state. Among them were Hadash Party MK Dov Hanin and Meretz MK Zehava Galon.
Starting from East Jerusalem's Jaffa Gate, they followed the Green Line dividing East and West Jerusalem, ending at Sheikh Jarrah, a Palestinian neighborhood often attacked by Israeli settlers. In response, extremist Israelis tried to disrupt the march with an ineffective counter demonstration.
On July 15, Reuters writer Tom Perry headlined, "Settler violence against Palestinians up 57 percent in the West Bank," according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) saying:
Palestinian officials call it "a worrying sign of deepening hostility which they fear could trigger wider violence as hard-line settlers increasingly appear to be a law unto themselves...."
Coming from hilltop enclaves, they vandalize Palestinian property and commit assaults with impunity. PA minister Maher Ghoneim, monitoring settlement activities, says Netanyahu's government represents settlements. Extremist Foreign Minister/Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman lives in one. "This naturally encourages" violent attacks.
So far this year, settlers have stoned, run down, or shot at 178 Palestinians (killing three civilians), compared to 176 all last year. In response to Reuters' request, Israeli police and army officials provided no information regarding the scale of violence.
As a result, "(t)he role of Israeli security forces in dealing with settler violence is the focus of controversy." B'Tselem says they do little or nothing to protect Palestinians and their property. Even when arrested, settlers get lenient slaps on the wrist, freeing them to commit more violence with impunity.
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