On July 31, racist Israeli settlers set the Dawabsha family home ablaze, burning 18-month-old old Ali Saad Dawabsha to death, inflicting third-degree burns (the most severe kind) on three other family members – his mother, father and brother Ahmed aged four.
The incident reflects a culture of virtual impunity. Extremist settlers rampage unaccountably against Palestinians, committing near-daily acts of violence and vandalism.
The Dawabsha family lost their home. Baby Ali was burned alive in the blaze, his charred body incinerated beyond recognition.
His father Saad perished days later. He couldn’t recover from third-degree burns covering 80% of his body.
On September 5, Maan News reported his wife, Riham, deteriorated seriously, “leaving her in critical condition, her family said…”
Muhammad Dawabsha, a relative and physician, said her blood pressure was extremely low. She wasn’t responding to treatment. The Jerusalem Post said “her life was in immediate danger, and that the coming 24 hours were vital to her.”
She suffered third-degree burns over 90% of her body. It was too much to bear. Intensive care on life support for five weeks couldn’t save her.
September 5 was her 28th birthday. On Sunday she died – victimized by Israeli racist hate. Soroka Medical Center doctors pronounced her clinically dead.
Four-year-old Ahmed so far survives. Whether he’s able to recover remains to be seen. At best, it will take many excruciating months – a struggle his small body may not be able to endure.
Virtually nothing beyond lip service has been done to apprehend the murderers. Suspects briefly detained earlier were released.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says settlers commit acts of violence and vandalism against Palestinians almost daily.
The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din says convictions follow less then 2% of settler crimes. It explains official Israeli “standing idly by” policy.
Saying it “refers to incidents when soldiers witness violence by Israeli citizens against Palestinians and their property and do nothing to prevent the harm while the action is ongoing; refrain from detaining or arresting the perpetrators after the event; fail to secure the scene to allow the collection of evidence; or fail to testify about the event to the police.”
The vast majority of settler crimes against Palestinians go unpunished. Investigations when conducted are whitewashed. Arab-hating settlers are free to do what they please – even commit murder with impunity.
Dawabsha family cousin Manor Dawabsha said “(i)f Arabs (acted like settlers), there is not a chance that the police would act” the same way. “No one has updated us on anything and (responsible settlers are) walking free.”
The world community does nothing to stop or deter Israeli viciousness against defenseless Palestinians. Slow-motion genocide remains official state policy – supported by US-led Western complicity.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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