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MidEastTruth Forum Index   Ben-Dror Yemini was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel in 1954. He studied Humanities and History in Tel Aviv University, and later on he studies Law. After his university studies, he was appointed advisor to the Israeli Minister of Immigration Absorption and then became the spokesman of the Ministry. In 1984, he began his career as a journalist and essayist. He worked as a lawyer and was a partner in a law firm. He has worked for the daily newspaper Maariv, and in Spring 2014 began writing for the daily Yedioth Ahronoth. The author of "The Industry of Lies."

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PostMon Feb 17, 2014 6:44 pm     Does Israel really practice slavery against Palestinians?    


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Does Israel really practice slavery against Palestinians?

By Ben-Dror Yemini
i24news.tv
February 13, 2014

The word "demonization" is commonly tossed around in the global debate on Israel. Demonization is not synonymous with criticism. Demonization, as its name implies, is the attempt to depict Israel as a monster -- a state established on the basis of crimes against humanity, racism, apartheid and fascism. We were recently subject to a fascinating example of demonization in a piece by professor Eva Illouz published in Ha'aretz ("47 years a slave," Feb. 7, 2014.) Illouz's argument, put briefly, is that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank requires a new definition: slavery, no less.

Most of the article consists of the usual ramblings that are popular in some circles and give academics a bad name, but we can still deal with some of the supposed facts in the article that deserve to be examined and discredited.

Thus, for example, Illouz maintains that Palestinian boys, aged 13-17, are frequently arrested by the Israel Defense Forces. The source she cites is Military Court Watch, which she describes as "an independent Israeli NGO." She adds the "fact" that Israel holds detained Palestinian children convicted of misdemeanors (for two days) in open "cages," exposed to the elements.

Is it true? According to the Council of Youth Wellbeing, 606 teens were arrested in the West Bank in 2012. Data of the human rights group B'Tzelem, shows that a majority were aged 16-18 and not, as Illouz claims, 13-17. These young men are the main perpetrators of stone throwing attacks that sometimes injure and kill.

The organization that Illouz cites was established by the Dalia Association, a Palestinian fund. In addition, the story of the "Palestinian cages" was spread by one of the organizations Illouz trusts. The Perspectiva website has since cleared things up in detail, and even the British Independent issued an apology. Ha'aretz corrected the article after publication.

Illouz goes on to argue that the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions found that in 2013 alone, 634 Palestinian houses were demolished, leaving 1,034 people homeless. These numbers should lead us to infer "that a basic condition of life – to have a shelter and home – has been systematically and widely undermined by the policy of house demolition."

Let us suppose that, indeed, 634 houses were demolished. To begin with, the numbers speak about Area C, the part of the West Bank under Israeli control, which is home to only 10 percent of the Palestinian population. There are many more demolitions carried out in Jewish settlements. The Interior Ministry, which only deals with a small portion of demolitions over illegal construction, took down 1,685 houses in 2013, alone. According to Illouz's logic, all Israelis may be slaves. And all Scandinavians, too.

Illouz's numbers are off, though. According to B'Tzelem, 173 homes were demolished in 2013. To its credit, B'Tzelem noted that they were unlicensed buildings. The man who heads the organization that Illouz cites, Jeff Halper, roams the world spreading nonsense about how even the Saudi peace initiative is an Israeli-Arab conspiracy to oppress the Arab masses. For Illouz, he is a credible source.

To the matter at hand: The West Bank is home to between 1.4-2.4 million people (demographers are split on the matter.) In what world does the demolition of 173 buildings lead to the conclusion of a systematic policy of house demolitions? Are philosophers and sociologists exempt from common sense? Every government, even in Sweden, prohibits illegal construction. Moreover, the Palestinian Authority is currently constructing an entire city, Rawabi, with thousands of houses. How does this relate to systematic house demolitions and what does "slavery" have to do with it?

The argument continues with Illouz claiming that "during Operation Cast Lead in 2008-09, the IDF used Gazan civilians as 'human shields,' a practice prohibited by Israeli and international law and conventionally viewed as barbarian."

There were indeed two cases of people being used as human shields. The soldiers were tried. Does the fact that the law prohibits the practice, and that those who perpetrated it were tried, indicate a "condition of slavery," or proof of proper conduct? Where in hell has the professor misplaced her analytic abilities?

Ninety percent of the Palestinians in the West Bank live under the rule of the Palestinian Authority, for all intents and purposes. Despite what Illouz contends, most of the Israeli military checkpoints within the West Bank have been removed. There exist shameful incidents of racist acts of violence against Palestinians, mostly carried out by a small minority of extremist Jewish settlers, and these should be combated. But what has that got to do with slavery? We can carry on with a simple examination of objective indicators: dramatically increased lifespan under Israeli rule; a sharp drop in infant mortality: expedited development, which led to the fact that the Palestinians boast the highest rates of post-secondary education graduates in the Arab world. All these do not suggest that the occupation should be enshrined or protect Israel from criticism, but one thing is clear. This is not slavery.

Illouz is Ha'aretz's court philosopher. She has re-written history before, writing in an article that the French are wonderful because they defended Dreyfus, compared to the fascist Israelis who still need their Emile Zola. She also wrote an article questioning why Israelis are so "obedient." Obedient? Blogger Uri Hietner claimed that it was like writing an article asking why water is dry.

Illouz does not tarnish Ha'aretz's reputation, because in these matters its name has already been sullied. She does tarnish the reputation of intellectuals, intellectual integrity and philosophy. George Orwell wrote that "there are some ideas so absurd that only an intellectual could believe them." Illouz consistently proves him right.

Ben Dror Yemini is an Israeli journalist, researcher and speaker. His book "The Industry of Lies" is soon to be published.

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