Historian and critic of the secular state Norman Finkelstein talks about the way the military deals with Arabs. He says it instigates a bit, then some more, then some more, then the Arabs push back, then the military claims it was attacked and slaughters people.
I wondered if this was true. And today I witnessed the tactic in action. I was at a bris in the middle of Meah She'arim. After hearing some commotion, I went outside and saw a troop of police. There were at least twenty of them, armed with rifles and machine guns and stun grenade cannons.
All the weaponry is a strange sight in Meah She'arim because the people are so peaceful. They walk slowly in long coats and modest clothing. They always seem to be on the way to shul or grocery shopping. Unlike many in this secular state, they don't carry guns. They carry tefillin bags.
The police stomped around, with their glaring eyes, and their dead faces, acting like they owned the place. It turns out they had come to remove Palestinian flags.
There was only one actual flag, and then two small ones painted on a wall. You would have thought that they were searching for atom bombs. They looked so serious and so angry. I couldn't decide if it was more scary or comical.
The people took it in stride. Nobody spoke to them. Nobody even shouted which surprised me because I keep reading in the papers how those awful Charedim shout the word Nazi at the poor wonderful police. A few people watched as one policeman went into a shul to pull down the flag, and another spray painted over the small picture of a flag on the wall.
I got this vibe that I often get from Israelis. Ooh we caught you. They love to catch people. The bus ticket checkers relish catching somebody who forgot to swipe his card or who did but his card didn't work and he didn't realize it. Once, a guy from the post office gave me that I caught you attitude when I was about to accept a package for my wife, which is what I thought he wanted me to do. I said, do you want me to sign for it? Ah, he caught me. I'm not her!!
So the police sprayed over the flag, and I figured this was unpleasant but I guess that's it. But it wasn't over. The police lingered. They marched around the neighborhood looking for more flags. I went back inside to the seudah for a half hour and then heard more commotion. The police were still there, stomping around, storming past people, pointing their guns.
Here's what happens. The police come and the people put up with it. But the police don't leave. They do their best to intimidate until finally a mentally unstable person -- and Meah Shearim has a few -- shouts or tosses something at them. The police rush the person. The Charedim rush to save their friend. And the melee begins.
The police start it all. That was their intention all along.
I remember something I read from a former soldier, how the police stomp around Hebron with the intention of making the Arabs feel chased. Everything with Israelis is about intimidation.
So right about this time school let out. Was that intentional? Did the police time their little storm trooper march for when school let out? I'll bet they did. So all the children -- and that includes little cheder boys with their payus and little school girls with their books bags -- saw the big mean police grabbing, shoving, arresting.
It was mayhem. And it was all caused by one of the world's most unprofessional police forces. Does it really matter if there are three Palestinians flags in Meah Shearim? Aren't there crimes to solve? Isn't there a war going on? Well, actually it isn't a war, but that's another subject.
And the world's most unprofessional press -- when it comes to Charedim-- will report that those nasty Charedim attacked the wonderful brave police and called them that dreaded N word.
But I know really happened because I witnessed it with my own eyes. It was twelve hours ago and I'm still furious! I'm told that this goes on all the time.
Jewish state? I don't think so.
Can you imagine what they do to Arabs? I don't even want to think about it.
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