A Tale of Two Palestinian Brothers... and Israel's Dismissal of Murder

Brian Ross, Murder central; Israel and Amerika.

Bassem Abu Rahma whose friends knew him simply as 'Phil', lays dying after the Israeli military shot him with a tear gas bomb.

(SALEM, Ore.) - This is the story of Bassem "Phil" Abu Rahmah and his brother Ashraf. Bassem was killed by Israel's military during a peace protest. He was unarmed and had no violent intent of any kind, in fact he was begging the Israeli soldiers in Hebrew not to fire directly at them, they did anyway, and struck Bassem squarely in the chest.

This act was excused yesterday by an Israeli judge, and the trigger happy soldier, Brian Ross, is in the clear.

If you want to be a criminal, join the Israeli Defense Forces. They have a special program involving all levels of Israeli government, allowing anyone in uniform to slaughter innocent people from afar, and be acquitted for it.

The Israeli military is every bit as deadly and fierce as the Nazi's in WWII. I wish those who don't know this could ask Palestinian activist Bassem Abu Rahmah, known to friends simply as 'Phil', but they can't because he was murdered about a year ago by Israel's military.

They have adopted a policy of immediately firing tear gas and worse at any peaceful political protesters. The world is in peril as long as Israel exists in its current state.

Israeli soldiers fire tear gas on Palestinians protesting against the Israeli separation barrier which cuts through their West Bank village. The soldiers also fired tear gas at Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's correspondent who was covering the event live from near the village of Bilin.

U.S. support of this genocidal government sadly, has over the years become an extremely defining American quality.

Americans have to broaden their understanding of this complex issue and they need to learn to see through the propaganda. I was one who lived in the dark for years, but I found my way out of the trap, so can others.

Hypocrisy 101 is our national program, and Americans are only one step removed from Israel's deadly military, because their tax dollars are used to pay for Israel's arsenals.

The video below shows Bassem Abu Rahma who was shot in the chest by an Israeli gas bomb. It is extremely similar to video shown on the left, of Israel's military firing at Al Jazeera Reporter Jacky Rowland, who was missed by inches, while reporting live^[1].

The in-your-face approach and total lack of restraint, allows the IDF to use tear gas as a lethal weapon.

They fire the canisters at people, fully aware of the danger. I think it would be more than fair if the protesters had the ability to wage this same type of warfare right back into the ranks of the Israeli forces, they deserve it.

On 17 April 2009, Bassem Abu Rahmah was shot dead during a peaceful demonstration against Israel's Wall in his village of Bil'in. He was hit in the chest with a high velocity tear-gas projectile shot directly at him, and died of wounds minutes after.

But this is not what they do, though the Palestinian demonstrators are constantly labeled as "terrorists" by Israel.

To add insult to death and injury, an Israeli court decided Thursday that the killing at this nonviolent protest against the Annexation Wall in Ni'lin near Ramallah, was not intentional.

Brian Ross, the soldier who murdered Phil, walks away scot free. But nobody is surprised or shocked, this what murderous governments do, and there is not a more rotten or illegal one in existence beyond Israel.

Again, there is no worse or more dangerous government on earth, mostly because of the backing of the U.S.

Brian Ross will not face any charges, and will be allowed to resume his military service as if nothing happened.

But then the USA isn't red, white and blue, it is just white and blue. The red represented the blood spilled and stood for American integrity; it continues to flow from our national wounds.

In fact, last week Congress shattered the legacy of American dedication altogether by circulating a petition in D.C. stating that they are unequivocally behind Israel, period. More than half of the U.S. representative's names were on it. Anybody who wonders why Americans are hated in the world, needs to consider the country's complicity in sixty solid years of Israeli oppression.

Rigged Courts in Israel

Abu Rahma's brother Ashraf, slammed Israel's decision, saying it amounts to giving their soldiers more chances to continue the killing of innocent, nonviolent protesters. Many say it is all part of a simple quite plan of Israel, to continue to slaughter these people, make rules that accommodate it, and then make sure the judges are all in line. I wonder what would happen if an Israeli judge didn't back his government?

In the deadly incident one year ago, the Israeli army claimed that Abu Rahma and other protestors were throwing stones at the soldiers. But the video footage, included in this report, shows that they were not.

Ashraf Abu Rahma being shot by Israeli soldiers

Israel's courts have the integrity of a Nazi review panel; it is nonexistent and fake.

The video footage clearly shows Phil shouting at the soldiers asking them not to open fire. He calls out in Hebrew, "rega, rega, catzin". "officer. officer. wait.. listen..."

They killed him and as of Thursday, all resumes its normal place. Brian Ross was never worried, what? for the Murder of a Palestinian? Please....

Hell, the son of a bitch is probably n hero by now for Zionist Israelis, the way Manson was viewed by his followers like Susan Atkins and Tex Watson.

Murder is a powerful weapon and when people learn that they can increasingly get away with it, they lose control.

Of course this is a miniature version of what Israel has been doing on a world scale for many decades.

The Israeli court's choice to disregard the facts and close all investigations in the issue, ignores the fact that the soldiers did not have to open fire at the protesters to start with as they were not under attack, and the nonviolent protesters were on the other side of a barbed-wire fence installed by the army.

Bil'in in the place where non violent protests take place every Friday, right on schedule, the scene of weekly nonviolent protests against the illegal Israeli Annexation Wall and settlements, and Israeli violence against the peaceful Palestinians and their increasingly growing, worldwide network of supporters.

Palestinian demonstrator, Ashraf Abu Rahma, 27, brother of the deceased, was stopped by soldiers, who cuffed and blindfolded him for about thirty minutes before soldiers and border policemen led him to an army jeep, where a soldier aimed his weapon at the demonstrator's legs, from about 1.5 meters away.

Israeli and International peace activists join the residents in their protests in Bil'in and in several other Palestinian villages in the West Bank. The good people of Israel who oppose the murderous political violence are as at risk, as are Christians and Muslims.

Bassem's brother said that the court's decision does not surprise him, and added that "Israel's Justice System provides cover for the soldiers to continue their crimes".

Ashraf was detained by Israeli soldiers during a nonviolent protest in July of 2008, in the nearby village of Ni'lin, and after he was cuffed and blindfolded a soldier, standing next to him, pointed his gun at his leg and shot him with a rubber-coated bullet.

The shooting of Ashraf was also caught on tape by a young Palestinian girl, it is a story that Salem-News.com covered. Israeli soldiers kidnapped the girl's father later on as a punishment just for exposing the crime. Read all about it below^[2].

This is your nation's desire Americans, they are using your tax revenue to fund an illegal government that murders peaceful protesters in a way that is clearly a direct violation of International Law.

There is no reason for any people in any place to follow laws when this is the sanctioned example. It's too late for Phil Abu Rahma; he followed the law and paid with his life.

Ashraf stated that the family will file an appeal to the Israeli High Court of Justice, and should it also fail to achieve justice, the family says they will resort to the International Court.

Of course Israel has been under charges of International War Crimes for several months by the United Nations.

Israel and over half of the U.S. Congress support the genocide inflicted on Palestinians, holding the same ground which is somehow always tied to the key words "terrorism" and "security" - both of which are subjects that most Palestinians know little about.

I wonder if there is a chance that we could charge members of Congress as accessories to Israel's War Crimes?

I haven't heard of anyone pursuing that one yet.

^[1] Sep-04-2009: Israeli Military Fires on Media Crew in West Bank (VIDEO) - Forward by Tim King Salem-News.com

^[2] Dec-17-2009 : Israelis Shot Palestinian Man Who Was Bound and Gagged - Political Commentary by Tim King Salem-News.com

_________________________________________________________

Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer

Tim King has more than twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines. Tim is a former U.S. Marine.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Silver Spoke Award by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (2011), Excellence in Journalism Award by the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (2010), Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), First-place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Tim was a member of the National Press Photographer's Association for several years and is a current member of the Orange County Press Club.

Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. As News Editor, Tim among other things, is responsible for publishing the original content of 91 Salem-News.com writers. He reminds viewers that emails are easily missed and urges those trying to reach him, to please send a second email if the first goes unanswered. You can write to Tim at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

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Whats up April 3, 2010 10:26 pm (Pacific time)

How can you caption the 2nd picture as "killing Rahma" if he is wearing different clothes than the picture of him lying there dying?

Editor: Sorry, I don't follow you question.  The first image shown of  Abu Rahmah; the image was snapped from the video frame directly below it.

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