Sayfollah Musallet was visiting his family in the village of Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya when settlers allegedly beat him unconscious and blocked an ambulance from reaching him for hours.
I think that it's important to separate the religion from what the worst of its followers. This is true of extremism not only in the Jewish community, but also the Muslim and Christian communities.
I understand what you're saying. It's the rational thing to do. But at the moment I'm not feeling very rational. Right now I feel that I need to do this because it's a way of protesting. It makes me feel better. I don't like feeling that my people are capable of this behavior. I know it isn't new but I'm at my wits' end. Maybe I'll calm down eventually but I'm having a hard time envisioning that. I'm just so angry.
Unfortunately, Zionists are not considered "extreme" in our culture. Far from it, they pretty much run the country these days. And they have supported killing Palestinians for decades.
I think that past wars where religion was involved, children were targeted - maybe not to the extent that the IDF does it tho. The IDF targets children. It is despicable. There is a bloody history in Christian religious wars tho, but there were no cameras.
Thank you for your courage, Paula. To write these words and share your outrage. I hope there are some in your Jewish community who will support and even join you.
Good. It's hard to be alone in all this. I started feeling it shortly after 10/7/23, when I became an anti-Zionist and began to let my long time friends know I was no longer a democrat and would not vote for any party that supported genocide. I lost a few friends....
The problem is that it's impossible to be pure and still vote. Every vote is a compromise. You try to replace a Republican with a Democrat and you get a Sinema or a Fetterman. Even Adam Schiff, who is one of my senators, is a mixed bag. And this is why my preferred candidates never, ever win. Because the ones who win the primaries are always a compromise. The only time my candidate ever made it to the general election was in 1972--George McGovern--and you know what happened to him. This country is basically conservative and I am not. I suspect you might be in a similar situation. And here we are.
True. I worked on the George McGovern campaign.... a clue to my age! I am part of a coalition group in my county and have become familiar with DSA (Zohran Mamdani's affiliation). Our local DSA is comprised of mostly young people, which appeals to me. Perhaps I'll join up and be one of the "elders" there.
Ha ha! 1972 was the first time I could vote. And so begins a downward trend. As for Mamdani, I am so impressed with him. (Did you know that his mother is Mira Nair?) I too have been thinking about joining the Democratic Socialists. A trend?
You don't have to lump being Jewish with that Likoud species of Zionism, in spite of what that would try to make us all, in the western world, believe to be the case. You could go surgical and keep your Jewish tradition and human moral center, and be precise about what is nauseating you. It does the same thing to me. I am only looking at a human military industrial powered society doing the things to another group in total absence of universal morality. For me, this is beyond any religion attribution or justification scope. Pure human basic morals. But I understand your first response, need to say you might have some trouble with that identification being sullied by that supposedly Jewish behavior. I am not Jewish.
I know. Other people have told me the same thing, and I don't dispute it. I just feel that I need to do something to make myself feel better. We are all so impotent these days that even symbolic gestures sometimes help. That's what this is. If I don't do something I will explode.
I understand, you are taking a break from the self association. I wish you not to explode :). Do not. It is not you doing those things. Not in my mind. I have made that surgical process a long time ago, in how I view other cultures and religions, and the Jewish various ways it can be lived, through personal encounters, and my own non-religious education , leaving me with a certain curiosity, or perhaps lack of incuriosity. I am still without any religion, it might have been touch personally for a while, but I enjoy a certain freedom, perhaps in how I view the religions and how states related to them, and the history of religions (mostly monotheistique). I am just saying that people are aware of the difference, and are able to use their critical thinking about generalization. There might be people under fire that might not have the time to be thinking more than their next day survival, and that might leave marks later... But I think far from those lands, we have the time to not fall into dogmas, and probe our own moral senses away from pre-fabricated certitudes.
Thank you for being so nice! I don't want to explode either.
I am not a religious person but I have always considered myself Jewish in a cultural sense. Like you, I am a very curious person so I like to ask questions and learn about all kinds of things. But I don't think most people are like that. If they were, these authoritarian states couldn't exist. And the people who are committing these acts are either doing it for the power, like Netanyahu, or because they *are* incurious--not about everything, but they don't like to question the foundations on which their lives rest. (I have two Orthodox brothers, and while they love to study, they accept a whole bunch of ideas I consider inflexible.)
But anyway, I have a story for you. I am an earring fanatic. I buy tons of inexpensive earrings from Etsy, representing everything from animals to the Eiffel Tower. I went to choose my earrings this morning and caught sight of a pair that looks like a menorah. This really upset me! I thought, "Yikes, what am I doing? Do I have to get rid of these now?" That really gave me pause. I don't have an answer but it really shook me up. Disavowing Judaism is a big deal! Maybe I should listen to all the nice people here who have told me to find another way to protest. I don't know.
Thanks for sharing a bit more about your Jewish background. You might be right about not many people, but if we assume that all the time, it might stay that way. I am glad to hear about another person that did some thinking already. I am thinking second guessing your impulses to not doing things you like, if those things are not in essence bad, just a reminder of that association you are trying to take a pause from, could just be about the thoughts, and then do what you wanted. It should not be a punishing pause. Yes, there are nice people it seems. And you might be one of them. Coming here and sharing your interogation is a nice thing to do. It shows you are not blinded by certain certitudes that get in the way of many of us, possibly even when we think we are not having any, that is the problem with ignorance, that we also ignore what or where it is. There is no end, but we can try our best and use our "soul" (my only conccession to religious thoughts), shorthand for things I might not have the precise words for, it would include moral sentiments.
The US government is not going to do anything either. In fact, ICE and our military may be using the IDF and the Settler violence as an example of how to brutalize people here.
They absolutely are planning on using the same surveillance technologies as the IDF has and continues to use on Palestinians over here to surveil the “wrong” kind of US resident.
If the IDF or settlers kill Americans, it’s ok with Congress. They murdered 34 U.S. sailors and injured 171, besides bombing their ship, the USS Liberty and nothing was done because LBJ didn’t want to upset the Israeli government. But one undocumented migrant kills a U.S. citizen and they want to imprison or deport every brown person in the U.S.
Is it okay for Americans to also do the same to IDF? Be it self defense or preemptively knowing they are a clear and present threat to us. Asking for a friend...
I suggest you be very careful and transparent with your actions. Such as document document document. GoPro and be safe. Social media would be your friend here
Of all the unforgivable things that have gone on: The gleeful soldiers destroying on video, the constant lies of Israeli spokes-people, and the feckless politicians who grovel rather than standing up... what is somehow most despicable is the press. When I find my Normy friends who have no clue about ANY OF THIS - its the press which makes that possible. There should be a special place in hell for them.
I am beyond heartbroken for this beautiful young man and his family, his village and all the Palestinian people. IsRaHell is a terror state that not only condones, but supports this.
Israelis are a damned community. I don't want to be anyone of them when they breathe their last breath; whether or not they believe in God there will be a price to pay eventually - of that I am sure. Israel is a land full of demons now.
I wish I could believe they would pay a price for what they've done... and that that price would be commensurate.
But it seems to me that the world's biggest monsters never get what they deserve. Henry Kissinger, Dick Cheney, George Bush, Joe Biden, et al., live longer than they should, and never experience an ounce of regret or repentance, let alone retribution.
Monsters almost always seem to do just fine.
In fact, the creation of Israel is an example of innocent Palestinians paying the price for what Germans did. Meanwhile, countless Nazis went on to enjoy life in the U.S. (and around the world), with total impunity...
The Man Jewish settlers murdered is a Palestinian American, USA will not take any action against Israel but if he would have been a white American the story would be quite different.
Hi Prem and Zeteo team! I live near Port Charlotte and am trying to get local news coverage. I am in contact with a reporter from the local paper. Is there anyone at Zeteo we can connect him with?
I was just fantasizing about a headline that read along the lines of Local American citizen, who works at his family’s ice cream shop beaten unconscious by residents of an illegal Israeli settlement, who then blocked medical aid for 2 hours. Young man was DOA when he arrived at hospital. Obviously I’m no journalist, but I’d like, just once, to see our media cover these incidents accurately.
Thank you and please keep us posted on your progress.
When Americans of Palestinian descent are killed by Israeli settlers/ soldiers, they reported as “Palestinian “ who happened to be US citizens, but when Zionists of American descent are hurt by Palestinians, they are reported as “ Americans “ who happened to be Zionists. This double standard has to end.
Dictatorships Have One Thing in Common Lack of Empathy
Hopefully we can all agree that what Herr Homan, head of the Brown Shirts(Hitler’s paramilitary in contrast to the Gestapo which was Hitler’s secret police ie Kash Patel’s agency), is despicable, illegal, and reprehensible Herr Homan says he’s getting rid of the "worst of the worst" which is hardly the case Herr Miller who is part of the Gestapo has set a quota of prisoners the Herr Homan must achieve by whatever means
Today a DACA recipient was abducted by the Brown Shirts and taken off to a concentration camp Weeks ago a naturalized child citizen was sent out of the country
It’s getting closer folks First it was undocumented immigrants Now it’s legal citizens who are naturalized by birthright(Cheeto wants to end birthright citizenship and SCOTUS has essentially ruled against him)
WE the People should be appalled at what’s happening in our streets This is NOT who WE are as Americans and WE should never tolerate what is happening in our country
Getting rid of the "worst of the worst" is hardly the case No civil rights for immigrants Lack of empathy? You bet Should we care? Absolutely!!
As Pastor Niemuller wrote (https://bit.ly/3ImpTch) he indirectly condemns complicity of German intellectuals and clergy following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent incremental purging of their chosen targets.
If you don't like what's happening to your fellow human beings, our immigrants then PROTEST locally and make your voice heard
I have been Jewish for 75 years. I am done. I will not be associated with murderers.
I think that it's important to separate the religion from what the worst of its followers. This is true of extremism not only in the Jewish community, but also the Muslim and Christian communities.
I understand what you're saying. It's the rational thing to do. But at the moment I'm not feeling very rational. Right now I feel that I need to do this because it's a way of protesting. It makes me feel better. I don't like feeling that my people are capable of this behavior. I know it isn't new but I'm at my wits' end. Maybe I'll calm down eventually but I'm having a hard time envisioning that. I'm just so angry.
Unfortunately, Zionists are not considered "extreme" in our culture. Far from it, they pretty much run the country these days. And they have supported killing Palestinians for decades.
The Muslim community or the Christians never targeted children,
Hitler never targeted children,
The IDF has DEFINITLY targeted children, in the tens of thousands,
That is indefencsible.
When grown men start shooting , blowing up and vaporising children, they have lost the right to exist.
lauriemillerjade.com
I agree the IDF is despicable. They are committing war crimes and delighting in it.
I think that past wars where religion was involved, children were targeted - maybe not to the extent that the IDF does it tho. The IDF targets children. It is despicable. There is a bloody history in Christian religious wars tho, but there were no cameras.
What 3 no extreme and 97 raving maniacs
Thank you for your courage, Paula. To write these words and share your outrage. I hope there are some in your Jewish community who will support and even join you.
Thank you, Fran. I suspect that will be difficult, but I do have some pretty radical cousins. think I’ll talk to them about this.
Good. It's hard to be alone in all this. I started feeling it shortly after 10/7/23, when I became an anti-Zionist and began to let my long time friends know I was no longer a democrat and would not vote for any party that supported genocide. I lost a few friends....
The problem is that it's impossible to be pure and still vote. Every vote is a compromise. You try to replace a Republican with a Democrat and you get a Sinema or a Fetterman. Even Adam Schiff, who is one of my senators, is a mixed bag. And this is why my preferred candidates never, ever win. Because the ones who win the primaries are always a compromise. The only time my candidate ever made it to the general election was in 1972--George McGovern--and you know what happened to him. This country is basically conservative and I am not. I suspect you might be in a similar situation. And here we are.
True. I worked on the George McGovern campaign.... a clue to my age! I am part of a coalition group in my county and have become familiar with DSA (Zohran Mamdani's affiliation). Our local DSA is comprised of mostly young people, which appeals to me. Perhaps I'll join up and be one of the "elders" there.
Ha ha! 1972 was the first time I could vote. And so begins a downward trend. As for Mamdani, I am so impressed with him. (Did you know that his mother is Mira Nair?) I too have been thinking about joining the Democratic Socialists. A trend?
Be Jewish. But don't be Zionist. Maybe join Jewish Voice for Peace, and reclaim the best of your traditions.
You don't have to lump being Jewish with that Likoud species of Zionism, in spite of what that would try to make us all, in the western world, believe to be the case. You could go surgical and keep your Jewish tradition and human moral center, and be precise about what is nauseating you. It does the same thing to me. I am only looking at a human military industrial powered society doing the things to another group in total absence of universal morality. For me, this is beyond any religion attribution or justification scope. Pure human basic morals. But I understand your first response, need to say you might have some trouble with that identification being sullied by that supposedly Jewish behavior. I am not Jewish.
I know. Other people have told me the same thing, and I don't dispute it. I just feel that I need to do something to make myself feel better. We are all so impotent these days that even symbolic gestures sometimes help. That's what this is. If I don't do something I will explode.
I understand, you are taking a break from the self association. I wish you not to explode :). Do not. It is not you doing those things. Not in my mind. I have made that surgical process a long time ago, in how I view other cultures and religions, and the Jewish various ways it can be lived, through personal encounters, and my own non-religious education , leaving me with a certain curiosity, or perhaps lack of incuriosity. I am still without any religion, it might have been touch personally for a while, but I enjoy a certain freedom, perhaps in how I view the religions and how states related to them, and the history of religions (mostly monotheistique). I am just saying that people are aware of the difference, and are able to use their critical thinking about generalization. There might be people under fire that might not have the time to be thinking more than their next day survival, and that might leave marks later... But I think far from those lands, we have the time to not fall into dogmas, and probe our own moral senses away from pre-fabricated certitudes.
Thank you for being so nice! I don't want to explode either.
I am not a religious person but I have always considered myself Jewish in a cultural sense. Like you, I am a very curious person so I like to ask questions and learn about all kinds of things. But I don't think most people are like that. If they were, these authoritarian states couldn't exist. And the people who are committing these acts are either doing it for the power, like Netanyahu, or because they *are* incurious--not about everything, but they don't like to question the foundations on which their lives rest. (I have two Orthodox brothers, and while they love to study, they accept a whole bunch of ideas I consider inflexible.)
But anyway, I have a story for you. I am an earring fanatic. I buy tons of inexpensive earrings from Etsy, representing everything from animals to the Eiffel Tower. I went to choose my earrings this morning and caught sight of a pair that looks like a menorah. This really upset me! I thought, "Yikes, what am I doing? Do I have to get rid of these now?" That really gave me pause. I don't have an answer but it really shook me up. Disavowing Judaism is a big deal! Maybe I should listen to all the nice people here who have told me to find another way to protest. I don't know.
Thanks for sharing a bit more about your Jewish background. You might be right about not many people, but if we assume that all the time, it might stay that way. I am glad to hear about another person that did some thinking already. I am thinking second guessing your impulses to not doing things you like, if those things are not in essence bad, just a reminder of that association you are trying to take a pause from, could just be about the thoughts, and then do what you wanted. It should not be a punishing pause. Yes, there are nice people it seems. And you might be one of them. Coming here and sharing your interogation is a nice thing to do. It shows you are not blinded by certain certitudes that get in the way of many of us, possibly even when we think we are not having any, that is the problem with ignorance, that we also ignore what or where it is. There is no end, but we can try our best and use our "soul" (my only conccession to religious thoughts), shorthand for things I might not have the precise words for, it would include moral sentiments.
😀👍Thank you!
The Israeli government won’t do anything. I hate what he went through.
The US government is not going to do anything either. In fact, ICE and our military may be using the IDF and the Settler violence as an example of how to brutalize people here.
Truth
They absolutely are planning on using the same surveillance technologies as the IDF has and continues to use on Palestinians over here to surveil the “wrong” kind of US resident.
They already are.
Facts are facts, yes they are!
Shame on our State Department and POTUS for not protecting American citizens from this terrorism!!
Shame for aiding and abetting the genocide and West Bank uncontrolled violence. They know what’s happening and they’re ok with it. 😡
If the IDF or settlers kill Americans, it’s ok with Congress. They murdered 34 U.S. sailors and injured 171, besides bombing their ship, the USS Liberty and nothing was done because LBJ didn’t want to upset the Israeli government. But one undocumented migrant kills a U.S. citizen and they want to imprison or deport every brown person in the U.S.
Exactly.
Is it okay for Americans to also do the same to IDF? Be it self defense or preemptively knowing they are a clear and present threat to us. Asking for a friend...
No. That'd be fair or something and that's not allowed.
I would think: HELL NO
I've been standing on my downtown crossroads (lots of traffic) with pro-Palestinian protestors for over the last year. My most recent sign reads:
F*CK genocidal Israel (and it's quite colorful)
As of late (the last month) the middle fingers in my direction have increased. It feels like the division is increasing here (small northern CA town).
I suggest you be very careful and transparent with your actions. Such as document document document. GoPro and be safe. Social media would be your friend here
Netanyahu could literally eat a live baby on national TV, and here in America you'd still be called anti-Semitic for criticizing him.
As long as it's a baby Netanyahu claims is a terrorist. We'd be called antisemitic and supporters of terrorism.
Of all the unforgivable things that have gone on: The gleeful soldiers destroying on video, the constant lies of Israeli spokes-people, and the feckless politicians who grovel rather than standing up... what is somehow most despicable is the press. When I find my Normy friends who have no clue about ANY OF THIS - its the press which makes that possible. There should be a special place in hell for them.
I am beyond heartbroken for this beautiful young man and his family, his village and all the Palestinian people. IsRaHell is a terror state that not only condones, but supports this.
Israelis are a damned community. I don't want to be anyone of them when they breathe their last breath; whether or not they believe in God there will be a price to pay eventually - of that I am sure. Israel is a land full of demons now.
I wish I could believe they would pay a price for what they've done... and that that price would be commensurate.
But it seems to me that the world's biggest monsters never get what they deserve. Henry Kissinger, Dick Cheney, George Bush, Joe Biden, et al., live longer than they should, and never experience an ounce of regret or repentance, let alone retribution.
Monsters almost always seem to do just fine.
In fact, the creation of Israel is an example of innocent Palestinians paying the price for what Germans did. Meanwhile, countless Nazis went on to enjoy life in the U.S. (and around the world), with total impunity...
https://www.npr.org/2014/11/05/361427276/how-thousands-of-nazis-were-rewarded-with-life-in-the-u-s
... or live lives of luxury in Argentina.
There's a lot of truth in what you say, Lisa. But karma is a bitch!
❤️❤️ I love that bitch, but she's overburdened & needs volunteers to pick up the slack.
LOL, true
Tragic. My heart grieves for this family. And I am enraged that this has been happening for years with no accountability.
Let’s ask Shumer, Jeffries, Duckworth what they plan to do to protect Americans abroad.
Did you see the Zeteo about this exact question?
https://open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/we-asked-republican-senators-if-they?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=xr3cf
The Man Jewish settlers murdered is a Palestinian American, USA will not take any action against Israel but if he would have been a white American the story would be quite different.
Hi Prem and Zeteo team! I live near Port Charlotte and am trying to get local news coverage. I am in contact with a reporter from the local paper. Is there anyone at Zeteo we can connect him with?
I was just fantasizing about a headline that read along the lines of Local American citizen, who works at his family’s ice cream shop beaten unconscious by residents of an illegal Israeli settlement, who then blocked medical aid for 2 hours. Young man was DOA when he arrived at hospital. Obviously I’m no journalist, but I’d like, just once, to see our media cover these incidents accurately.
Thank you and please keep us posted on your progress.
The world did nothing after Kristallnacht - the world never learns
When Americans of Palestinian descent are killed by Israeli settlers/ soldiers, they reported as “Palestinian “ who happened to be US citizens, but when Zionists of American descent are hurt by Palestinians, they are reported as “ Americans “ who happened to be Zionists. This double standard has to end.
The Trump administration will be demanding answers from Israel, right? No. It won’t.
Dictatorships Have One Thing in Common Lack of Empathy
Hopefully we can all agree that what Herr Homan, head of the Brown Shirts(Hitler’s paramilitary in contrast to the Gestapo which was Hitler’s secret police ie Kash Patel’s agency), is despicable, illegal, and reprehensible Herr Homan says he’s getting rid of the "worst of the worst" which is hardly the case Herr Miller who is part of the Gestapo has set a quota of prisoners the Herr Homan must achieve by whatever means
Today a DACA recipient was abducted by the Brown Shirts and taken off to a concentration camp Weeks ago a naturalized child citizen was sent out of the country
It’s getting closer folks First it was undocumented immigrants Now it’s legal citizens who are naturalized by birthright(Cheeto wants to end birthright citizenship and SCOTUS has essentially ruled against him)
WE the People should be appalled at what’s happening in our streets This is NOT who WE are as Americans and WE should never tolerate what is happening in our country
Getting rid of the "worst of the worst" is hardly the case No civil rights for immigrants Lack of empathy? You bet Should we care? Absolutely!!
As Pastor Niemuller wrote (https://bit.ly/3ImpTch) he indirectly condemns complicity of German intellectuals and clergy following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent incremental purging of their chosen targets.
If you don't like what's happening to your fellow human beings, our immigrants then PROTEST locally and make your voice heard
Trump doesn’t care.