A Jewish man was murdered yesterday, beaten and hacked to death by two Arabs with metal bars and axes. Here is a bit from the BBC news item:
The incident happened in a part of the Jordan Valley which Israel captured in the war of 1967 where the construction of Israeli homes and businesses is widely considered a breach of international law – something Israel does not accept, says the BBC’s Kevin Connolly in Jerusalem.
The dead man is the third Israeli to be killed in what Israel characterises as “terror attacks” in the last month in the West Bank. Two serving soldiers have also died.
So what exactly does what is “widely considered” have to do with this murder?
It is also widely considered — by many authorities in international law, not just ‘Israel’ — that construction of such buildings is not illegal. In fact, before the Jordanian occupation of this area in 1948, nobody said that Jews couldn’t build in this area.
Then — in actual violation of international law and the UN Charter — Jordan invaded the area, annexed it, and ethnically cleansed it of its Jewish population. The only country that recognized the annexation was the BBC’s homeland, the UK. But I don’t recall protests against illegal Jordanian construction.
In 1967, in a defensive war, Israel reversed these illegal acts. The least the international community could do would be to say thanks! Instead, it became “widely” thought that it was illegal for Jews to live there.
Is it being insinuated that the victims (the man’s wife was injured but escaped) deserved what they got? Or that the murders were somehow justified, or if not justified, understood?
Incidentally, the word ‘murdered’ does not appear in the piece. Only ‘killed’.
Shabbat shalom!
In addition, there is the Israel-Jordan peace treaty which defines their boundary. Like UNSC prop 242, it makes no mention of “Palestinian” rights. The defined boundary is the midline of the Jordan Valley.
Here are some reasons why I also love the bbc:
muslims say…Israelis ‘claim’
Lee Rigby was murdered…Jews/Israelis are killed
Rock throwing muslims are showing peaceful non-violent
resistance…Israeli ‘settlers’ protecting their families are far right wing extremists
muslims that disrupt military funerals are demonstrators…EDL members who oppose them are violent, racist hooligans (what race is islam?)
The new Iranian president who thinks Israel should be destroyed is a moderate…Benjamin Netanyahu is a right wing violent extremist war monger
Turkey can occupy Cyprus as long as they want…Israel must leave the disputed (occupied) territories immediately or face international condemnation
The violent, terrorist muslims in Israel deserve their own state…the Israelis do not
When Egypt closes the border to Gaza they are justified because the Hamas support the muslim brotherhood…when Israel closes the border to Gaza, after years of bombing, they are starving the poor Gazas and causing a humanitarian crisis
These are just a few of the reasons I love the bbc. They never fail to disappoint.
Actually, in addition to the UK, Pakistan also recognized Jordan’s occupation of J&S as ‘legal’. For whatever difference that makes…
Yes, the BBC is appalling. So is most of the major print and broadcast media. I am not sure the BBC is so exceptional. NYT, anyone…? How about the Caliphate News Network (which got dropped by Israel’s largest cable provider a few years ago in favor of Al Jazeera).