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Neutrality marring B’Tselem’s statistical analysis

July 21, 2016 at 2:56 pm

Marking the two year commemoration since Operation Protective Edge, Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem issued a press release discussing the high percentage of civilian fatalities, which included 526 children. The statistical element in the press release is depicted efficiently, yet the press release is marred by neutral rhetoric reminiscent of international organisations.

Contrary to Israeli propaganda, B’Tselem’s findings have differentiated between Palestinians killed while taking part in defending Gaza and others who were killed as a result of Israel’s open-fire policy, which led to the deaths of entire families, including 180 children under the age of six. Throughout the aggression, Israel maintained the policy that all Palestinians were legitimate targets, justifying this premise by alleging that Hamas was using civilians as human shields.

History, however, suggests otherwise. Since each colonial aggression is an extension of the Nakba, it is clear that the intent of embarking upon a calculated extermination of the Palestinian population is inherent in Israel’s policy. B’Tselem’s press release dispels Israel’s myths, but it also falls into the trap of refusing to recognise Palestinian defence against Israeli aggression as legitimate, thus embarking upon differentiation rather than unity.

The use of neutral language and descriptions of the massacres also provide Israel with another veneer of impunity. The legitimate defence of Gaza is described as “taking part in the hostilities”, which downplays the atrocities committed by the Israeli military and security services as the Palestinian population in Gaza was forcibly displaced and targeted incessantly.

In light of B’Tselem’s recent statement that it will cease its collaboration with Israel regarding human rights violations inflicted upon Palestinians, the choice of language and terminology should be meticulously analysed. B’Tselem is using “hostilities” as part of its normalisation discourse throughout, thus levelling the difference between Israeli atrocities and incidents of Hamas rockets falling near settler areas. There is no room for any semblance of equation between both. The press release refers to: “Hamas and other armed groups operating in the Gaza Strip violated international humanitarian law, for example, by aiming rocket attacks at Israeli civilians and by launching them from within densely populated areas.”

Scant attention has been given to the fact that Gaza is a densely populated and limited area, which leaves Hamas with little options as to their defence operations. Furthermore, there is differentiation between Palestinians in armed resistance and others that do not participate which is always mentioned, while settlers are inherently complicit in colonial violence even by their presence and that is never or rarely mentioned.

Since the scope of the report was to highlight Israel’s disproportionate use of force and ensuing atrocities, the nuances contributing to impunity should have been omitted in order to avoid the trap of normalising colonial violence, which is a role the international community relishes and seeks to promote within its humanitarian agenda. Once again, statistically, B’Tselem has performed a meticulous job. Its language, however, is in dire need of refinement.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.