Do you condemn Israel?

I’ve always tried to distinguish between the war crimes of the so-called Israel Defence Forces and the behaviour of ordinary citizens living in the occupation state. It is wrong to apply or even imply collective responsibility of a whole nation for the actions of a relative minority.

Stereotyping huge swathes of a population is a dangerous business, as Muslims and Jews in Britain are finding out with an unprecedented increase in Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in the UK courtesy of Israel’s war against the Palestinians in Gaza. Having suffered from this sort of abuse personally — but in no way as badly as fellow Muslims of colour — I’ve made every excuse I can for Israelis behaving badly.

Today, though, we have seen Israelis rioting in their rogue state essentially in support of the right of soldiers to rape captive Palestinians. Moreover, they are reservists in the ranks of the brutal IDF who may very well be British citizens.

Just let that sink in for a few minutes.

Can you ever envisage a moment where you would rush to a prison to defend an accused rapist of the right to carry on raping? No, me neither.

However, not only are Israeli citizens rioting, but two far-right, unhinged Knesset members joined in. Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu of Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot were among those in the crowd outside the notorious Sde Teiman Detention Centre on Monday defending the alleged rapists.

Extreme far-right government minister Itamar Ben Gvir claimed that it was “shameful” for Israel to arrest “our best heroes”, while finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich added that, “IDF soldiers deserve respect” and must not be treated as “criminals.” Even when they are, presumably.

The situation became so bad that soldiers were redeployed from war-torn Gaza to the base in southern Israel where the soldiers are being held. All nine are being investigated for violent rape charges which left a Palestinian prisoner so damaged that he was unable to walk and needed hospital treatment.

News of the riots came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding an emergency meeting of his war cabinet on how best to respond to a missile strike that killed 12 Syrian Druze living under illegal Israeli occupation in the Golan Heights on Saturday. Israel blames Lebanon’s Hezbollah for the carnage at a football field, but the group has categorically denied any responsibility.

Hezbollah is not normally shy about claiming responsibility on such matters, so…

There is a growing body of opinion that the youngsters on the field were killed when Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system malfunctioned. Or even that it was a false flag operation.

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The response to the “rape riots” from Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog was comparatively muted, although both managed to mumble some words of condemnation about the commotion outside Sde Teiman, but they did little to prevent the storming of the army base later on Monday evening.

The video evidence has been seen on social media over three million times, exposing Israeli citizens who are morally bankrupt and bereft of fundamental human values. This isn’t just an example of degenerate behaviour; it’s indicative of the “morality” of a rogue state which needs to be shunned and boycotted globally.

We could make a start by kicking Israel out of the Paris Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup and any other international event where shared family values, sportsmanship and fair play are celebrated. Most Israeli athletes will have served, or will serve, in the rogue IDF and it is increasingly likely that some may well have taken part war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Little wonder that the Zionist State’s national anthem is usually booed and jeered at such prestigious events.

Just a few weeks ago we saw illegal Israeli settlers destroying food aid intended for starving Palestinians in Gaza. Not only did those despicable settlers show their contempt and hatred for the Palestinians in desperate need, but they also destroyed a humanitarian aid convoy in the process.

It is time for organisations such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews and affiliated community groups to condemn loudly the events which have unfolded in the state which they pledge to protect. Furthermore, how much longer is the British government going to turn a blind eye to the number of Israeli army reservists living in the UK who are willing to join the ranks of what is now being viewed as the most depraved army in the world?

I feel less safe walking the streets of Britain today not knowing if I’m actually moving in the same circles as these psychotic war criminals. With shocking news dropping on my timeline daily exposing the barbarism and savagery of the state of Israel and its armed forces and armed settlers, it is time for Jewish organisations around the world to stand up and condemn what is happening. I’ve had enough of being asked by media professionals in this country and abroad barking at me, “Do you condemn Hamas?” It’s time for Jewish and non-Jewish Zionists alike to be asked: Do you condemn Israel?

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