Israel Continues Destroying Palestinian Crops

By Stephen Lendman

Israel is one of the world’s most ruthless rogue states – a phantom democracy run by fascists and religious zealots, a regional monster, its viciousness unrestrained.

Its longstanding high crimes include militarized occupation harshness, ruthless persecution, institutionalized racism, and slow-motion genocide – Palestinians collectively punished for not being Jews.

Its latest high crime involves poisoning Gaza farmland, some of its most fertile areas, spraying them with toxic crop-killing pesticides, making them unsafe to eat – part of a scheme against Palestinian agriculture, along with maintaining the Strip under suffocating siege.

An IDF statement lied, claiming “aerial spraying of herbicides and germination inhibitors” along Gaza border areas with Israel “enable(s) optimal and continuous security operations” – preventing nonexistent improvised explosive devices (IEDs), “disrupt(ing) the use of the area for destructive purposes.”

Israel’s lawlessly imposed border “no-go zone” area is now a “no-grow zone,” hundreds of acres of crops maliciously destroyed, the land contaminated to prevent replantings – part of Israel’s slow-motion genocide agenda, including making life unbearably miserable for Palestinians, the world community indifferent to their suffering.

Toxic spraying began last month, continuing into the new year, Israeli drones contaminating increasing acres of farmland, Palestinians losing their crops and and livelihoods.

They’re slowly being suffocated to serve Israeli interests, deprived of vital to life essentials, including food, fuel and medicines.

Farming is hazardous to human life and welfare in Gaza – vulnerable to areas declared off-limits, Israeli land, sea and aerial incursions at its discretion, and now toxic spraying making crops unsafe to eat.

Palestinians are in the crosshairs of Israeli viciousness, notably since its security forces unleashed unrestrained state terror three months ago.

Daily extrajudicial killings continue, along with thousands injured and/or arrested. A virtual war zone exists. Palestinians only choice is committed longterm resistance.

Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haneyya supports it, urging steadfastness against ruthless occupation, saying:

“As we are seeing this blessed intifada that started from the courtyards of the Aqsa Mosque and the streets and alleys of Jerusalem and spread in all West Bank areas and Gaza flashpoints, we believe that our people, who trust in their God and his support, are able to extract their rights, liberate their holy sites and land, and defeat their enemy with the help of the loyal and sincere leaders of this nation.”

He asked regional leaders to support Palestine’s liberating struggle. Mostly they pay lip service only. US-led Western nations one-sidedly back Israel, partnering in its high crimes.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.

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