You won’t see U.S. soldiers demolishing the townhouse of former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin before or after his trial for killing George Floyd. You won’t see his bank account frozen nor that of the other former police officers, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, who just watched and listened as Chauvin pressed his knee on the hand-cuffed Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as he gasped, "I can't breathe."
Even in the midst of a pandemic, Israel continues to demolish the homes of Palestinians accused of deadly attacks against Israelis, saying it acts as a deterrent. During one such mission to demolish a home in Jenin in February, an IDF sniper killed Sgt. Tarek Badwan standing in uniform at the door of his local Palestinian police station, as well as a 19-year-old protester.
What would Americans say if sharp-shooters routinely shot and killed protesters here like they do in the West Bank and Gaza? What would Americans say if we demolished the homes of murderers like Chauvin? Critics of Israel’s home demolition policy, which also includes destroying homes built without a permit, say it amounts to collective punishment. Why are U.S. taxpayers silent as we foot the bill for Israeli collective punishment?
|
|
