"Crisis" in Qusra

30 Menachem Av 5786
Rosh Chodesh

Huckabee fancies himself the Roman Governor of the District of Palestine...  Maybe he is a gilgul of Pontius Pilate.  

Note how he is really pushing that "terrorist" label for Jewish self-defense!!

* * *

'Israeli terrorists': Why the Qusra controversy angered the US

The roots of the crisis

At the center of the current controversy is the Tel Talpiot outpost, near the Palestinian villages of Qusra and Jalud. The outpost has been evacuated several times over the past two years, but each time settlers returned to the site and reestablished it.

The latest escalation began in recent days, when the settlers went beyond simply returning to the original outpost site and began expanding their presence. They erected tents very close to homes in Qusra, including one directly on a Palestinian access path. Local residents said the new Israeli presence had frightened them and, in practice, restricted the movement of several families.

IDF response

The IDF responded forcefully. Even before the tents were evacuated, the IDF Spokesperson issued an unusually severe statement describing the settlers' actions as "illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable activity that harms the residents of the villages and the fabric of their lives."

In response to the tensions, the IDF took several significant steps.

A closed military zone order was imposed on the area, barring entry to anyone who was not a local resident. On Wednesday, IDF and Border Police forces arrived at the site, closed down the tent erected on the access path and evacuated the position. The military also decided to reinforce the sector with an additional infantry battalion in an effort to restore order and operational control and prevent further incidents, while placing additional forces on alert.

Troubling incidents on the ground

The events in Qusra also included several other problematic incidents. Footage circulated in recent days showed soldiers who had arrived at the site praying together with settlers inside one of the tents. The IDF said the incident was under review and made clear that if reserve or active-duty soldiers were found to have participated in illegal activity, they would face disciplinary action.

The US angle

Huckabee's comments have now added an extraordinary diplomatic dimension to what had been a local incident. The US ambassador, long identified with strong support for Israel and the settlement movement, used the highly charged term "Israeli terrorists" and disclosed that the US Embassy had approached Israeli authorities and asked them to remove those involved.

...The Qusra incident, which began with the reestablishment and expansion of an outpost that had previously been evacuated, has thus become an issue involving both the IDF and the US Embassy in Israel.

* * * 

Further: Diplomatic Clash Over A Shed In The Shomron:

Residents Reject “Siege” Claim; Huckabee Issues Harsh Statement

The media has been in an uproar for several days over an Arab from the murderous Palestinian village of Qusra who claims that “settlers are laying siege to his home.” The incident has developed into a major diplomatic clash, especially since one of the members of the Palestinian family holds US citizenship. 

...It should be noted that the Palestinian homeowner at the center of the incident has been involved in multiple violent attacks on Jews.

Local Jewish residents reject the account that the house is under siege and argue that the picture being presented in the media and on social media is partial and detached from the security and regional context on the ground.

A source familiar with the details told JDN News that the house in question is not located within the built-up area of Qusra, but in a remote location on Jabal Ein Eina, which overlooks the entire Shiloh bloc and is considered a strategically significant point in the area. According to the source, the scattered Palestinian structures in the area were built as part of an effort by the Palestinian Authority and nearby villages to establish a foothold on the strategic mountain.

“There was no siege whatsoever on the house,” the source said, saying that the structure was erected nearby for Jewish shepherds to use for shade during the summer. He added that the residents of the house were able to enter and leave and that no one prevented their movement.

It's well worth reading the whole long article.  Some reports remark on the "surprise" experienced by Huckabee's strong reaction considering his "love for Israel" and "support for the settlement enterprise."

This is not the first time we've seen this.  Have we already so soon forgotten the "burned church" blood libel that he condemned and never corrected once the facts were out?

The fact is that all of our Eisavian "friends" only "love" and "support" us as long as we look like them. talk like them, behave like them and take our orders from them and never attempt to exceed the limitations they impose on us.

* * *

~ CHODESH TOV UMEVORACH ~