Israel Kills 24 in Golan Heights, 350 Injured, Crowds in Tel Aviv March

Roundup of developments in Palestine, Syria and Israel from the Middle East News Center.

(GOLAN HEIGHTS / TEL AVIV / QALANDIA ) - Forward by Salem-News.com Editor: I never cease to be amazed by western media and its portrayal of Israeli violence as something always necessary, always justified.

As our writers have divulged endless times, the mainstream media as we call it today, is controlled by the same interests that support Israel.

So, a religious war from the middle east is thus waged in American news rooms that write copy like this that I heard tonight: "Israeli Forces Battle Protesters". Tell me, how does one "battle" an unarmed protester?

Time and time again, Israel claims people with signs or broom handles are deadly threats and they blast human lives into oblivion in the process. Each time the world fails to respond, or make Israel simply answer for its crimes.

When I say 'world' I am overgeneralizing, because it is the USA that blocks actions that would force Israel to adopt other behavior.

And when it isn't the US, it is the UK that has Israel's back, though today we are seeing big changes on that front.

In a recent interview with our writer Gilad Atzmon, a renowned Jazz Saxophonist and Political Activist, Journalist Silvia Cattori asked, "Doesn’t the disinformation regarding Israel relate to the fact that honest journalists are themselves subject to Israeli propaganda?"

Gilad replied, "As for Great Britain, it is far from being a secret that the biggest supporters of Blair’s criminal war against Iraq were journalists like David Aaronovitch and Nick Cohen, both who also write for the notorious Zionist Jewish Chronicle. I guess that these people are now exposed. As I mention often enough, 'The Tide Has Changed.'"

So, for the record, it isn't a surprise that Israel opened fire once again on unarmed demonstrators; after all we have entered the period of the Third Intifada and 5 June represents the day that the Six Day War began, leading to Israel's seizure of massive amounts of Palestinian land.

Israel has been killing peace demonstrators for a long time, but today they are getting more time than before in media, and that makes a massive difference. Here is the latest from the International Middle East Media Center.
- Tim King

24 Killed By Israeli Fire In the Golan, 350 Injured

Syrian media sources confirmed that Israeli soldiers shot and killed on Sunday 24 protesters who gathered on the Syrian side of the border of the Israeli occupied Golan Heights marking the Naksa Day, while at least 350 were injured.

Thousands of Palestinian refugees and supporters marched near the border marking the Naksa, the day Israel the illegally arrested the rest of Palestine in 1967.

The protesters were demanding their right to return to their homeland when the Israeli forces opened fire at them. At least eight of the wounded are in serious conditions.

Eyewitnesses told media agencies that the Israeli army used live ammunition, gas bombs and and phosphorous munition, and that the soldiers were directly aiming at the protesters leading to this large number of casualties.

The army even set ablaze several areas near the border fence in at attempt to prevent the protesters from marching to the border, eyewitnesses added.

A 23-year-old woman, identified as Enas Shreitih, from Al Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria was also among the killed by Israeli fire. She is originally from Yatta city, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

Meanwhile, the Hamas-led government of Ismail Haniyya in Gaza announced mourning following the deadly Israeli military attack against the protesters in the Golan, and said that all victims are the sons and daughters of Palestine who refuse to remain in exile while Israel occupies their homeland.

5,000 Israelis march in Tel Aviv calling for Palestinian statehood

At a march organized by a number of Israeli center-left groups, around 5,000 protesters marched through the streets of downtown Tel Aviv Saturday night calling for a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

Participants in the march and rally included non-governmental organizations Peace Now and Gush Shalom, and political parties Meretz, Labor and the Derech faction of the Kadima party.

A support statement for the protest posted on the Peace Now website states, “This is the time for an Israeli peace initiative that responds positively to President Obama’s proposals and the need to recognize the right to independence of the Palestinians.”

At the rally following the march, Israeli playwright Yehoshua Sobol criticized the recent statements of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, saying, "When Netanyahu said no to the 1967 borders, he said no to peace."

The statement, and chants and signs calling for a Palestinian state, were critical of Netanyahu's speech in the US in which he said that there would be no Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, and calling for Israeli settlement colonies constructed on Palestinian land to remain in place.

Knesset (Parliament) member Dov Khenin of the Hadash party said that Netanyahu's talk set the stage for the next war, adding that the Prime Minister, through his stubborn refusal to deal with the issue of Palestinian rights, had “closed the chapter of our history called the peace process.”

One protester was arrested during the march for allegedly throwing food at police.

Israel Army Attacks Naksa Demonstration In Qalandia

A fresh round of violence erupted during Naksa Day in the Golan and the West Bank as Palestinians marched for the right of return to their homes in what is now Israel.

The West Bank town of Qandaliyah, near Ramallah, was the scene of clashes between local youth and the Israeli military after the Israeli military attacked a march commemorating Naksa day.

The military rushed the small demonstration of 100 people as it approached the checkpoint in Qalandia, using tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd.

The military broke into local homes using the rooftops as a means to fire tear gas into protesters and stone throwing youth. Israeli forces also fired rubber bullets at head height into crowds of protesters, seriously injuring two. Scores of people were treated for tear gas inhalation according to Red Cross personnel.

A small group of men later trickled through military lines and linked arms during a sit down protest in front of the checkpoint. The military pushed the small crowd back using noxious water cannons.

Syrian media source reported a total of 22 killed and hundreds injured during fresh attempts by Palestinian refugees in Syria to cross the border into Israel. Israeli military sources have cast doubt on the numbers dead, which cannot be independently verified, saying that snipers were instructed to aim at the legs of protesters.

In contrast to Lebanese and Hamas security forces, Syrian security forces allowed Palestinian refugees access to the border near the Druze town of Majdal Shams. Israel blocked all access to the area from the side of the Israeli occupied Golan Heights.

Israeli military sources expressed frustration with the amount of resources that had to be dedicated to policing the Syrian border, according to Haaretz. A total of three battalions were situated in the Golan region over the weekend.

According to Israeli officials, Syria could now create international incidents at will by allowing protesters through to border areas in an effort to take pressure from its own domestic situation. Military spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Avital Leibovitz, stated that "we believe that the Syrian regime is focusing the world's attention on the border with Israel instead of what is happening there,".

Lebanese and Gaza security forces prevented protester from reaching border areas in an effort to prevent a repeat of the Nakba Day events in which 16 civilians were killed by Israeli fire. 12 were arrested in Gaza when a small group broke off from the main demonstration in an attempt to march to the Israeli checkpoint.

Tension Remains High on Syrian Border

The Israeli Army deployed dozens of additional units at the border with Syria following Sunday clashes in which the army short and killed 23 protesters marking the Naksa Day, and injured more than 350.

The clashes lasted until night hours on Sunday while dozens of protesters remained near the border area demanding their right to cross back into their occupied homeland.

Israeli sources reported Monday morning that protesters returned to the border area, especially in the area that face Majdal Shams town in the occupied Golan Heights.

The army said that are likely to erupt again Monday and that they could continue until Tuesday.

Israel military and political leaders held Syria responsible for the clashes on Sunday, and claimed that “the Syrian army failed to prevent the protesters from reaching Al Qneitra and the Al Seihat Hill leading to direct confrontation with the Israeli forces”.

Israel also claimed that the Syrian reports on the casualties are “exaggerated”, and that they aim at causing further tension across the border.

Military sources in Tel Aviv claimed that what happened on the border with Syria is an indication that the Syrian regime is collapsing amidst protesters demanding the removal of Syrian President, Bashar Assad.

The Maan News Agency quoted Israeli officials claiming that the Syrian regime is paying a 1000 USD to each protester, and 10.000 dollars to each family of slain protesters.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman of the extremist “Israel Our Home” party, instructed his office to file an official complaint against Syria at the Security Council.

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Anonymous June 6, 2011 6:23 pm (Pacific time)

Tim, you wrote: "Tell me, how does one "battle" an unarmed protester?"

Think of "Four shot dead in O-H-I-O".

Tim King: Exactly, and while we're at it: 'Keep on Rockin' in the free World'.

Colli June 6, 2011 4:29 pm (Pacific time)

And where will our President go on vacation this week? How about Congress . . . any chance they will come to their senses? Do our politicians really enjoy dancing so much that they are willing to pay the piper with Israeli blood money? Are the big banks waiting for another U.S. Government bailout/bonus for funding Israel in these atrocities? Where do they believe all of this will end? Brotherhood has obviously become a dirty word in Washington, D.C.

JohnWV June 6, 2011 11:24 am (Pacific time)

Over the decades of occupying the Palestinian homeland Israel reduced Gaza to an open air prison and raised humiliation, brutalization and murder to art forms. Palestinians can't afford fighter planes or other sophisticated instruments of war, so their resistance is pathetic. Israel enjoys a kill ratio near one hundred to one and way higher in killing of women and children. Pathetic or not, Hamas was legitimately elected to resist the Jewish occupation and resist they do. Israel is a racist, apartheid, tribal theocracy by, of, and for the chosen people; a danger to itself and to civilization. The Jew's cruel abuse of their goyim inferiors is on vivid display to the whole world. May the Palestinian State be established and thrive on punitive reparations so massive that Israel's very existence is justly threatened. Be it Christian, Muslim, or Jew, religious control of ICBM nukes with submarine and land launch systems is profoundly scary. Yet we enabled the tribal theocracy of chosen people to become so equipped. Why, how, who, and whatever were we thinking?

Anonymous June 6, 2011 10:55 am (Pacific time)

I am gonna go ahead and give a preview of what is coming at the bilderberg group. 1. The Euro is getting out of hand, faster than they anticipated, and some countries want out of the Euro, which bothers the elite much. They know if the Euro goes, the dollar will follow within weeks, they are not ready. They are worried. 2. Anti-globalist protests are rising, the elite are very worried. Expect internet censorship disquised as obama's cyber security act.(if YOU people would do your research and fight back, we could really get them worried, wake up) 3. Gov. Perry will attend the meeting, meaning he could now be their puppet for president 2012. 4. Libya bombing will continue, discussion on ground war this week. 5. They LOVE nuke plants, they make big dollars. After what happened in Japan, and other countries banning nuke plants, they are worried. 6. Bilderberg is concerned about the inside info coming out that I am sharing, so now they are bringing their own chefs/maids/secretaries.etc. 7. How quickly to finalize the north american union (another thing I got laughed at saying they are working on the NAU..well, its here). 8. All countries to be on the same economical plane. The 3rd world countries will not rise to 2nd or 1st world status, countries such as the U.S. will go to 2nd-3rd world status. 9. They still need our firearms. This is why the cia stooge adam khadan(whatever his name is), made his latest video. If fits right in, perfect timing for the elite. In conclusion...I cant do this all by myself, and I do not want my children living in a world from hell. Get off your friggin butt, do some research and HELP ME darnit!!!

Anonymous June 6, 2011 10:43 am (Pacific time)

The atrocities have only yet begun, its going to get worse. I do not like israel/ADL, but they are simply an arm of the elite. israel is one of their most important bases tho, taking over the middle east and intelligence. They used the U.S. for money and military force. (they are done with the U.S. now, expect 2nd-3rd world status within the next 12 months or so, they have NATO, and America is broke, no more use for us) Years ago, when I spoke of the bilderberg group, I was called a lunatic. Now the mainstream media admits bilderberg exists and meets, but now they say its just a meeting, not world policy. They are WRONG...yet again. They are meeting this week, I will get some amazing inside info and will share later. What they have planned, is much worse than this article. This article is standard procedure for them. People best wake up, it will be the U.S. next. p.s. bullsh*t on syria causing this, and bullsh*t on the U.S. media/government telling the syrians to keep some restraint. Gosh darnit I wish I could cuss on this post...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

xexon June 6, 2011 6:39 am (Pacific time)

In the long run, these deaths will be used as projectiles to tear down the zionist wall. Israel will probably face a bad week in the press and the spin doctors will be out in force. I got a slingshot and a pile of rocks just waiting for them...x

Greg June 6, 2011 5:02 am (Pacific time)

We are always been attacked that we are antisemites and I know understand why? If we want to have some common sense, how come you never write a word regarding the Syrian's killing thier own people hundreds of them, as nothing has happened and only once they are killed by the Israelies. I found that we are not achieving our target that way, as we look rediculous, if thats the way we manage our articles.

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