While I am always shocked to read accounts such as that of Mr Omer, I am never surprised. I was born and raised in a kosher home as a Jew in South Africa, and matriculated at a Jewish day school. I am well aware that AIPAC has infilitrated every level of the US government and the barbaric apartheid behaviour of the Israeli government towards Palestinians would never occur unless enabled by the US. Until now we here were led to believe that it was the Jewish neocons only who pressured Bush into two and now possibly three wars, but here in New York, every single one of my Jewish friends is supportive of Israel over and above that of the US, and apathetic at the 3,000 WTC deaths, and dismiss the 4,000+ American deaths in Iraq as goyyim and they believe the Talmud says that it is OK to kill non-Jews (it does).The genocide of Palestinians is therefore justified, they say. Their silence = complicity and all I can say is that I am ashamed of being a Jew.When I mention the torture of innocent human beings or the burning of people alive at a crematorium in Abu Ghraib, they shrug and say "Oh it's OK: They're goyyim!" The evidence of the complicity of Mossad in 9/11 is enormous.

This is a nation of war criminals who have become just like the Nazis, the very oppressors who enabled the creation of the state of Israel. I bow my head in shame.

Stanley Hersh

New York, NY

There are always two sides to an issue, but this is one of the most one-sided articles I have read regarding Israel. Sadly, it seems Israel has a double standard to the international community.

Some content that the Palestinians produce has actually been falsified in some cases like an arrow around a ring, where the arrow has been placed first and the ring drawn second.

So, when Israel defends itself it is guilty of brutally wounding Palestinians? If such a thing as this Palestinian occurred by his own people, we would just sigh about it, as the Arab world by and large has countless human rights violations to its woman and children. Children are learned hatred in Palestinian and Arab schools saying that Jews and Christians are mortal enemies of Islam, and that Islam is the one true faith in God. Sometimes when such reports make falsified reports such as beatings, makeup is applied to make it look worse than it really is.

To call Israel an "occupation" is to deny its right to exist and defend herself, even for offering two-state solutions. Thus, there never was a recognized state called Palestine, even before Israel came back into existence in 1948.

Furthermore, Israel favors life over death, even to its enemies. During prisoner exchanges, Israeli soldiers almost never come back alive, and cold-blooded Arab killers go free back to their corresponding Arab land. At least these Israeli soldiers, according to what this Palestinian said, didn't kill him during this beating to have him essentially make a rant against Israel.

It seems rather peculiar how Israel is getting perceived as just as dicey as the US relations with Pakistan.

As for the wall, the reason for that is so that suicide bombers don't cross by to blow everyone up in a given area, thus reiterating the point that Israel favors the value of life and they want to make safeguards to protect against such attacks.

The world wouldn't be any better or worse without Israel, because people always find a reason to fight against another. Islamic and Arab militants would still have a beef against the West, regardless of whether Israel existed.

Perhaps these Israeli soldiers were questioning this Palestinian, and he was not being cooperative, which triggered them to use force. Assuming the Israeli soldiers had probable cause, then they most likely gave him a chance to cooperate and respond--I would do so if the police had me in question.

Even if Israel is wrong in any regard, does that make the Palestinians any more right?

Nicholas Rosen

Great Falls, VA

Thank you for publishing Mohammed Omer's article concerning the horrific torture he suffered at the hands of Israeli borderguards and/or soldiers.

For years the Israeli government, in the name of "Israeli national security," has stolen Palestinian lands, destroyed homes, businesses and orchards, tortured and killed scores of Palestians and committed other human rights crimes too numerous to list here. All of this has been done with US taxpayer money and US-built machines and weapons.

Thanks to The Nation and a few other brave publications, the truth about Israel's treatment of the Palestinians is now reaching the taxpaying US public and we do not like what we see. I speak for many when I say I want US funding of Israel's occupation of Palestine to stop and to stop now.

I want our President and Congress to stop enabling Israel's criminal behavior and to stop all funding to Israel until such time as Israel pulls back to the 1967 borders, ends the occupation, returns all Palestinian monies, removes the barrier wall and, in every respect, acknowledges Palestine as a free and sovereign nation.

Nancy Jarmin

Cashmere, WA

Thank you for publishing Mohammed Omar's chilling account. More truth about Israel's extensive institutionalized bigotry and its ongoing brutal mistreatment of the native non-Jewish men, women and children of historic Palestine would be most helpful for all concerned, including every American deceived and manipulated into supporting the idea of Israel--and every taxpayer forced to fund, empower and protect The Israel Industry.

People's rights are more important than Israel's "rights." 1948 gave us both Israel and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sixty years later, as more and more Palestinian men, women and children are harshly persecuted, impoverished, imprisoned and/or displaced and cruelly demonized because they dare object, it looks to me like the world can have one or the other--but not both.

I vote for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Let God take care of religion; we need to be investing in the rule of fair and just laws, and a fully free Palestine for all the people.

Anne Selden Annab

http://annies-notes.blogspot.com
Mechanicsburg , PA