Israeli soldier shot American activist in face with tear gas can.

The Raw Story - Israeli soldier shot American activist in face with tear gas can. (w/ video)

An American activist who participated in a Palestinian 'solidarity' demonstration is in serious condition Saturday after an Israeli soldier shot him in the face with a high-velocity tear gas canister. He underwent surgery early Saturday.

Even as the rescue operation commenced, more tear gas rained down on the demonstrators as soldiers allegedly delayed ambulance access.

This is horrible! I hope the US stands up and does something about this! Probably won't with how far in bed we are with Israel these days. All of this over a peaceful demonstration against the separation barrier! Needless to say it's awful the Israeli government allows this, even more so when they decided it was okay to block ambulance and crew access to the wounded!

Please note the video may be graphic to some ATS members!

EDIT: Fixed up my initial response and provide a disclaimer for the video.

[edit on 15-3-2009 by RcknShdw]

Originally posted by RcknShdw
The US needs to do something NOW, especially if our citizens are becoming targets! It's more disturbing that they blocked access of ambulances and their crews to provide help to the wounded, during a peaceful protest!

Well.. to be fair.. if you are in someone else's country (or a country that someone else in occupying) in the middle of a war, protesting in the middle of a riot.. you should assume that you may be in danger.

Its funny that you think something should definitely be done when one American gets hit in the face with a tin can but not when a thousand children are blown into tiny little bits.

Its odd how we look at those our media portray as worthless lives.. its pretty shocking in fact I cant say im not also guilty of it from time to time.

reply to post by Dermo


I'm going to have to agree with that as well. If you're going into a country who hates another particular country and then speak bad about the country you are in, and in favor of the country they hate.....you're going to get hurt.

Not that it gives them any justification to do so, however I would check up on a few different sources, this could be some cleverly placed propaganda.

~Keeper

reply to post by Dermo


Oops, got a response in before my edit

Anyway, I don't condone it to begin with. I think the US turns a blind eye to the Israeli government all of the time. It's horrid that thousands die, and when the Gaza conflict happened earlier this year I was horrified! The entire thing is a big mess, and we provide more means for the bully to accomplish what they want and less to the underdog (NO I do NOT support Hamas!) in terms of care and support.

Please do not assume my position on this (your comment about one American versus thousands of innocents leads me to believe this). I too am currently trying to go to Gaza (NOT Israel) for peace related volunteer work. I think the death of thousands of innocent people, regardless of the circumstances, is horrible!

However, it often takes someone from our own country getting involved to ignite the fire and get everyone to wake up and realize what the hell is going on!

reply to post by RcknShdw


Well unfortunetly the country that has the best handle on Israel seems to be their puppet. The US funds Israel in more ways than I care to know. Technically speaking Israel is almost the 51st state of the USA.

I think it would be unwise to go to Gaza at this time, even if your intentions are well placed, I don't think there is very much anybody can do other than the Israeli government to help the people of Gaza through these very hard times.

It is an atrocity and yes it must be stopped, but the US won't be the ones to do it. Israel has to shoot themselves in the foot first, then the US will turn. Only when they've done something that is so outrageous that even Obama can't condone it, then we will see some sort of chance.

~Keeper

Yea, Im with the other two on this one(not that there are sides here) but I feel the same about the situation. It was their own damn fault that they are meddling in other peoples affairs. I think protestors can overstep their boundries from time to time, esp in an area where there is war. It is all fine and dandy(if you ask me) to protest over a war, but do it somewhere where it wont get you and other people hurt by your actions. I think they are just begging to get butt stroked with an m-16.
I think the soldier was just being a soldier. If it was our country fighting against canada, and a japanesse man tried to get in the middle of it, he would get pepper sprayed as well, probably even billy clubbed and tazered.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


You can Google it pretty readily right now. Here are some links to other sources carrying the same story:

U.S. citizen critically hurt at West Bank protest.

American citizen critically injured after being shot in the head by Israeli forces in Ni'lin.

The first one is an AP article as stated in the header.

Also, where does it say he was in Israel? I believe Ni'lin is in the West Bank, and part of the Palestine lands? He wasn't speaking bad about Gaza/Palestine, he was protesting the barrier! If that's speaking bad, then I guess the wall should stay up according to that logic.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Thank you for the concern , but honestly, if everything being talked about on this website turns out true... *counting* Then I have another three years to go before I'm dead in some way, shape, or form. I'd rather die doing something I believe in (no matter how stupid people may think I am for it), than sit back and let everything unravel at the seams. (A little OT): If the FEMA camps turn out to be true, put me in the RED ZONE and kill me right there, I'm not going to put up with being locked away for no reason because someone wants to control me.

I do agree that Israel needs to shoot themselves, and I think going after Iran is going to be the bullet that hits dead center. Might be the end of a lot of things, but hey, everything comes to and end sometime. But in the meantime, it's not about growing some and standing up against some soldiers. It's about helping those who are in dire need of assistance. Maybe I'm a little bit more of a hippy than most.

reply to post by RcknShdw


In that case I must congradulate you and your courage. There is a need for more people with your mindset in today's society.

I wish you the best of luck with you're endeavours.

Just do me a favor and get on the plane before things go all crazy!

~Keeper

If you dont cheack ambulances coming to the casualtys then it is easy for a car bomb to get through disguised as a medical vehicle. This is why emergencys crews are held back.

I wonder is this person was asked first to move away from the area, but defied instructions and paid the price. I do feel sorry for the activist as I dont take pleasure in seeing anybody get hurt and or suffer. I do hope he recovers as best as the situation allows. High officers in the IDF should be condemned and reprimanded for actions such as these. It damages Israel's reputation as a whole when these disproportionate measures are used and people get injured.

Why would an army officer purposely shoot somebody in the face with a tear gas can? They probably didnt intend for it to hit him directly in the face, but they should be more careful of where they aim...

[edit on 23/3/2009 by Dark Ghost]

What are the laws in this country?
Do they have freedom of speech? Do they have a right to protest? If not then isn't on you to protect yourself? There are alot of bad things going on in the world, but I am not gonna go to Darfur to protest and not expect to be attacked in some way.
We in the USA forget the rest of the world is not like it is here. We can protest most others can not.

Originally posted by shooterbrody
What are the laws in this country?
Do they have freedom of speech? Do they have a right to protest? If not then isn't on you to protect yourself? There are alot of bad things going on in the world, but I am not gonna go to Darfur to protest and not expect to be attacked in some way.
We in the USA forget the rest of the world is not like it is here. We can protest most others can not.

You make some very valid points. People in Western nations often forget that their way of life is not mirrored in the foreign countries they visit. Even though Israel is an alley of the USA, the way people live and the way security works is different. US citizens have not had suicide bombs going off in civilian areas on a regular basis. Buses, restaurants, malls, holy sites in USA are not protected by security (the vast majority any way).

Originally posted by shooterbrody

We in the USA forget the rest of the world is not like it is here. We can protest most others can not.

It's not exactly that.
It's for example: suppose that a group of...say....Syrians travel to Wash. DC, or NYC and hold a protest against American involvement in the Middle East. I honestly believe that these protesters would be fined, arrested, and if necessary (depending on the type of protesting they are doing) maybe even tasered.
Remember activists sometimes can get really passionate about issues and sometimes even try to provoke authorities.

Plus, it's not their country.





[edit on 3/23/2009 by haika]

Originally posted by haika

Originally posted by shooterbrody

We in the USA forget the rest of the world is not like it is here. We can protest most others can not.

It's not exactly that.
It's for example: suppose that a group of...say....Syrians travel to Wash. DC, or NYC and hold a protest against American involvement in the Middle East. I honestly believe that these protesters would be fined, arrested, and if necessary (depending on the type of protesting they are doing) maybe even tasered.
Remember activists sometimes can get really passionate about issues and sometimes even try to provoke authorities.

Plus, it's not their country.





[edit on 3/23/2009 by haika]

They only get fined if they don't get the proper permits. They only get arrested if they do something illegal. They only get tased it they are violent and resist arrest.
Peacefull protests go on in the USA all the time from the KKK to the Pro-Chioce groups. As long as the protests are law abiding(which are different depending on the city and state you live in) there are no problems.

Originally posted by shooterbrody


They only get fined if they don't get the proper permits. They only get arrested if they do something illegal. They only get tased it they are violent and resist arrest.
Peacefull protests go on in the USA all the time from the KKK to the Pro-Chioce groups. As long as the protests are law abiding(which are different depending on the city and state you live in) there are no problems.

Yes, but I'm referring to if for example, the protesters traveled to the US just for the purpose of protesting here. I don't think that authorities would be too happy with that.

reply to post by haika


Illegal Mexicans did it a year or so in California and no one was arrested and they were waiving the Mexican flag and chanting in Spanish.

Of course there were legal citizens in the crowd as well.

Originally posted by jd140
reply to post by haika

 

Illegal Mexicans did it a year or so in California and no one was arrested and they were waiving the Mexican flag and chanting in Spanish.

Of course there were legal citizens in the crowd as well.

This American protester traveled to Israel to protest against a war that does not involve him. We have all seen the "professional" protesters that go to every Summit just to cause trouble.

I dont understand the premise of this thread ! What is your point exactly ?

A protester got hurt in a demonstration. Is that really surprising ?? When you protest you accept the fact that you could be hurt when the police try to disperse you. It could happen in New York or in Palestine or Tokyo. There no reason to be shocked or mortified. It is quite natural.

Also, they Israelis fired tear gas, not bullets. That is something to be thankful of. In most countries protesters are shot with hot stainless steel.

The underdog in this conflict is Israel. The Palestinians are supported by a dozen so countries, all rich with oil money. Have you ever wondered how so many Palestinians have continued to live in that place for so long without any significant industry or agriculture ? The Arab world keeps them there as an advertisement of alleged oppression to garner sympathy. If they were really concerned about Palestinian welfare how come Arab countries arent willing to take in Palestinian refugees while a country like the USA has taken in so many Palestinians ?

reply to post by IAF101


Are you being serious about Israel being the underdog?

An occupation force that is armed to the teeth with the latest in weaponry from the the most powerful country in the world and is not afraid to use it on the civilian population. Against the most impoverished and repressed country in the world that fights back with stones & rocks. Where the walls of children's schools are peppered with Israelis bullet holes, and students lived in constant fear from Israelis sniper fire from the observation towers.

A country that is being starved of every bit of essential services and supplies by the Israelis and 79% of the population live in poverty. A population that is subjected to daily indignities at the many checkpoints that are set up to inflict maximum hardship and inconvenience. An effective form of collective punishment.

A country that is subjected to illegal land grabs by the settlers, who harassed and beat up Palestinian farmers with clubs to drive them off their land. A country that is pock marked with illegal settlements that is transforming the place to resemble more like a swiss cheese.

A country that has a wall built that cuts deep into Palestinian territory, further restricting whatever freedom of movement that is left for ordinary Palestinians. (Remember, there was such furore when the Berlin Wall was built)

When they attempt to fight back, they are branded terrorists instead of freedom fighters. (By the same definition, wouldn't George Washington be called a terrorist?) For a country like America that lectures to other countries on human rights and at the same time acting with full complicity with Israel in committing such atrocity, is beyond comprehension.

The last time an occupation force inflicted such inhumane and cruel treatment was the Nazis to the Jews. It is not surprising that the Jews that are most horrified at what is happening to the Palestinians are the Holocaust survivors.