Suspected Collaborator with Israel Executed on Gaza Street

[ellisonz]

By JODI RUDOREN and FARES AKRAM
Published: November 16, 2012

GAZA — Masked gunmen in Gaza summarily executed a man here on Friday as a suspected collaborator with Israel on the third day of its deadly aerial bombardments, shooting him multiple times and leaving his body beneath a billboard featuring a Hamas fighter holding a rocket.

The executed man, identified as Ashraf Ouaida, had a poster hung around his neck accusing him of cooperating with the Israelis in the killing of 15 Palestinian leaders.

Wael Mohammed, a taxi driver who was standing on the steps of the Aman Mosque in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, said that around 11:45 a.m. he saw a Jeep pull up on Al Jalla Street, from which two masked men dragged Mr. Ouaida to the dirt circle under the Hamas billboard.

“They took him out from the Jeep with his hands cuffed behind his back, they pushed him under the poster and fired three gunshots at his head from the back,” Mr. Mohammed said. “He was still alive. Then they set his cuffs free and turned him upside down and fired on him again.”

More (including photograph): From The NYTimes

[Indydem]

1. But Israel is the monster.

No seriously.

[villager]

2. Sadly, there is plenty of monstrosity to go around on both sides

The fact that neither side can recognize its own keeps the tragic blood-dance going, year after year, decade after decade....

[PCIntern]

21. That's just repackaged Rethug false equivalency...

Sorry, it doesn't play here with me.

Israelis do not execute suspected anyone's in the street ....sorry to disappoint you.

[villager]

22. I would hope, PC, you wouldn't let Likudnik military policy off the hook any easier

...than you'd let similarly misguided militarism by the far right off the hook here.

Executions in the street? No.

Careless with their "collateral damages?" You bet.

In thrall to the fundies? Sadly so.

Ingrained racism on both sides? Alas.

Etc.

[Puregonzo1188]

23. And necklacing justified apartheid?

[King_David]

3. Sick. nt

[shira]

4. Not only that. They'll count him among those killed by the IDF. n/t

[King_David]

5. I was thinking the exact same thing. nt

[Alamuti Lotus]

6. that is the standard penalty of collaborating with the enemy in wartime

If somebody were to show up to the WTC memorial waving an al-Qai'dah flag, I'd imagine the same response would occur. Except, with a thick and nearly indeciferable accent while some giant slices of pizza were tossed around, but that's neither here nor there. There is no difference between that and being an Israeli collaborator in Gaza.

[Kurska]

7. No trial? Just drug into the street and executed that is justice?

If the IDF abducted a Palestinian from Tel-aviv and then executed them in broad daylight for collaborating with Hamas you wouldn't have a problem with that? Or is it only okay if Hamas does it?

Honestly this is one of the most disgusting things I've ever read on this forum. If you went back 60 years ago would you cheer as soviets and nazi's executed their citizens en mass for "collaborating" (which history tells us were generally trumped up charges used more to settle scores than achieve justice).

I really never thought I'd see the day on a progressive forum where people are defending the rounding up and summary executions of citizens. You should be fucking ashamed of yourself and if that is violating the civility part of this forum I apologize but there is no excuse for that.

[COLGATE4]

9. Applause for this ^^^^^^^^ !!!!!!!

[King_David]

14. +1

[Alamuti Lotus]

18. [phone]

No it is not necessarily justice, but it is what people often do. Those who aid the enemy to help them kill your people in battles are usually considered worse than the enemy, and are treated accordingly. I don't have quite enough facts about the incident to express any opinions about it (despite what my growing fan club might say to the contrary), but this is a nearly universal tendency; don't pretend to be surprised about it now.

I am without shame, but with much amusement. I keep using this word in this thread, but the hypocrisy of this little micro-debate is almost really astounding. Almost, in the sense is that it is entirely predictable.. yet I still shake my head when I still see it played out anyway.

[Kurska]

19. There are no "facts" that could justify this

Regardless of whether or not the guy collaborated with Israel (again history shows the vast majority of people killed like this were indeed innocent), he still deserved a trial. What you're brushing off is an example of some of the brutal and oppressive authoritarian tactics possible in wartime. That is to terrorize your own population into submission. And don't try and tell me that wasn't the intent, if it wasn't why did they execute him in public and hang a sign around his neck.

And don't act indignant because so many people here are disgusted by what you said. That generally happens when you say something disgusting.

[zzz05]

24. it's not what everybody does.

No it is not necessarily justice, but it is what people often do.

Except that that is not what Israelis do. Traitors, collaborators, etc. whether Arab or Jew get a trial; and if they are found guilty, they don't get the death penalty. If they are murdered by vigilantes, that is considered murder and treated accordingly.
This is just the latest in a series of such vigilante justice incidents in both the West Bank and Gaza, and the authorities there don't seem terribly upset, even though the evidence that the 'collaborator' is a collaborator and not just somebody who the executioner owes money to is invisible to anyone else. We had plenty of lynchings in the US based on evidence of similar quality, carried out by folks who honestly believed it was necessary for the good of society, but we like to think we've moved away from that, mostly. What's the excuse in Gaza? That the Israeli blockade is keeping justice from being shipped in? That the Gazans are too poor to afford courts?
I'm sure most here agree that the US is out of line holding "suspected terrorists" without hearings, public access, airing of evidence, etc. I'm sure most here would jump with both feet on any Israeli vigilantism. Why is it, then, that so many find it in their heart to excuse vigilantism in Gaza? Whether it's because the "crime" of working with Israelis is so heinous that regular justice is suspended, or because you can't expect better from Gazans, they're so stunted in their social development, it's racism, pure and simple.

[hrmjustin]

27. Welcome to DU!

[cali]

26. you own the hypocrisy in this thread and maybe on this board

in fact, when it comes to hypocrisy your tower head and shoulders above others. You are posting some sick shit, dude.

[hrmjustin]

8. I think we would give them a trial.

[holdencaufield]

10. I wondered how long it would take ...

... for someone to come forward and justify this Hamas atrocity. Well done.

[Scootaloo]

11. No, it's a fucking witch hunt where accusation equals guilt equals execution

There is no defense for that, from any corner.

[Alamuti Lotus]

15. that is often the case, and this was never denied

In the ferocious dog-pile(*), nobody seemed to notice or care that I expressed no personal opinion whatsoever on the matter; only that it is standard behavior in wartime. Which it most certainly is. It doesn't matter what I think about it, and what I think about it was, actually, never even indirectly expressed above. Does nobody notice detail anymore? Most unfortunately, what nobody bothered to vomit poutrageously about was the comparison of Israel to al-Qai'dah; I expected that to be the focal point of rage from the fiery hasbarados and their fellow travelers. But, not one word!

I could point out the brazen hypocrisy of the various supporters of the present "get tough" policy on Gaza (sickeningly euphemistic language from a recent Ha'aretz piece) becoming angered with your humble narrator, when they have lately expressed themselves (as a group, I'm not singling out individuals) in complete support and explanations of the airstrikes that murder children in their houses... but if I bothered myself with each and every instance of brazen hypocrisy from these people, I'd never be done.


(*)--actually, not so ferocious; I've seen better storms. Perhaps I'm losing my touch with age.

[JVS]

12. I was juror number 2 or 4, but number 6 really had a lot to say.

REASON FOR ALERT:

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=aboutus#communitystandards" target="_blank">Community Standards</a>.)

ALERTER'S COMMENTS:

The poster is excusing summary executions - murder in the streets.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Sat Nov 17, 2012, 12:44 AM, and the Jury voted 3-3 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT and said: Wrong an several levels.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: We excused the summary and brutal execution of Gadaffi in the streetshere in the US, many cheering it on. We excused the brutal and summary execution of three US citizens by drone here in the US. We get behind the policy of extra-judicial assassinations now even on the left. I don't think we are any longer in any position to get the vapors over someone speaking the truth about the kind of world we live in and one the US is helping to promote.

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[Kurska]

13. "We excuse"

I did no such things, don't try and drag me down to such a low standards. Progressive values still mean something to me and I will never tolerate or excuse a dictatorial state murdering it's own civilians in such a way.

You're free to live up to whatever standards you want to set, but I want no part of them.

[Alamuti Lotus]

16. The only low standard seems to be in basic reading comprehension

and accordingly, reflexive poutrage kept on slightly too much of a hair-trigger. Just for laughs, I invite you to point out the precise syllable in which I expressed any personal opinion whatsoever on the matter. It was a statement of plain fact, while those prior seemed eager to just score points off the story as if it was some unheard of barbarism and Exhibit #964/a-f on why those airstrikes are such a marvellous thing. The sickening hypocrisy of these "civilized" individuals moved me to speak.

Borrowing the language of Pam Gellar is not an accident, since some of them (this time, I am singling out individuals) seem to be such fans of it themselves and have cleverly worked it into recent discussions.

[Kurska]

20. "Poutrage" a man was taken from his home and murdered in front of children.

You're really beyond belief. The problem people have with your statement is because you're treating it as normal and seem to be implying it is acceptable. The fact you're not even willing to condemn this seems to show you'll excuse anything so long it is done by your side.

[oberliner]

17. No it isn't

Masked gunmen executing someone in the street without a trial of any kind is not the norm.

[cali]

25. that's just absurd. It would be very, very unlikely that that would happen

what bullshit and what disgusting rationalization of murder. gad, the hypocrisy. Grab a fucking clue, just a tiny one, sweetheart: One can stand firmly against Israeli policies re Gaza and the WB; one can condemn them unequivocally and one can do the same with this. Vigilante justice is not justice and there is no way of knowing whether this man was indeed a collaborator or wholly innocent.

Liberal values do not ever include defending, justifying or supporting this kind of brutal shit.

duh.