Dogs of War

Uri Avnery in the London Review of Books:

Such terrifying dogs have not been seen since the Hound of the Baskervilles. They have been bred by an ardent admirer of the late ‘Rabbi’ Meir Kahane, who was branded a fascist by the Israeli Supreme Court. Their task is to protect the settlements and attack Palestinians. Our TV stations have reported on them at length. All in preparation for ‘September’.

Later this month, the Palestinians will ask the UN to recognise the State of Palestine. They have already mustered a large majority in the General Assembly. After that, according to our army’s official assessment, all hell will break loose. Multitudes of Palestinians will rise, attack the Separation Wall, storm the settlements, confront the army, create chaos. ‘The Palestinian Authority is planning a bloodbath,’ Avigdor Lieberman said. And when Lieberman predicts violence, it would be unwise to ignore him.

Last week the army announced that it is training the settlers and telling them when they are allowed to shoot to kill. The army is also preparing for Palestinians shooting at soldiers and settlers ‘from inside the mass demonstrations’. I have been at hundreds of demonstrations and never witnessed anyone shooting ‘from inside’ them. But it is a handy pretext.

More here.