September 28, 2007 

Gideon Levy, a journalist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, rings in the Jewish New Year 5768 with a look at the last.

It was a pretty quiet year, relatively speaking. Only 457 Palestinians and 10 Israelis were killed, according to the B’Tselem human rights organization, including the victims of Qassam rockets. Fewer casualties than in many previous years. However, it was still a terrible year: 92 Palestinian children were killed (fortunately, not a single Israeli child was killed by Palestinians, despite the Qassams). One-fifth of the Palestinians killed were children and teens - a disproportionate, almost unprecedented number. The Jewish year of 5767. Almost 100 children, who were alive and playing last New Year, didn’t survive to see this one.

One year…This is how we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the occupation. No one can argue anymore that it’s only a temporary, passing phenomenon. Israel is the occupation. The occupation is Israel.

We believe Levy’s has hit on something by drawing attention to this appalling practice of the Israeli Occupation Force, maybe it is time for a new New Year’s resolution for Israel: thou shall not kill innocent children.

Full article here.  

L’ Shana Tovah (Happy New Year) -c