Imagine if on the steps of the Lincoln Monument someone with a knife seriously stabbed someone and then tried to stab a police officer trying to subdue him. Then imagine the knifer was subdued, was on the ground, was no longer a threat, yet police shot him numerous times killing him. Imagine as well that the criminal was black, the victim and the police white. And imagine that the video of the disarmed on the ground knife person quickly went viral.
Well…we know what would happen. Crowds would quickly gather in Washington, and likely around the country, denouncing the police and demanding they be arrested and tried for murder. There was of course a need to disarm the knifer; there was no need or justification for essentially then killing him in cold blood and blocking all medical aid.
aaThe Israeli version of this took place Saturday in a similarly very public place, the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. The knife wielding person was a Palestinian, the victim a religious Jew, the police and what are called border police Jewish. But the outcome was very different. The police very threateningly put down all protests and the Prime Minister applauded the police killing. Actually this is the way Israelis handle things all the time. The only difference this time is that it was a very public place where it happened with many witnesses and a bystander captured the killing on his cellphone.
Video circulated on social media showing Israeli border police shoot the Palestinian man several times, although he was on the ground and apparently incapacitated.
Mark Bruzonsky 