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Source: https://jcfa.org/settler-violence-the-latest-fabricated-buzz-phrase-for-singling-out-israel/
"Settler Violence": The Latest Fabricated Buzz Phrase for Singling Out Israel
(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Amb. Alan Baker - Violence by groups of hooligans is illegal, cannot be condoned, and must be condemned and duly punished in accordance with the law. This is a clear societal norm in any civilized society, applicable when committed by marginal groups of politically motivated youths. Violence should not be tolerated. There exists no Israeli policy encouraging or sanctioning violence against Arabs. Such violence is clearly illegal and, as in any normal society, law enforcement bodies are required to act against it. Regrettably, the international tendency to generalize and negatively politicize anything connected with Israel appears to be characterizing isolated instances of violence by marginal and irresponsible groups, as if it is officially-sanctioned Israeli government policy of encouraging and generating violence against Palestinians. This has become the buzz phrase "settler violence" that is now being attributed to Israel. This buzz phrase is totally misguided and malicious. To characterize isolated instances as a systematic government-sanctioned and inspired policy of violence against Arabs, and to dub it "settler violence," tailor-made to apply to Israel, would appear to be contrived. To characterize this as if it is an international crime attributable only to Israel is no less misguided and malicious. Use of buzzwords and catchphrases appears to have become the international pastime when it comes to finding excuses to vilify Israel. Not a day goes by without international leaders and organizations, parliamentarians, the UN, media outlets, highly organized and orchestrated demonstrations in major world capitals, as well as showbiz celebrities, liberally repeating internationally recognizable catchphrases and buzzwords to associate Israel with some element of international criminality, including "genocide," "Apartheid," "colonialism," "illegal occupation," "mass starvation," and "indiscriminate violence." Deliberately using such buzzwords carries a clear intent to mislead the public into attributing negative and criminal connotations to Israel. The incessant repetition of such phrases is legally inaccurate and blatantly misleading, emanating from acute ignorance as to their genuine meaning as well as a lack of knowledge and awareness of the actual facts and legal background of the various issues. The absurdity of the buzz-phrase "settler violence" is particularly blatant when one compares this with the massive swath of reported incidents of sports hooliganism throughout the world, and mass-hooliganism at political marches and demonstrations on campuses and major thoroughfares in Western capitals. Thousands of instances of hooliganism are reported annually in European and South American soccer involving assault, criminal damage to property, use of weapons, use of signal flares and smoke bombs, and physical violence against supporters of rival teams, in addition to post-game riots including car burning and shop window smashing. However, such instances of violence and fatalities from hooliganism, documented in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Australia, Egypt, Canada, and the U.S., have not caused those countries to be internationally condemned and branded as sponsoring violence, in the same way that Israel is being so branded. The writer, former Legal Adviser and Deputy Director-General of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, heads the international law program at the Jerusalem Center.