by Stephen Lendman

On Saturday, Netanyahu called on Knesset members to restore calm. Referring to Temple Mount tensions. Ones he willfully provoked. More on this below.

He heads Israel's fascist government. It's most extremist ever. Democracy for privileged Jews alone.

Neoliberal harshness for others. No rights whatever for Palestinians. Militarized occupation denies them.

Exceeding Sharonian evil and then some. An unindicted war criminal multiple times over.

Guilty of premeditated murder. Genocidal slaughter. Mass destruction. Waging daily war on Palestine.

His November 2012 Operation Pillar of Cloud murdered 170 Palestinians in eight days. Injured hundreds more. Many maimed for life.

An unnamed Gazan woman put a human face on Palestinian suffering.

On November 20, her letter from Gaza said the following:

"The situation here is really terrible and it’s getting worse day after day..."

"This morning, the Israeli F16 military jets hit our area twice. The first time, they hit the building of the council of ministers with 5 huge missiles just a few homes away from our home."

"Our home was shaking like an earthquake, and our windows broke and shattered everywhere, and I felt the missiles inside our home. It was very scary. Of course serious damages happened to all surrounding buildings in the area."

"The first time, the Israeli F16 military jets hit Palestine stadium, which is located in the neighborhood next to my neighborhood, with 4 huge missiles, and caused some damages to my home as well."

"I heard the huge explosions and saw the flames and it was very terrifying. We see and feel death very close with each bombing. Israel is bombing everywhere in Gaza all the time by air, sea and land."

“Nowhere to hide…Nowhere is safe...We don’t have shelters. We just stay at home so all of us can die at once if a missile would strike our home."

"We are still recovering from the trauma of (Cast Lead). How will we recover from this?"

"This is insane…How much is too much?...I hope this madness will stop as quickly as possible."

Pillar of Cloud and December 2008/January 2009 Cast Lead were skirmishes compared to Protective Edge.

Over 2,200 died. Around 11,000 wounded. Over 80% of casualties were civilians.

Willfully targeted lawlessly. Israel considers them fair game. Around 600 children killed. Another 3,300 wounded. Many disabled for life. Virtually all traumatized.

Around 300 women killed. Another 2,100 injured. Palestinian suffering continues daily. Besieged Gazans remain isolated.

On their own out of luck. Israel spurned agreed on ceasefire terms straightaway. Agreements its signs aren't worth the paper they're written on.

It says one thing. It does another. Palestinians suffer. Many die. Since 1948. After 66 years, Palestinians haven't achieved a single meaningful victory. Relief is nowhere in sight.

Israeli hegemonic ambitions are boundless. Its culture reflects violence, belligerence, occupation harshness, land theft, Palestinian dispossession, institutionalized racism, and contempt for rule of law principles and democratic values.

Post-conflict deals mean nothing. Change won't come until Israel and Washington are held fully accountable. For decades of crimes of war and against humanity.

Day of reckoning time is nowhere in sight. Resolution won't happen until it arrives. Netanyahu's call for calm rings hollow.

He spoke with Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein. Asked for help with other MKs. Urging "responsibility and restraint." Regarding Temple Mount status quo issues.

Despite none from him forthcoming. On this or other issues. Saying one thing. Doing another. His call came after Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel harshly criticized Jordan.

Responding to its government spokesman. Saying Israeli East Jerusalem actions and attempts to change longstanding Temple Mount status quo puts Jordanian/Israeli peace at risk.

Days after the 20th anniversary of their treaty.

"I hear that the Jordanians are threatening the peace agreement, and I wonder whether they've forgotten the Six-Day War and all the years in which Israel supported King Hussein," said Ariel.

"The Temple Mount and Jerusalem are under Israeli sovereignty just as Amman is under complete Jordanian sovereignty, and they should take this to heart."

Other extremist MK's made similar comments. A previous article discussed John Kerry's remarks about escalating Jerusalem tensions.

Particularly surrounding the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.

Referring to violence following its closure. After radicalized right-wing rabbi Yehuda Glick was shot and seriously wounded.

Before Al-Aqsa's Friday reopening, Kerry said:

"The continued commitment by Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians to preserve the historic status quo at this holy site is critical. Any decisions or actions to change it would be both provocative and dangerous."

In a Friday press briefing, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Kerry demanded Netanyahu eschew provocative statements.

Abstain from actions regarding Jerusalem. Preserve the Temple Mount's status quo.

Kerry and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat will meet in Washington Monday. Addressing Jerusalem conditions. Suggesting efforts to revive moribund peace talks.

On Sunday, Netanyahu addressed cabinet ministers. Saying no changes in Temple Mount regulations are forthcoming.

After days of unrest and protests. After protest marches throughout the West Bank following Mutaz Hijazi's murder. Israeli police blamed him for shooting Glick.

Despite no evidence proving it. Denying him due process. Murdering him in cold blood. It's longstanding Israeli practice. He never had a chance.

Fatah's Jerusalem secretary-general, Adnan Ghaith, called killing him an "act of terrorism."

Persecuting Palestinians bears full responsibility for public anger. Civil uprisings. Violent clashes. Deaths and injuries following.

Over the weekend, Israeli security forces detained two Palestinian children. A two-year-old and nine-year-old. On suspicion of stone throwing.

Nine-year-old Izz al-Din al-Qassam had "colored rocks" in his pockets. Presumably to throw at soldiers. It was candy. Apologies didn't follow.

According to a 2013 UN Children's Fund report, Israel is the only country where children are systematically tried in military courts.

Subjected to "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment."

In the past decade, Israeli forces arrested, interrogated, and prosecuted around 7,000 children. Between ages 12 and 17.

Some younger. Mostly boys. "(A)n average of two children each day," according to UNICEF.

Friday was marked by extreme Israeli violence. Throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Numerous Palestinian injuries followed. Israeli forces show no mercy. Netanyahu's call for calm rings hollow. He bears full responsibility for police state viciousness.

Extremist ministers share it. So do radicalized MKs. Community incursions and clashes occur multiple times daily.

Palestinian rights are systematically denied. Every day is Kristallnacht in Palestine. Fear is constant. Collective punishment is official policy.

Fundamental civil and human rights are denied. Crimes of war and against humanity repeat without redress.

Wanting to live free in sovereign Palestine is called terrorism. Brute force targets resisters.

State-sponsored genocide threatens Palestine's existence. Responsible change is nowhere in sight.

Palestinian Knesset member Ahmad Tibi called Netanyahu urging calm "unacceptable." Accusing him of escalating tensions. Stoking violence.

Calling Netanyahu "a thief who tries to find stolen things which he himself stole." Accusing him and likeminded extremists of "playing with fire."

"The problem lies in the ruling party and the Likud lawmakers and their supporters."

"They are the ones who stir up the situation by storming Al-Aqsa Mosque."

"They are the main cause of what is going on in addition to Netanyahu's decision to shut down the Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslims."

Bearing full responsibility for occupation harshness. Long denied justice remains nowhere in sight.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

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