THE death of a peaceful Palestinian demonstrator, who also happened to be a minister in the Palestinian government, has led to outrage across the world and hurt the Israeli cause even in places where Tel Aviv has traditionally enjoyed support.

Ziad Abu Ein died at the hands of brutish Israeli security personnel, even though media reports made clear he and other foreign peace activists, including Israeli human rights crusaders, were protesting peacefully against settlement activity.

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TV footage showed that the minister offered no resistance as an Israeli soldier punched, kicked and assaulted him, grabbing him by the throat. Killing innocent civilians is nothing new for Israel’s security apparatus.

Ignoring such historic and chilling massacres as those at Deir Yassin, Sabra-Chatila and Jenin, brainwashed Israeli soldiers have as a matter of state policy displayed a vicious streak in dealing with peaceful civilians, including non-Arab activists.

In March 2003, Rachel Corrie, an American peace worker, was run over by an Israeli bulldozer while she was protesting against the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza. Such, however, is the control of the Israel lobby in the US over the media that American public opinion is hardly aware of Corrie’s sacrifice.

Like countless crimes against humanity, Ziad Abu Ein’s murder, too, will be forgotten as the Israeli leadership continues its relentless drive to build and expand settlements, besides acting on a calculated policy to strip the West Bank population of its economic assets.

It seems that even a Palestinian-owned olive tree is an affront to the Israeli state — the Palestinian minister and others were carrying olive plants. Israel’s ultimate aim is to sabotage the two-state formula.

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In fact, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s media talk some months ago was categorical, for he declared he would never countenance a sovereign Palestinian state on the West Bank.

Israel should, however, note that the world has started to express stronger sympathy with the Palestinian cause and that the emergence of a sovereign Palestinian state may not be a distant dream after all.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2014