Three soldiers pounce on a shepherd sitting outside his sheep pen. They knock him over and then one of them shoots him to death at point-blank range. Fakher Jaber, a father of four, was suspected of involvement in an incident that probably never happened

On the last day of his life, two and a half weeks ago, the shepherd and his wife got up at 5:30 A.M., as usual, and immediately went out together to milk the ewes. With their flock of 120 sheep, their work is never done. Maryam recalls now that they didn’t manage to eat breakfast before the daily Ramadan fast began. After about two hours they finished milking. Fakher took the sheep out to graze and she began to make cheese from the milk, which they sell in Nablus to help make their living.

After he returned the sheep to their pen, Fakher sat down near it, removed the Quran from his pocket and began to read from it. Maryam finished making dinner. She remembers that everything was normal and relatively peaceful that afternoon, in this beleaguered community, living under the constant threat of invasions by settlers. Suddenly Maryam heard shouting. She rushed outside and saw three Israelis in uniform yelling at and wrestling with her husband. One of the men was masked, which led her to believe that they were settlers – of the type that frequently assault the shepherding communities, graze their livestock on the residents’ lands and water their flocks from their wells.

  • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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    7 months ago

    You’re not a “settler” if you’re settling land that somebody already lives on. You’re an invader.

    • aidan@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I agree, and not applicable in Palestine generally, but you can be a settler as in settling next to other people. Someone farming land doesn’t mean you can’t farm next to them and peacefully coexist.

  • Cosmic Cleric@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    From the article…

    There were two bullet holes in his chest and one near his groin.

    Am I reading that right, did they actually try to shoot his penis?

    Also from the article…

    Three days after Fakher’s killing, three other shepherds from the same community were arrested on suspicion of assaulting a settler. They are still in custody.

  • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Is there anything in Jewish religious texts about shepherds tending flocks as an analogy for their version of god and followers like Christians have? Murdering a literal shepherd tending his flock while reading his version of a bible is off the charts I think. Not that anyone uses religion for anything other than justification for whatever awfulness they’re engaging in.

    But everything is off the charts these days.

  • InfiniteGlitch@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    8 months ago

    The IDF, US and other Zionists will claim it was out of self-defense.

    When are other countries going to step up and do something about this horrifying genocide.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      To be fair this is how American police kill people. Engage perfectly innocent person, escalate it because they aren’t 100% respectful of your authority and finally shoot them because they didn’t follow your orders after you claimed to see a weapon.

    • Kalysta@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      Which country isn’t so afraid of the US bombing them in retaliation that they’ll stand up to us? There aren’t many. And to stop Israel at this point you will need boots on the ground.

      Russia is too bogged down in Ukraine, and China doesn’t want to have their trade affected.

      There’s really no one left.

    • krzschlss@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      You can’t. Those guns and bombs they use, we pay for 'em. If we charge them with war crimes, we are charging ourselves with war crimes. And we don’t want that, don’t we? Just vote for a lesser evil clown or a billionaire racist idiot and make yourself feel like you’ve done your part. It’s easier to sleep that way. It’s democracy© we’re protecting after all. What’s a few thousand more killed for something this precious.

      ♫♫♫ OH SAY CAN YOU SEE…

      • can@sh.itjust.works
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        7 months ago

        You can’t. Those guns and bombs they use, we pay for 'em. If we charge them with war crimes, we are charging ourselves with war crimes. And we don’t want that, don’t we?

        I kinda do

    • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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      7 months ago

      Haaretz is weird. Many articles are the some old israeli propaganda but they have some left wing writers which write and investigate israeli war crimes and even articles against their government.

      The person who writes the article makes all the difference on Haaretz.

      • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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        7 months ago

        You mean receives billions in welfare. The Iron Dome is an American system.

              • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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                7 months ago

                You are right I found their link on top. Since I read America supplies many interceptor missiles I thought that it was America made.

                The funding very much does seem to be American though

                The initial funding and development of the Iron Dome system was provided and undertaken by Israel. This allowed for the deployment of the first two Iron Dome systems. Subsequently, funding for additional Iron Dome systems—along with repeated funding for the supply of the interception missiles—has been provided by the United States.[From 2011 to 2021, the US contributed a total of US$1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defense system, with another US$1 billion approved by the US Congress in 2022.

  • perestroika@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    Sadly, until the IDF starts investigating and prosecuting their members for war crimes (and stops assigning people without the required education, skills and psychological traits to essentially do police duties) - some parts of the IDF will continue to perform the role of recruiting Palestinians into extremist and militant organizations. :(

    I would not be surprised if one of the dead man’s relatives decides at some point to take up weapons.

  • dan1101@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    The quoted article is a bit short on details of what the shepherd was supposed to have done.

    • Cosmic Cleric@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      The quoted article is a bit short on details of what the shepherd was supposed to have done.

      Not sure if you mean to warrant an investigation by the three troops, or to trigger the actual shooting.

      If it’s the actual shooting, from the article (highlighted parts)…

      The panicked Maryam and her children watched Fakher, who was on the ground. According to B’Tselem field researcher Salma a-Deb’i, who investigated the case, he grabbed a stone, evidently for self defense. It never left his hand. To his family’s horror, one of the troops pointed his rifle at Fakher – a man probably the age of that soldier’s father, laying on the ground. No fewer than three bullets were fired directly into the shepherd’s body. Maryam screamed in terror and apparently fainted. The eldest son, Qusay, tried coming to his father’s aid but the soldiers threatened to shoot him too. Little Ibrahim also saw his father slain before his eyes. “My father is gone, my father is gone,” the boy shouted, again and again.

      • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        “Following receipt of a report of the assault of an Israeli boy by two Palestinians near the Gitit roadblock on March 19, forces from the Jordan Valley Brigade rushed to the scene. A disturbance involving some 30 Palestinians developed, which included throwing of stones at the forces. The troops acted to disperse the disturbance and fired at one of the suspects. A hit was detected. The circumstances of the incident are under review.”

        https://archive.is/qLqQB

    • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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      7 months ago

      It’s West Bank colonists that israel now employs as soldiers to terrorize Palestinians. They make up any story they want and the IDF will claim it as the truth and declare the soldiers innocent

    • Kalysta@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      They interviewed the wife. Who was literally watching from her window while terrorists murdered her husband.

      • Eheran@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        In a witness vs witness situation I doubt everything, yes. How should we know who is saying the truth? Because of the heart warming story about how they life their live I should route for the shepherd? I do not. I usually doubt everything, always, regardless who says it or what it is about. To me, this is hearsay. The other side was not even asked to tell us their side.

        • Kalysta@lemm.ee
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          7 months ago

          It’s a news article not a court.

          And the murderers will never be brought up on charges because Israelis don’t see Palestinians as people.

          Don’t be like the Israelis. Have some compassion.

        • acargitz@lemmy.ca
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          7 months ago

          You’re right. We should make sure that there is a thorough investigation by some kind of neutral third party to reveal the truth. I propose as a first step to establishing all the evidence that the Israelis should get the fuck out of the West Bank. They are obviously a biased party with a vested interest in this. So they should not have any fucking authority in the area just in case they try any shenanigans.

            • acargitz@lemmy.ca
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              7 months ago

              You know what, that tired bullshit argument has a point. Yes, to avoid a repeat of what happened after the Gaza pullout, the Israelis should take some additional corrective steps: do not intentionally prop up extremists to undermine the PA, like they did with Hamas, formally recognize Palestine, sign a treaty, pay reparations, give refugees the right to return, and commit to a policy of non intervention while the Palestinians fight out whatever internal civil war will inevitably follow the establishment of their newly liberated society (like the Irish civil war of 1922-23). That should probably do it. But there might be other concessions that they might have to accept, ultimately fair game in the name of establishing a lasting and just peace after 70 years of oppression of the Palestinians.

              • DoomBot5@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                That’s great in fairy land. In reality that’s going to cause more terrorist attacks directed at Israel, as said terrorists can now operate freely in the area.

                As for reparations, how about Israel work out a plan to ween the West Bank off the Israeli provided resources they’re already heavily reliant on instead?

                On the right to return, you’re even more confused. They can return to he west bank all they want. What they actually want is to return to where Israel is and for it to stop existing.

                Idealistic bullshit is great online. It gets you plenty of up votes, when applied to reality, you’ll find it quite lacking.

                • tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                  7 months ago

                  What they actually want is to return to where Israel is and for it to stop existing.

                  Why do you think that is? Because where Israel is was their home that was stolen. They have stolen more and more territory, even just in recent days they have annexed land that is according to all treaties supposed to be Palestinian land.

                • acargitz@lemmy.ca
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                  7 months ago

                  Ok buddy. Tell me what you imagine is the basis for a realistic long term peaceful solution. Because the “idealistic bullshit” that I’m proposing is the stuff that actually brought peace in Europe after two fucking word wars and in places like Ireland after many decades of troubles. I.e., if tried and tested solutions are not realistic, tell me what is. Here’s the catch though: you’re not allowed to argue for ethnic cleansing.

            • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              You mean when they didn’t actually leave? They blockaded Gaza and constantly raided it. So much leaving going on there.

              • DoomBot5@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                How about actually learning history instead of spouting bullshit. Israel only had to start taking action, after the constant terrorist attacks out of Gaza.

                • acargitz@lemmy.ca
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                  7 months ago

                  Everyone knows that the whole reason for the American Civil War was the Fort Sumter attack. That was when the timeline started, there were no deeper reasons, no history for decades prior. Anyone bringing up things like slavery are just doing it to dilute the crime of the Fort Sumter attack. If only the Confederates had not attacked Fort Sumter, the whole Civil War thing would never have happened.

                  Also, nobody needs a memory longer than a goldfish’s.

                • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  Lmao.

                  A. Yep I’ve read the history.

                  B. If they only took action against Gaza after terrorist attacks then why were they in Gaza in the first place?

                  They blockaded Gaza because they didn’t like the resistance movement actually winning the elections. Instead of trying to work with them they declared war right away. And yes that’s what a blockade is, an act of war. Israel has been at war with Gaza for nearly 20 years by that action alone. More if you count the illegal occupation before.

                  They don’t get a pass just for being Israel.

        • kurwa@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Why the hell would they be there on their property otherwise? Just think for a second.

        • ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          There’s a fucking corpse with a bullet hole and an eye witness. Plus, settler gangs commit acts of violence pretty much daily. What the fuck else do you think happened if not the thing that happens all the time?

      • jimbolauski@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        I’m instantly suspicious of any claims that “there they were minding their own buisness reading the bible on the porch”.

        • Deebster@programming.dev
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          7 months ago

          It’s Ramadan, fasting and contemplating their religion is what many, many Muslims are doing right now.

        • tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          7 months ago

          I guess you haven’t been paying attention then. There are too many verified videos to count of people sitting doing nothing being shot by sniper fire, hit with a drone strike, ran over by a tank, bound and executed, etc. There have been numerous cases of children shot by sniper drones while going to and from hospitals.

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    7 months ago

    On the last day of his life, two and a half weeks ago, the shepherd and his wife got up at 5:30 A.M., as usual, and immediately went out together to milk the ewes.

    Can we please stop with this dramatization?

    Edit: All the downvoters probably did poorly in social studies. Did you all pay attention when they taught you about journalistic integrity? Judging by how most of you argue, I’m guessing you slept through that just like the lessons on citing.

    • 5in1k@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      We get it, you hate Gazans and you’re here with your brand new account to dehumanize them.

      • eardon@lemmy.ca
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        7 months ago

        You absolutely do not get it.

        Read through my post history and you’ll see I have no problem calling Zionists nazis.

        But you also won’t come back and admit you were wrong, lol.

        That’s how the tribe operates.

    • Leviathan@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Dramatization? These are literally a series of facts. Maybe there’s something else bothering you?

      • eardon@lemmy.ca
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        7 months ago

        No, it’s the dramatization.

        You’re just upset I’m even slightly critical of something supportive of Ukraine.

        • melpomenesclevage@lemm.ee
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          7 months ago

          No, it’s the dramatization.

          You’re just upset I’m even slightly critical of something supportive of Ukraine.

          I think you’re in the wrong thread. Not the fascism youre being paid to shill for. This is about the worse one.

    • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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      7 months ago

      Humanizing Palestinians by accurately recounting what happened? Now this is going way too far.

      • eardon@lemmy.ca
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        7 months ago

        You can accurately account what happens without flowery language that exists to influence the reader’s perception.

        This should be a news article, not a novel.

        • InfiniteGlitch@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          7 months ago

          So when articles be like

          • Genocide is currently happening in Gaza by Israeli government.
          • The people woke up, milked the cows and got shot by the IDF

          Both are not good, so which one? While both are true and can be backed up by evidence.

          Because no matter how an article is written, it seems people always complain about something.