Haaretz reported on significant changes to the IDF's military rule in the West Bank. Israel applies its penal code across the West Bank. Their discussion of self-defense under these laws particularly instructive. As most of us know, during last summer's bombing of Gaza (Protective Edge), various talking-heads saturated our TV screens and Op-Ed pages to pontificate on "Israel's right to defend itself". Self-defense, of course triggers a deep response among most Americans.
As many of you know, most of the West Bank is governed under military law, with the IDF engaged in the criminal justice business. Palestinians in much of the West Bank, have to deal with a justice system run by the Israeli military. Israeli settlers though, enjoy access to Israeli civilian courts.
To quote the article:
Central Command chief Nitzan Alon signed an order applying Israel's penal code to Palestinians in the West Bank, hours before he left office earlier this week.
The new order’s significance is mainly declarative. Parts of the Israeli penal code have already been adopted by military judges in the West Bank. And in general, arrest, detention and penal procedures are significantly harsher when applied to West Bank Palestinians than to Israeli citizens.
However, an aspect that will not apply to the West Bank is the so-called Shai Dromi amendment enacted in 2008, which exempts a person from criminal responsibility for an “act urgently required to ward off someone who breaks into his home, business or farm.”
This aspect would have let Palestinians ward off settler attacks without bearing criminal responsibility.
As we've been reminded repeatedly, Israel definitely has the "right to defend itself". It seems this right can be delegated to West Bank settlers. But under no circumstance can it be extended to Palestinians.
In other news, the Israeli singer and provocateur Amir Benayoun released a song caricaturing Obama as Pharaoh on Youtube (complete with images of Obama with a stone Egyptian figure-head superimposed):
Outspoken Israeli singer Amir Benayoun has released a Passover-themed song in which U.S. President Barack Obama is cast as biblical villain Pharaoh.
[...]
In his latest offering, Benayoun calls Obama "the stupid president" and says that he will "never manage to wipe out the People of Israel."
This is not the first time that Benayoun has taken aim at Obama. In 2014, he released a song titled "Jerusalem of Hussein," in which he calls the American leader "determined and cruel" and accuses him of plotting to take Jerusalem away from the Jewish people.
and in case you're wondering where you've heard Amir's name before:
President Rivlin cancels performance by singer who published anti-Arab song:
President Reuven Rivlin has canceled a performance by an Israeli star singer who caused controversy earlier this week after publishing an anti-Arab song describing a fictional Arab student as "ungrateful scum."
The song "Ahmed loves Israel," sung from the viewpoint of the fictional Arab, continues with him saying that “one day, it’s true, you’ll turn your back to me and I’ll strike you with my well-honed ax." The song was posted on Facebook.
Singer Amir Benayoun was scheduled to perform in a ceremony marking the expulsion and departure of Jews from Iran and Arab countries. The director general of the President’s office Harel Tubi told the ceremony’s organizers that “following the posting of Benayoun’s song, I would like to inform you that he will not be welcome at the President’s residence.”