Vedant Patel, the State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson, on Wednesday, opened his press conference with this:
“So first, as we noted yesterday, we strongly condemn yesterday’s terrorist attack against Israelis near Eli in the West Bank that killed four individuals. We express our deepest condolences to the families of those killed. There is no justification for terrorism.”
Next, having condemned the terrorists, Patel condemned the Israeli civilians who protested Arab terrorism:
“There are troubling reports of extremist settler violence against Palestinian civilians, including the death of a Palestinian child and other injuries. We likewise condemn these violent acts and also extend our condolences to the families of those affected.”
Patel lied. No child was killed in the settlers’ protest in Turmus Ayya outside Ramallah in Samaria. According to Haaretz (a.k.a. al-Ard), “About 200 settlers, some of them armed, set fire to houses and cars on Wednesday in the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya in the center of the West Bank, as well as agricultural areas on the outskirts of the village. Sources in the security apparatus estimated that about 15 houses were damaged by arson and thrown stones in Turmos Ayya, and about 30 cars were set on fire.”
You may agree or disagree with Jewish protesters who, like the Black protesters in the US, express their rage at terrorist murders (remember George Floyd) with arson and destruction of property. But even Haaretz couldn’t sink low enough to accuse them of killing a child.
It reported clearly: “After the settlers left the village, clashes broke out between policemen and Palestinians, in which one of the residents was killed by a policeman.”
Don’t trust Vedant Patel, he lies.
A reporter asked Patel, “But that attack came right after an attack on the Jenin camp, where the Israelis used an Apache helicopter against civilians. Six people were killed, including a 14-year-old girl that should be dreaming about boys and schools and things like this. So, no condemnation there for an unprovoked attack that the Israelis conducted and were there for nine hours – for nine hours – using Apache helicopters, using all kinds of weapons supplied by the United States of America?”
Yes, Arab reporters also lie. The reason the IDF soldiers were forced to stay in the Jenin refugee camp for nine hours was the huge explosive charge that blew up an armored troops carrier and had to be towed under fire. The helicopter (Apache, not “Apaches”) had to be called in to defend the force that was under attack by hundreds of armed terrorists. And the girl, who should be dreaming of boys, was hit by a stray bullet inside her home – there’s no telling which side fired it.
But at least we finally understood Patel’s reference to the girl the settlers supposedly killed a day later in Turmus Ayya.
Here’s a factoid: Turmus Ayya was the home of Montasser Shalabi, a Palestinian-American who opened fire at civilians waiting at a bus stop at Tapuah junction in May 2021. He killed Yehuda Guetta, 19, a yeshiva student from Tamar.
Somebody should tell Vedant Patel.
