what Palestinians go through everyday

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is often given attention in our media, especially when Palestinian militants launch deadly attacks against Israeli civilians and afterwards Israeli army "retaliates" and usually kills dozens to hundreds of Palestinian civilians in the process. What often goes unseen is the humiliation and racism that Palestinians are exposed to on a daily basis in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

These videos were all found on the website belonging to Btselem, an Israeli human rights group.Some were taken by Israeli human rights workers, others by Palestinians who were given cameras and told to film what their life is like. Most of these videos are 2 to 10 minutes long, but they show a vicious pattern of racism and discrimination against Palestinians by Israeli soldiers and settlers. They were taken during "peacetime".

While as these videos show, some Israeli Jews are capable of terrible racism and brutality, don't forget there are many other Jews in Israel and around the world who stand up and speak out against what their country is doing to the Palestinians. Some have been arrested and even beaten for their courage. If it weren't for Israeli Jews, these videos would not have gotten out to the world.

Hebron: a mixed Israeli-Palestinian city where Palestinians are not allowed to use main streets and often barricaded in their homes so Israeli settlers can celebrate religious holidays. At times settlers vandalize Palestinian homes while the army watches.
http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/200705_Hebron_Introduction.asp

Hebron- Interview with an Israeli settler woman and a Palestinian woman living close to each other. The Palestinian woman and her family are often confined to their home and not allowed to leave. Her house is stoned by Israeli children who have been tragically indoctrinated to hate their neighbours and taught that bullying them is OK. http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/20070416_Tel_Rumeida.asp

Palestinian woman in Hebron cannot get to work since her door has been padlocked by the army and the road is closed for Arabs. She has to go over the roof. http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/20070311_Shuhada_roofs.asp

Palestinians trying to use a road in Hebron that is closed off to Arabs. http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/20070311_Shuhada_closed.asp

Hebron- Palestinian woman comes to her home 4 years after being forced out by settler harrassment http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/20070411_Barred_from_Home.asp

West Bank, village of Biliin- unarmed Palestinian demonstrator shot by soldier in the thigh with a rubber bullet. http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/20080513_Shooting_at_Demonstrators_in_Bilin.asp

West Bank- Israeli soldiers throw Palestinian shepherds off their land http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/200508_Soldier_throws_shepherds_off_their_land.asp

House demolitions- in the past 4 years, 4,100 Palestinian homes have been demolished for "military reasons" or because they were built without permits (which are rarely granted to Palestinians in Israel), or as punishment for actions by Palestinian militants.
http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/200412_House_Demolitions.asp

Interview with Palestinian university student whose apartment was destroyed in East Jerusalem. http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/20080728_House_Demolition_in_Beit_Hanina.asp

West Bank- Blindfolded Palestinian prisoner is shot in the leg by a soldier at close range: http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/20080707_Nilin_Shooting.asp

Route 443- A major highway in the West Bank. Palestinians are not allowed to drive or even walk on it. If they want to travel from village to village, they must take side roads (usually unpaved). http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/200803_Road_443.asp

West Bank- Palestinian shepherds are assaulted by settlers wielding clubs and bats. http://www.btselem.org/english/Video/20080608_CDP_Settler_assault_shepherd_in_Khirbet_Susiya.asp

Also for the record: attacks against Israeli civilians by Palestinian armed militant groups like Hamas are sick, unjustified and inexcusable. There can be no excuse for bombing pizzerias or launching rockets into towns. Although these attacks kill far fewer Israelis than the number of Palestinian civilians who are bombed and shot by Israeli soldiers during "anti-terror operations" (during the fighting in Gaza last January, Hamas rocket fire and other attacks killed 10 Israeli soldiers and 3 Israeli civilians. The Israeli army then invaded Gaza and killed over 1,000 Palestinians, and it is estimated that between 300 and 700 civilians died)- any kind of violence against civilians is evil and there is nothing "heroic" or "praiseworthy" about Hamas or its "resistance".

Although many of us in Canada are uncomfortable or unwilling to admit this, the Palestinians are victims of cruelty, discrimination and injustice on a daily basis. Some misguided church leaders will claim that no matter what, "Christians must support Israel". That is not a Biblical stance. We are definitely called by God to love the Jewish people. But loving the Jewish people cannot mean hating the Palestinians or pretending that their suffering does not exist. Jesus died on the cross for Arabs and Jews alike- and all of us. We are called to be peacemakers and to hunger and thirst for righteousness by the One who died and rose for us so that by believing in Him we may have everlasting life. Our witness of Christian love must extend to all people, regardless of race or ethnicity or beliefs.