Richard Falk: Speaking Truth to Power

by Stephen Lendman

Falk is Princeton University Professor Emeritus. For 40 years, he taught international law and relations. In 2008, he was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights.

He's outspoken about longstanding Israeli human rights abuses. They're too horrendous to ignore. On June 6, he addressed them. More on that below.

May 15 is Nakba Day. It's the "day of the catastrophe." In 1948, Israel stole 78% of historic Palestine.

In 1967, it took the rest. June 5 is Naksa Day. It commemorates the "day of the setback." It's when Israel occupied Palestinian-populated West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

It remains illegally occupied. It's militarized for control. It's dominated ruthlessly and repressively. For 46 years, Palestinians been criminally oppressed. Millions have been terrorized. Hundreds of thousands have been killed, injured, and/or displaced.

Around one-third have permanent injuries. About 20% of Palestinians have been imprisoned. Around 40% of Palestinian males endured incarceration.

So have many thousands of women and children. Some are aged 10 or younger. Israel terrorizes them for political advantage. It does so with impunity.

Many Palestinians are held uncharged for years. Prison conditions are deplorable. They're nightmarish. Militarized ruthlessness reflect official Israeli policy. Palestinian rights are systematically denied.

Besieged Gaza's the world's largest open-air prison. Life in occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem is little better. State terror reflects official Israeli policy.

Dozens of Palestinian community and neighborhood incursions occur weekly. Farmers are attacked in their fields. Children are assaulted to and from school or at play.

Families are terrorized. Lawless arrests follow. So do beatings, detentions, interrogations and torture. Confessions are forced for offenses Israel invents. Guilt by accusation is policy.

Israel's rogue terror state. It remains unaccountable. It's complicit in global state terror. It's history is blood-drenched.

It threatens regional peace and security. It menaces humanity. Palestinians live in the eye of the storm. They're not sure each day if they'll see another.

On June 6, Richard Falk addressed what's too important to ignore. He did so forthrightly. His candor was unequivocal, explicit and damning. "In Occupied Palestine, there's no distorting the facts on the ground," he said.

"Neither Israel nor its proxies can justify" what's ongoing. "So they distract, distort and defame to allow violation to go on."

"It