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When Someone Tells You The Palestinian Protesters Were Peaceful And Unarmed, Show Them This

SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

Benny Johnson Columnist, Viral Politics
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There is a popular talking point that claims the Palestinian protesters who rushed the Israeli border were unarmed and peaceful.

Photographic evidence and on-the-ground reporting belie this claim. We will get to that. First, let’s discuss what happened.

Palestinians living in Gaza under the governing control of Hamas, a terror group with a history of using human shields and child soldiers, were encouraged to rush the border with Israel during the opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem. (RELATED: When The Palestinians Blamed Israel For Violence At The UN, Nikki Haley’s Response Stuns The Room)

Israel, like all countries, has sovereign borders and maintains the right to protect them. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley made this point to the United Nations Security Council Tuesday. Haley said:

“I ask my colleagues here in the Security Council, who among us would accept this type of activity on your border? No one would. No country in this chamber would act with more restraint than Israel has. In fact, the records of several countries here today suggest they would be much less restrained.”

Haley blamed Hamas for staging the protests. According to the Washington Examiner:

“Hamas maps and social media show the fastest routes to reach Israeli communities in case demonstrators make it through the security fence,” she said, citing media reports. “They have reported on Hamas messages over loudspeakers that urge demonstrators to burst through the fence, falsely claiming Israeli soldiers were fleeing, when in fact, they were not.”

But don’t take Nikki Haley’s word for it. Listen to the “protesters” themselves.

The Washington Post quoted a 23-year-old Palestinian saying:

“We are excited to storm and get inside,” said 23-year-old Mohammed Mansoura. When asked what he would do inside Israel, he said, “Whatever is possible, to kill, throw stones.”

Two other young men carried large knives and said they wanted to kill Jews on the other side of the fence.

With full knowledge of the violence Hamas was fomenting beyond their border, the IDF dropped pamphlets warning Palestinians to not approach the border fence and deadly force would be used if they did not heed the warning. It didn’t stop hundreds of Palestinians from lighting tires ablaze and charging the barricades. In response to the attacks, Israel has killed 59 Palestinians to date.

However, these revelations did not stop prominent activist and commenters from peddling the lie that these protesters were unarmed.

Again, this is not true. Here is the evidence:

1.Palestinians are flying kites over the border with Molotov cocktails attached to them. The purpose is to set fire to Israeli farmers’ crops and cause damage and injury.  This tactic has been successful. Watch:

JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images

AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images

2. Palestinians are using slingshots to rain rocks and glass on the Israeli solders and citizens  just across the border. These photos were all taken in the last two days at the Gaza-Israel border:

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

RELATED: White House Has One Word Response When Asked Who’s To ‘Blame’ For Palestinian Deaths

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

3. Palestinians were able to shoot down sophisticated Israeli drones: