Israeli police arrest Santa Claus!

[Everexpanding]

“Israeli police arrested a Palestinian man dressed as Santa Claus during a raid on a Christmas party in Haifa, a civil rights monitor has said.
Israeli officers closed an event celebrating Christmas on Sunday, confiscating equipment, and arresting the Palestinian Santa Claus, as well as a DJ and a street vendor. In a video, police can be seen pushing the men to the ground and handcuffing them as bystanders watched.”

jesus, they couldn’t stop even for a day

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/25/israeli-police-arrest-palestinian-man-dressed-as-santa-claus-at-christmas-party

No, I'm pretty sure not.

Is this village in Israel? Are the inhabitants Israeli citizens and thus subject to Israeli law? Or is it in the WB? Area A, B, or C?

Its fair enough if youre trying to draw me into a conversation about whether Palestinians in the WB have the same rights as Israelis in Israel? I know they dont. I know they live under oppression, I know Israel is heavy handed at best, and sometimes much worse. I know at a basic level there is injustice. I dont wish to stick up for all Israeli behaviors in the WB. But I do sometimes want to point out that there are 2 sides to the story. And Palestinian terrorism does the Palestinian cause ( which I believe is at heart valid- they need and deserve a homeland of their own too ) absolutely no good at all. Ramming civilians with cars so hard that they die of their injuries, then stabbing a 19 year old to death- this does nothing for their cause. I find the original sin of the terrorist attack much more offensive than the retaliatory demolition.

Fair enough do you think that the demolitions and routine oppression perhaps contribute to future terrorism therefore fuelling an endless cycle off violence that needs to stop

Totally
Edited to add- although also I hope you can understand why the need for security when terrorists are doing their terrorist thing.

Well then Israel needs to be pressured to stop through sanctions and withdrawal of support because that is the only way our governments can exert pressure and Hamas is already proscribed

I think you can only ever have so much security and breaches will happen. The root causes of terrorism need to be addressed unfortunately what has been perpetrated in Gaza is difficult to ever move on from and has only made the situation worse

And Palestinians should perhaps be pressurized to stop violently killing Jews?

Then maybe trust can build, and Israel can relax?

Yes

Think carrots more than sticks

Think Israel will need to atone at this stage

Atone for defending itself against people who say they have no right to be there at all, this is all Muslim land?

I don't see that happening.

How do you envisage this atonement?

Muslim land? Or Palestinian land?

Can you see any reason why Palestinians believe it’s their land? Or do you think it’s purely down to hating Jews?

Obviously violence against civilians is unjustifiable but I’m asking you what you think about the root cause of the violence, and what you think that is?

I can see why Palestinians believe they have the right to live on the land.

I can see why Israelis think same.

I think they both have the right to a homeland in the part of the world they and their ancestors originated in.

The root cause is the original refusal of Palestinian leadership to accept the partition offered and the failure to declare a Palestinian state.

The ongoing cause is hatred and violence in the hearts of extremists on both sides, and both sides having leadership dedicated to not allowing the other the rights they take for themselves.

I actually wasn't trying to draw you into that argument at all.

I agree terrorism has no place and no innocent person should ever die.

But Palestinian terrorism has its roots in this heavy handedness .I know the ultimate reasons are far more complex and stretch back decades but angry young men that see unfair demolitions and displacement of their family members and neighbors that Israelis are not subjected too are prime to become terrorists and commit these acts.

They see settlers behaving in the most awful ways and no punishment is given and then innocent people punished for the sins of their family members because they are Palestinian.

Then innocent civilians die, Israel responds in the usual over the top way and the whole cycle continues.
Of course there are two sides to the story but neither side appears willing to break the cycle.

I find them equally offensive.

The root cause is the original refusal of Palestinian leadership to accept the partition offered and the failure to declare a Palestinian state.

What do you mean? They declared a state in 1988.

Do you think they were initially unjustified in refusing to accept the partition that gave away over half their land to newcomers? They weren’t consulted in the partition after all. And they certainly weren’t to blame for the antisemitism in Europe and the massive influx of refugees that created.

Would you expect another country, on the verge of independence from two successive empires, to accept such a partition without protest?

And why do you think they haven’t declared a state?

I disagree that Palestinian terrorism has its roots in Israeli heavy handedness. I think Palestinian terrorism has its roots in Islamist antisemitism. The violence goes back way before there was even hope of a Jewish State in the area.

But I agree with you on it being a cycle. It requires someone to blink first.

Theres just too much for me to wade into tonight I'm afraid. I said they didn't declare a state originally, and yes I do believe thats part of the root cause- as you asked.

And historically yes, nations have accepted less than ideal partitions. If Palestinian leadership had accepted the partition offered by the UN, they'd be in a much better position than they are likely to ever be now. Thats a tragedy for normal Palestinians that I put squarely at the feet of the antisemitic Palestinian leadership of the time.

As I said I think there are many reasons and the ones you mentioned are definitely factors but I think you are overestimating these factors with the type of people that commit these acts.

Look at the Troubles in the North, yes the fundamental issues were there but for many of the terrorists the inequity they saw in their day to day lives, the gerrymandering the unfair housing and voting systems , policing etc were huge issues that spurred them on to act.

Islamist antisemitism is of course present but will it inspire an 18 year old to plant a bomb for revenge as much as seeing their innocent father imprisoned or their mother beaten or their family home demolished.

It doesn't make it right but it means a policy change is the most positive thing that could change the course of action in the future.

Personally I think that a huge part of the problem is that Palestinians don't have the right to self defence. Pro Israel posters like to say 'who else would be expected to put up with terrorism/violence/civilians being attacked and killed. The answer is Palestinians. There is no way for them to defend themselves from Israeli terrorism. They can't have an army and fight back, they can't arrest settlers and have legal justice, if they physically fight back themselves then they are killed/arrested. It goes through the courts and it is found that Israel are practising racial segregation and illegal occupation and the court is called antisemitic. There is literally no legal means they can use to protect themselves from the Israeli government and terrorist Israelis. This needs to change. Palestinians need to have the right to defend themselves, they can't be expected to just sit around and watch their lives, their families, their homes, their rights, be destroyed and smile benignly.