The body of Ali Dawabsha who was killed after his family’s house was set to fire by Jewish extremists in Duma village.

DETROIT — The arson that claimed the life of 18-month-old Palestinian baby Ali Dawabsha in the village of Duma in the West Bank on July 31 has ignited flames of rage in the Palestinian American community.

The attack, carried out by suspected Jewish settlers, left baby Ali dead and his parents and 4-year-old brother in critical condition. It brought to the forefront the suffering of Palestinians under the occupation.

Palestinian American activists held the Israeli government responsible for the settlers’ violence, which has been on the rise over the past year. Militant settlers have vandalized mosques and churches, run over Palestinian pedestrians and attacked Palestinian farms. Last year, extremists kidnapped and burned a 16-year-old Palestinian boy alive. 

Hatem Abudayyeh, the co-founder of the U.S. Palestinian Community Center, said settlers’ attacks are an extension of Israel’s culture of occupation.

He likened the situation in Palestine to police brutality against minorities in the United States.

“For 15 years, the U.S. has been in a perpetual state of war in the Middle East,” he said. “It is going to manifest itself in the perpetuation of violence on the streets— police violence against Black people, burning churches in the south, attacks on mosques. These might be individual acts, but you have to put them in their context as a part of this culture.”

Israeli officials have condemned the attack and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it an act of terrorism.

Abudayyeh said Israel’s words of sympathy are meaningless.

“We don’t accept condolences from Netanyahu or the Knesset,” he said. “The Israeli government itself is made of raging racists. Why accept condolences from the people protecting the culture of occupation and war and racism.”

Abudayyeh said justice for baby Ali will not be served by simply detaining the perpetrators of the attack.

“I don’t care if this Israeli settler is arrested or convicted or sentenced to life in prison,” he said. “It is not going to bring back the beautiful life that was lost or end the systemic racism and apartheid that allows such crimes. It has nothing to do with this individual settler, but with the entire racist, colonialist state of Israel.”

Abudayyeh added that the only way to realize peace and justice would be for the Israeli state to be dismantled.

“It doesn’t mean the Jews who live in that state are no more,” he continued. “But the racist state structure must go. Only then can we have peace and justice and equality.” 

The Chicago-based activist said Palestinians at home and in the diaspora are united in standing behind non-negotiable core demands, which include the right to return for refugees, end of occupation, self-determination and freeing political prisoners.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed his intentions to take the arson attack to the International Criminal Court. However, Abudayyeh played down the move, saying the Palestinian Authority is a burden on the Palestinian struggle.

He said the PA is in cahoots with Israel and does not represent the interests of Palestinians.

“But because they are officially the Palestinian Authority, people who want to organize with us are a bit confused,” He said. “We need to be clear about what our goals are.”

Veteran Palestinian activist Hassan Nawash said the tragedy of baby Ali’s death is a result of the lack of regard for human life in Israel and across the Middle East. 

“We have lost our sense of belonging to humanity,” he said. “Our allegiances are to our tribes and sects. We have to rise above our self-destructive tribal and sectarian differences and connect to our humanity. That’s what’s missing.”

He added that the fragmentation of the Arab World makes pointing fingers at Israel an act of futility.

“We always blame the enemy,” he said. “Without meaningful struggle, the blame gets back to us.”

He said the Israeli government supports and protects settlers and their criminal activities against Palestinians.

“But my focus is not on Netanyahu,” he continued. “It is on us. We have done nothing for ourselves.” 

Nawash said the late toddler highlights the suffering of the Palestinian people in a symbolic way, adding that he is no different than the children of Gaza who were killed by Israeli bombs last year. 

He called for a popular revolution across Palestine. He said President Abbas should be the one leading such an uprising, but instead he is working with the Israelis to prevent it. 

Nawash was wearing a shirt that features the Palestinian flag and sounded pessimistic, disheartened and sad as he addressed the situation. 

He said Israelis should give up Zionism for a system of equality between Jews and  Palestinians. 

“When our allegiance is for humanity, little boys would not be burned,” he said. “Every boy, every girl would be equal in rights and duties and their lives would be of equal value. Life is valuable and it should not be taken away like that. This does not apply to Israelis only, but to everyone across the Middle East. Everyone is guilty.”

Local activist Daad Katato described the crime as an “ugly act of barbarism.”

“Words and condemnations are not enough,” she added. “The criminals must be brought to justice and get the appropriate punishment.”

Katato said violence against Palestinians does not discourage them, but fuels their struggle for national liberation.

“Giving up is not in the Palestinian dictionary,” she said.