The Most Censored News with Lee Camp hosted by comedian/ writer/ raconteur/ provocateur/ saboteur Lee Camp is a twice-weekly look at the most censored stories within corporate media hosted by the new video platform Behind the Headlines – a MintPress video project that is 100% viewer supported. 

Camp both brings to light stories that are (intentionally) ignored by the corporate media and digs deeper when the mainstream media only reports on the surface-layer reality. Having been a professional stand-up comic for 20 years, a writer for The Onion, and the host/head writer of Redacted Tonight, Camp is also uniquely suited to bring humor to these topics.

A few weeks ago the Israeli military admitted that famed journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was likely killed by a bullet shot by an Israeli Occupation Forces sniper. This is something the entire world already knew, but it’s nice to see them admit it. 

It always amazes me when the military does something awful and then they act like they need months to review the situation. 

This is just the latest well-known event where the Israeli military murdered journalists. You see, the IOF has a long, impressive history of war crimes and morally bankrupt behavior. They’re like Bill Bryson except instead of charming bestselling books with light British humor, they have a long list of child murders.

Even the UN found the IDF deliberately shot children a few years ago on the Gaza border. This is a horrific fact but it’s also interesting that, as a society, we’re far more upset about Israel killing innocent children than innocent adults. I feel like if you’re murdering innocent people, all of them should matter, not just the short ones. Sorry kids. 

IOF war crimes have become so common that many hardly take notice. As major newspaper Ha’aretz put it, “…such acts have become the norm.”

And it’s not like you have to do anything to get attacked by the Israeli military. One journalist was arrested the other day for posting on Facebook.

You may wonder, “If the Israeli military is involved in so many disgusting acts, how do they manage to get millions of Israelis to sign up to do it?” It’s not that hard. Military service is mandatory in Israel. They don’t have a choice. 

By the way, we really need to stop calling what soldiers do service. That implies that every action by a soldier is a service. I don’t feel like bombing villages, arresting peaceful activists and intentionally killing unarmed children should be listed as a “service we provide.” 

The reason Israel has enough military personnel to keep their apartheid state going is that they make it mandatory. However, an increasing number of young people are actually refusing to sign up to be hitmen for the state. 

+972 Magazine interviewed some of the teens who took this stand, “Conscientious objectors, commonly nicknamed “refuseniks,” are typically tried at the Recruitment Center and sentenced to prison terms of between 10 and 21 days. Upon their release, they are called to report back to the Recruitment Center, where they usually announce again that they still refuse to enlist.” This process can be repeated until the army decides to discharge them. Some end up spending months in prison for their courage.

Here are some of the reasons these brave teenagers gave for refusing to join the IDF:

One said, “I realized that there was no way I could serve in an army that for decades has been responsible for a violent regime.”

Another stated, “…if I join the army, regardless of the role, I am still part of an organization that has been oppressing the Palestinians for decades.”

Another said, “…the main goal of the army is the ethnic cleansing of non-Jews… This is something I cannot abide by — neither ideologically nor morally.”

Basically, these teenagers have decided they don’t want to be a part of a racist, oppressive, murderous organization. That sounds incredibly rational.

Watch the full report above.

Lee Camp is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and activist. Camp is the host of Behind The Headlines’ new series: The Most Censored News With Lee Camp. He is a former comedy writer for the Onion and the Huffington Post and has been a touring stand-up comic for 20 years.

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