IDF troops on Wednesday foiled a stabbing attack, when they located knives on two Palestinian men at a checkpoint near the Jewish area of Hebron.

The soldiers found the knives during a routine search, and the men were arrested and taken for questioning.

How humiliating! But wait, there’s more.

IDF troops arrested on Wednesday a Palestinian who was caught carrying a pipe bomb near the West Bank city of Jenin.

The man was one of three Palestinians who had been arrested after throwing rocks at a group of soldiers on patrol in the area. The bomb was discovered in the search which followed their arrests.

Yeah, those peaceful Palestinians. All they want to do is coexist in their own state, side by side with Israel.

Right.

Firstly, to compare the Iranian parliament with the American Congress is, as you say, certainly ludicrous. Anyone who can qualify can run for Congress in the U.S. The Iranians allow only vetted candidates. Elections aren’t democratic, nor free. Secondly, they put aside a slot for a Jewish member. America doesn’t put aside slots for anyone. The fact that Ellison is the first Muslim in Congress is a reflection of America’s multiculturalism and tolerance, something that is badly missing from Iran.

Then there’s the pretense that Israelis are treating the Palestinians badly for no reason at all. Nope. Can’t think of a reason for those checkpoints. Suicide bombers? Pipe bombs and weapons smuggled through on a daily basis? Well, that’s no reason to humiliate the Palestinians.

When the IDF stops finding bombs and weapons stashes, the checkpoints will go away.

The US has a single token Muslim member of Congress. By your logic, this would be proof positive of discrimination.

Sadly, the Bahai are undeniably bitterly persecuted in Iran. The same does not hold for Jews.

It is certainly ludicrous to compare their situation with those of Palestinians in the occupied territories. They don’t face the same constant violence, humiliation, check points, and threat of seizure of their property that is the lot of West Bank Palestinians.

those who could escape did, even though it meant trusting smugglers to take them across the borders into uncertain circumstances. One doesn’t do that if one isn’t threatened.

We have too many examples of people trusting smugglers to take them across borders in hopes of economic gains (such as across the southern border of the US) to credit threats as the only justification. The arbitrary accusations of spying for Israel and subsequent imprisonment should be sufficient evidence of this persecution when combined with the testimony of those who have actually escaped.