Understanding our own history as Jews leads us to speak out against Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people. We stand for the liberation of the Palestinian people because we have known what it is to not be free.
Well, but basically what you’re saying is that the genocide in Gaza exists in the hearts and minds of certain Israeli leaders. The Israelis have had the Palestinians at their mercy for decades, and they’ve been…supplying them with free water and power. Doesn’t seem very genocidal to me.
I agree that there are some scary government figures. I wouldn’t doubt that some of them have genocidal desires. But they’re counterbalanced by the fact that, in the end, Israel is a liberal country. And if the standard for ‘genocide’ is that some government officials harbor or express the desire for genocide, then the list of countries in the Middle East that are not genocidal would be a pretty short list.
What’s happening in the West Bank is wrong. You could, at a stretch, call it ethnic cleansing, but usually that term is reserved for government policy in land it controls. Extremists creeping across the border to settle and claim land, with the goal of driving the Palestinians out–to the annoyance of most of the government in power–doesn’t really fit the mold. I mean, the attack on Israel was executed by the governmental body that can best be claimed to represent the Gazans, with the eventual intent of driving all Jews out of the region, per their officially stated policy. Is that therefore ethnic cleansing?
The Israelis have had the Palestinians at their mercy for decades, and they’ve been…supplying them with free water and power.
Because Palestine (including Gaza, as much as Israel would like you to believe otherwise) is under the occupation of Israel. Not supplying them with water and electricity would be a crime against humanity.
I agree that there are some scary government figures. I wouldn’t doubt that some of them have genocidal desires. But they’re counterbalanced by the fact that, in the end, Israel is a liberal country. And if the standard for ‘genocide’ is that some government officials harbor or express the desire for genocide, then the list of countries in the Middle East that are not genocidal would be a pretty short list.
You should read the article; it gets to this point. There are genocidal actions (attempting to drive Gazans out of the Gaza strip, remember the warning to evacuate North Gaza?), and genocidal intention (taking the Gaza strip for Lebensraum). Together, these are genocide.
but usually that term is reserved for government policy in land it controls. Extremists creeping across the border to settle and claim land, with the goal of driving the Palestinians out–to the annoyance of most of the government in power–doesn’t really fit the mold.
Netenyahu literally campaigned on legalizing settlements, and the first settlement was taken by a military order. Settlements are also provided security by the IDF. Settlements have the tacit, or sometimes public, support of the government. And can Palestinians defend themselves against them without incurring the wrath of the IDF? The answer is no.
Tacit government support is still government support. You should research the history of settlements before saying they’re to the “annoyance” of the current government. If they didn’t want it to happen they should arrest these people for murder, armed robbery and terror, but they’re not.
Not supplying them with water and electricity would be a crime against humanity.
So they’re simultaneously committing genocide, and carefully avoiding violations of international law?
Again, I’m definitely not saying Israel has done nothing wrong. I’m specifically pushing back on the casual and irresponsible claims of
genocide.
including Gaza, as much as Israel would like you to believe otherwise
In what way were Israelis occupying Gaza before the attack in October? Not with troops, right? They controlled the border pretty tightly, but it’s not Gaza’s only border. So…by what mechanism were they occupying it?
The settlers in the West Bank are a problem, and their relationship with the government & people of Israel is complicated and messy. To be clear: they’re wrong, they’re fundamentalist religious assholes, and to the extent the government supports them, the government is wrong to do so. I can totally get on board with that criticism!
I don’t buy the claim that relocating people is a genocide. Many genocides do involve relocation, and relocation on it’s own may well be be considered a crime against humanity (especially if there are signs that it’s permanent), but it’s a different crime than mass extermination.
Well, but basically what you’re saying is that the genocide in Gaza exists in the hearts and minds of certain Israeli leaders. The Israelis have had the Palestinians at their mercy for decades, and they’ve been…supplying them with free water and power. Doesn’t seem very genocidal to me.
I agree that there are some scary government figures. I wouldn’t doubt that some of them have genocidal desires. But they’re counterbalanced by the fact that, in the end, Israel is a liberal country. And if the standard for ‘genocide’ is that some government officials harbor or express the desire for genocide, then the list of countries in the Middle East that are not genocidal would be a pretty short list.
What’s happening in the West Bank is wrong. You could, at a stretch, call it ethnic cleansing, but usually that term is reserved for government policy in land it controls. Extremists creeping across the border to settle and claim land, with the goal of driving the Palestinians out–to the annoyance of most of the government in power–doesn’t really fit the mold. I mean, the attack on Israel was executed by the governmental body that can best be claimed to represent the Gazans, with the eventual intent of driving all Jews out of the region, per their officially stated policy. Is that therefore ethnic cleansing?
Because Palestine (including Gaza, as much as Israel would like you to believe otherwise) is under the occupation of Israel. Not supplying them with water and electricity would be a crime against humanity.
You should read the article; it gets to this point. There are genocidal actions (attempting to drive Gazans out of the Gaza strip, remember the warning to evacuate North Gaza?), and genocidal intention (taking the Gaza strip for Lebensraum). Together, these are genocide.
Netenyahu literally campaigned on legalizing settlements, and the first settlement was taken by a military order. Settlements are also provided security by the IDF. Settlements have the tacit, or sometimes public, support of the government. And can Palestinians defend themselves against them without incurring the wrath of the IDF? The answer is no.
Tacit government support is still government support. You should research the history of settlements before saying they’re to the “annoyance” of the current government. If they didn’t want it to happen they should arrest these people for murder, armed robbery and terror, but they’re not.
So they’re simultaneously committing genocide, and carefully avoiding violations of international law?
Again, I’m definitely not saying Israel has done nothing wrong. I’m specifically pushing back on the casual and irresponsible claims of genocide.
In what way were Israelis occupying Gaza before the attack in October? Not with troops, right? They controlled the border pretty tightly, but it’s not Gaza’s only border. So…by what mechanism were they occupying it?
The settlers in the West Bank are a problem, and their relationship with the government & people of Israel is complicated and messy. To be clear: they’re wrong, they’re fundamentalist religious assholes, and to the extent the government supports them, the government is wrong to do so. I can totally get on board with that criticism!
I don’t buy the claim that relocating people is a genocide. Many genocides do involve relocation, and relocation on it’s own may well be be considered a crime against humanity (especially if there are signs that it’s permanent), but it’s a different crime than mass extermination.