Quote from Jonathan Cook @Jonathan_K_Cook[fn1]
It was the blocking of all non-violent means for Palestinians to liberate themselves from an ever-deepening, ever more violent occupation that led to the 7 October breakout from Gaza. That prison break may have been bloody, it may have included many atrocities, but it was entirely predictable.
Chiefly responsible for it are Israel, and the western political and media class, who ignored and smeared Palestinians, human rights groups and solidarity activists, as they now smear an innocent chant "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free".
There is a goal here. A very ugly one. The campaign to delegitimise any solidarity with Palestinians – classifying it as hate – is meant to foment polarisation and escalation. At its starkest, it requires of us that we side with those who are murdering babies in Gaza.
Israel, aided by western establishments, has intentionally driven supporters of justice for Palestinians, on one side, and much of the Jewish public on the other, into entrenched, oppositional camps. Each feels victimised. One side feels frustrated, vilified and angry. The other feels fearful and unforgiving.
This is not accidental. It reflects a desire by western establishments to create the very internal divisions, hatred and instability they claim to be trying to avert. The aim is to ensure that Israel remains an untouchable ally, able to project western power and influence into the oil and gas-rich Middle East.
The problem is not a chant. The problem is not marches opposing a terror campaign of bombs and the murder of babies.
The problem is our susceptibility to the endless lies and deceptions told by western establishments to promote their narrow interests over our shared humanity.
[fn1] Jonathan Cook on X
Read more from his latest article
Israel-Palestine war: How a slogan became bigger news than the murder of babies in Gaza | Middle East Eye
Last updated on 2023-12-07 by w3admin
