Yet Another War of Deceit
The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights is now 47 years old. Two generations of Israelis have grown up, matured and been educated in a country depriving millions of their political rights. In Israel’s political leadership, settlers residing in the Occupied Territories and recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union are over-represented. No wonder, then, that basic notions of democracy have been virtually abandoned.
For example, in a step highly reminiscent of anti-Semitic boycotts against Jews in Eastern and Central Europe during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Israel’s foreign minister Lieberman explicitly urged Israelis (i.e. Jews) to boycott businesses of Israeli Arabs. Having grown up in a Soviet dictatorship, it is the same Lieberman who found Putin’s 2011 elections in Russia fair and democratic.
Given this kind of inspiration from one of Israel’s most influential politicians, one should hardly be surprised by reports of neo-Nazi Jewish gangs practicing manhunts and lynchings on Arabs and “leftists” in the streets of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Persecution of ethnic, religious and political minorities and dissidents – whether carried out by the state through legislation or advocacy by the likes of Lieberman, or privately, in the form of discrimination and planned street violence – is completely incompatible with any concept of modern democracy.
Media Mobilizing the Masses
Almost totally absent from the Israeli media’s discussion of these issues is good old-fashioned critical thinking. The only exception is Ha’aretz, who apparently remain open to diversity of thought in their news and op-eds. The remainder of the Israeli media appears mobilized for war. Where critical voices are heard, they are immediately dismissed, ridiculed or violently silenced in real time.
As a result, the narrative fed to the Israeli public becomes whatever the Israeli political leadership decides it ought to be that day. They are apparently ignorant of the ancient rule that a liar should have a good memory. Netanyahu and his cabinet can’t even manage to stick to their own lies, jumping from one to another in a matter of days, all with the support of an obedient Israeli media.
This time, it started with the kidnapping of three settlers in the West Bank, two of whom were minors. True, they shouldn’t have been there in the first place, but this did not give anybody the right to kill them. The fact that they were already murdered was known by Israeli authorities within a matter of hours, but they hid this information from the public, cultivating the illusion that the victims might still be found alive. The charade continued for almost three weeks.
This period of planned national hysteria was used, first, to incite the masses against “the kidnappers” of “our children”. Whipped up by the hysteria and taking the law into their own hands, Jews burnt a teenage Arab boy alive. Second, the drama enabled Netanyahu to blame Hamas for the kidnapping – an outright lie, since the names of the kidnappers were known to Israel all along. Clearly they were not Hamas activists. Third, the run-up period was used to drag Hamas into the fighting: Hamas (in Gaza) denied responsibility for the kidnapping (which took place in the West Bank) and refrained from firing at Israel (it was the Islamic Jihad who fired), yet Israel still attacked Hamas targets, in an obvious effort to drag them into the war.
Alleged Aims
Just as perfidious was the original aim of the Operation. The real motivation seems to have been to sabotage the conciliation agreement between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. It seems “divide and rule” continues to be the motto of Israel’s colonialism, having already divided the Palestinians into so many groups and subgroups with conflicting interests (refugees outside Palestine vs. those inside it; those with Israeli citizenship (inside Israel) vs. those without it (inside the Occupied Territories) vs. the East-Jerusalemites with only partial citizenship; and now, Christian Israelis vs. Muslim Israelis). Israel simply cannot tolerate any unification or reconciliation between the West Bank and Gaza, or any of the various Palestinian sub-groups.
It was clear that this purely political justification wouldn’t be sufficient from the Israeli public’s viewpoint; the kidnapping, therefore, came in an excellent timing. Then once the murdered settlers were found, and it appeared that tragedy may no longer have legs, the aim was updated to stopping the missiles shot on Israel. This despite several previous operations which had failed to achieve that end (the best way to stop the missiles – what a surprise – has proved to be indirect agreements with Hamas).
When the army inevitably failed to stop the missiles which continue to be fired even after 24 days of scorching the Strip from the air, sea and land, the “terror tunnels” were introduced as the newest aim. Israelis have been persuaded that the tunnels from Gaza have their mouth in nearby Israeli towns and villages, more specifically near Israeli schools and kindergartens. The fact that these tunnels end miles away from any inhabited place has been blurred by the army, who prefer that the nation remain seduced by this made up nightmare scenario. Also lost in all this is the fact that a new tunnel takes only a few months to dig, so whatever might be achieved by temporary dismemberment of the tunnels will be fleeting.
All these deceits and manipulations escaped the attention of the Israeli mainstream public, brainwashed as it is by an endless march of military “experts” on the TV screen. I believe the desperate moderators, having exhausted all imaginable veteran officers, would now give a microphone to a veteran sergeant as long as he promises to recite the desired slogans (“We can’t stop now!" etc.).
So while Israelis sound as bloodthirsty as medieval Crusaders, Israel’s “democracy” looks more and more like one of the former “democratic” Soviet republics, and its media as pluralistic as North Korea’s. So much for the only democracy in the Middle East.
Read more by Ran HaCohen
- Purim and Genocidal Phantasies – March 3rd, 2013
- Israel Between Eritrea and Iran – October 4th, 2012
- Tel Aviv ‘Race Riots’ Reveal Much About Israel – May 27th, 2012
- Was Elliott Abrams Hitler’s Senior Advisor? – September 15th, 2011
- Israelis Sick and Tired – but of What? – August 7th, 2011
#GazaUnderAttack | Yet Another War of Deceit | Occupied Palestine | فلسطين
August 1st, 2014 at 11:08 pm
[…] AntiWar.com | by Ran HaCohen, August 02, 2014 […]
musings
August 2nd, 2014 at 6:48 am
There seems another delusion in the Israeli public which should be addressed. It is that Palestinians are actually only interlopers themselves, Arabs who rode in as conquerors, and who should just be pushed out into the sea if possible. This is what the attacks on Gaza look like to me.
I happen to have a National Geographic from December 1926. It follows about Palestinian shepherds, and relates the Twenty-Third Psalm of David to their way of life, which it claims dates from the "age of Abraham" in the region. It describes three classes of Palestinians: the bedouins with their flocks, the "fellahs" or farmers living in villages of stone houses with olive trees and little flocks tended by the youngest son (of which little David might be an example), and madany of towns who are merchants and craftsmen. This is a settled group of people. They are not just dumped there by the Prophet's raiders. Another article in the same place shows women in native dress, and all their activities which are also spoken of in the Bible. These are the displaced people shoved into Gaza right now who are being slaughtered, and yet they are seen as somehow foreign, while the European Jews are not. It's an inverted form of thought which requires brainwashing to believe, but people can be told anything and they will believe. It's just that the rest of the world may catch on and laugh at their pretensions. Sooner rather than later I hope.
Generalissimo X
August 2nd, 2014 at 8:13 am
israel is an abomination on the earth and i hope i live to see the day where this nation state is gone, it's leaders hung or imprisoned and the land that they STOLE is given back to the people who own it. murdering women and children over a few measely rockets fired by desperate, enslaved and occupied people is beyond the pale. f*ck all zionists. every last one.
PokeTheTruth
August 2nd, 2014 at 1:23 pm
The Zionists are doing to the Palestinians what the Nazi did to the European Jews in the '30's and '40's. How can Jews worldwide not see this, how can they not condemn the wanton killing of innocent children?
Judaism has been perverted by Zionism, otherwise God's chosen people would not violate the commandments, You Shall Not Murder, You Shall Not Steal.
Element
August 2nd, 2014 at 9:12 pm
"Mirror-Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" Israel keeps asking, and doesn't like what the mirror's fidelity reflects. Your lies and deceptions are inadequate palliative care but your weeping tumours will not be held a bay by palliatives and placebos. Your sacred book of alleged moral guidance should have been be subtitled, "An Idiot's Guide to Destroying Yourself", as it doesn't take a pretentious patriarchal prophet or a dubious burning bush to see your unfolding. Justice is reaping what you sew. What could be more evenhanded and virtuous?
Infidel
August 3rd, 2014 at 12:16 am
Be careful what you wish for because you might get it. Who would you rather have as a neighbour- Israel or one of those peaceful islamic states? islam is a cancer infecting mankind. Sooner we get rid of that misogynistic murderous ideology the better. The Zionists pale in comparision to the suffering inflicted by the followers of the religion of peace on believers and non-believers alike.
Element
August 3rd, 2014 at 4:34 am
With respect, who I would like to live next to is not what this is about (but I'll come to that). The point here is Israel's bombing other human beings in stolen, occupied and blockaded territories with flagrant disregard for civilized behavior with exceptional cruelty and aggravated violence.
Despite what you or I, nor anyone else may think of a religion, the Universal Declaration of Human and Rights 1948 allows for all people to worship as they see fit the God of religion of their choice, free of any control or manipulation by a State or a Religion or any other group.
When you say, "Sooner we get rid of that misogynistic murderous ideology…", etc.;
(1) You disallow that it is a religion, and brand it an ideology.
(2) The very act of ridding the world of it would replace it with something far worse and far more violent and dangerous to everyone.
(3) It ignores the fact that the largest Islamic country and Muslim population on earth, Indonesia, is fully democratic and lives at peace and in prosperity with all of its neighbors.
(4) I live next door to Indonesia, and no one will be getting "rid" of them. We apply the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, and we mutually respect that doing so works to improve the lives, security and prosperity of everyone.
What is occurring in Israel is every bit as foul and wretched as the most outrageous breaches of human rights by any state or non state entity in the Middle East region today.
I absolutely would not want Israel or a Jewish State as a neighbor, under any circumstances. I'll take Indonesia and Malaysia as my neighbors without hesitation though.
If Israel wants peace it must observe and apply the mutual Human Rights of every other human being in the same way as they apply it to Jews.
Anything less is rank prejudice.
If they continue to refuse to do that they'll reap what they sew.
The same applies to all people.
What could be more evenhanded and Kosher?
Believer
August 3rd, 2014 at 5:17 am
Infidel – Why should you be afraid of Islam? Fact is almost all the weapons of mass destruction are held by either Christian, atheist or Zionist states with the exception of the paltry Pakistani one.
outsider
August 3rd, 2014 at 6:25 am
In an otherwise excellent essay, why does the writer bring up President Putin – questioning whether his election in 2011 was "fair and democratic"? How does this article relate to him? It appears that most essayists, not just those in the lying msm, feel obligated to dump on Putin in every article. Does anyone who is able to think for himself believe that the US's rigged elections, with just 2 parties allowed, are "fair and democratic.?
Terry Robbins
August 3rd, 2014 at 6:52 am
Israel has never eliminated the rockets fired from Gaza or the tunnels the Palestinians use to hide their activities from the occupying force despite multiple attacks and military invasions by Israel. Israel knows that it's present attack on Gaza cannot eliminate these threats, so what is Israel's real objective other than to continue seizing more Palestinian land? Currently, Israel has reduced the size of Gaza by 44%, creating what Israel calls a 1.8 mile "buffer zone" alleged to protect Israel from Hamas rockets. This is a lie on it's face, as Israel is already protected by the Iron Dome system, which has stopped all rockets from reaching Israel. The only thing that can contain the greedy land stealing murderous Zionist criminals in Israel is for the U.N. to place troops on the 1947 legitimate borders between Palestine and Israel and to force the settlers back into Israel where they belong.
nomebarrow
August 3rd, 2014 at 9:37 am
USA & Israel do not want democracy or stable governments in Middle East. The want chaos & civil strife to keep Arab countries divided and unable to field opposition to Israel.
Mojo
August 3rd, 2014 at 4:01 pm
In comparison to Zionism, Islam is cure able and can become peaceful as the Iranian are, Zionism in the other hand is like a non cure able bacteria, unless its burned to where you cannot see any track of this virus/bacteria/disease.
musings
August 3rd, 2014 at 6:49 pm
The light unto the nations is under a bushel, the followers of the one true God have resorted to bomb worship, writing curses on them and using them to sacrifice babies to Moloch. Time for a fierce, angry prophet to arise to rebuke them. Any volunteers? I rather like Naomi Wolf, though she is more of a judge. Any others?
Johnny in Wi.
August 3rd, 2014 at 8:09 pm
Excellent and informative comment.
Johnny in Wi.
August 3rd, 2014 at 8:12 pm
When the Muslims ran Palestine it was a peaceful backwater and about 30% Christian. Today both Christians and Muslims are treated terribly.
LibertyRising
August 3rd, 2014 at 8:38 pm
Israel is the cancer on the human body, and the sooner it is excised the better. Are you one of the cancer cells? Chemo or radiation are indicated, lest this virulent strain reclaims a foothold.
PALESTINE NEWS | SHOAH
August 4th, 2014 at 3:51 am
[…] Yet Another War of Deceit […]
pshr
August 6th, 2014 at 11:39 am
The biggest terrorists of this world follow those faiths, imho.
pshr
August 6th, 2014 at 11:42 am
People like you, and so many israelis I see on 'news' channels, are the true cancer on this world.
Minnesota Mary
August 11th, 2014 at 7:48 pm
Yes, you are right. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." —Jesus Christ
Claars Notes » nieuwsuur maakt belofte niet waar
August 13th, 2014 at 3:29 am
[…] Yet Another War of Deceit […]
Yet Another War of Deceit | 9/11 - A Cheap Magic Trick
August 16th, 2014 at 6:01 am
[…] Read more […]
Mr. Stern
August 28th, 2014 at 3:24 am
I bet the author feels pretty stupid calling the kidnapping and murder of the three teenagers by Hamas a lie after Hamas admitted they did it… I am guessing that is not the only facts "misrepresented" in this article.
Quentin
September 4th, 2014 at 1:41 am
Thank you. Right, the Supreme Court coup which installed George Bush as president is about as democratic as the U.S. is ever going to get.
eric siverson
September 15th, 2014 at 11:50 am
The NAZI murdered 6 million Jews the Jewish population was gone in europe , The zionist did tha exact same thing to the Palestinian's and their population doubled . This proves the evil zionests can't defeat Allah
redwood
December 26th, 2014 at 9:24 pm
The Israeli settlers are putting themselves in harm's way. They force Palestinians off their land so they can live there. The US & Israeli media show people crying because their relatives were killed by people called "terrorists". Those people would still be alive if they did not provoke the Palestinians into killing them by confiscating their land.
hpb
January 3rd, 2015 at 11:58 am
To paraphrase T.S. Eliot..
The rats are underneath the piles,
the "Zionist" is underneath the lot.
hpb
January 3rd, 2015 at 12:00 pm
There are maps dating to 44 BC which show Palestine, by name.
To paraphrase T.S. Eliot..
The rats are underneath the piles,
the "Zionist" is underneath the lot.
eric siverson
March 4th, 2015 at 9:16 pm
Where do the Jews have their gas chambers and why is the Palestinian population growing so much faster than the Jewish population grew under the Nazi's ?
guest
March 6th, 2015 at 4:50 pm
The want chaos where they aren't in control, yes. But their preference would be for Strong Men who do their bidding, like we had in Egypt not long ago and in Iran before the revolution.