Those aren’t the words of a random, extremist troll on Twitter. That’s a quote from Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who identifies himself as a “fascist homophobe.”
He wasn’t finished. “The Gazan citizens will be concentrated in the south. They will be totally despairing, understanding that there is no hope and nothing to look for in Gaza, and will be looking for relocation to begin a new life in other places,” he told the crowd at the “Settlements Conference” organized by the Makor Rishon newspaper.
Smotrich isn’t an outlier. He echoes the sentiment of Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, a war criminal according to the ICC, and the nation’s security cabinet, which voted for a military plan to seize and hold Gaza and “relocate” Palestinians. In other words, occupation and ethnic cleansing. “It’s time to launch concluding moves,” Netanyahu said, eliminating any subtlety to his maximalist intentions.
This follows Israel’s brutal two-month blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has led to “catastrophic” food, water, and medicine shortages. All of the rising illnesses and deaths were preventable, but none of this matters to a fascist regime that doesn’t value Palestinian lives. Netanyahu’s complete lack of empathy also extends to Israeli hostages captured by Hamas, who are also at risk of losing their lives to satiate his genocidal ambitions.
Tragically, Israel’s war-mongering has only led to more insecurity for Jews abroad and increased anti-semitism and anti-Arab bigotry and Islamophobia. Donald Trump and MAGA, who openly promote white supremacist conspiracies, have cynically weaponized anti-semitism to attack American civil liberties, weaken universities, and threaten free speech. Meanwhile, establishment Democrats are complicit in supporting Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinians, with President Biden allowing Netanyahu to cross every one of his alleged red lines. As a result of witnessing Israel’s relentless war over the past year and a half, a majority of Americans have now lost sympathy for Israel and want a ceasefire.
Despite all these preventable tragedies, Palestinian American author, journalist, and analyst Rula Jebreal believes there’s still a chance to stop Netanyahu and his extremist regime. In her new book, Genocide, she provides a way forward based on international law, human rights, and effective organizing and boycotting techniques used in the past against South Africa. She also warns that Israel’s annihilation of Gaza and global dehumanization of Palestinians is a test case for aspiring fascists who want to cement their power by attacking democracy, curbing free speech, and demonizing their critics.
Grab a chai and give us a listen.
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