Killing innocent civilians is always wrong. And it’s also wrong to ignore the brutal oppression of the Palestinians that has led to the current crisis.
Those of us who have not fallen under Trump’s spell often wonder how MAGA yokels could be so stupid. How could these fools believe Trump’s lies? Can they not see who Trump really is?
No, they can’t. And it’s not really their fault. Hear me out:
MAGA yokels grow up in red communities, dominated by Republican propaganda.
Their parents were Republicans. Their friends and neighbors are Republicans. Their churches are Republican. Their local politicians are Republican. And the “news” channels they watch and the websites they read are Republican.
Their entire worldview is influenced by that. And it’s virtually impossible for most people to see the world differently than their social circle does.
Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.
Albert Einstein
Republicans, for better or worse, trust what Fox News and their pastor, and their family, friends, and neighbors, and Trump tells them about kitty litter boxes in schools, and baby-blood-drinking satan-worshipping demonic Democrats.
They genuinely believe this nonsense, because they have no reason not to. If everyone around you believes something, you’ll end up believing it too, because all the people you trust tell you it’s the truth.
And the same thing is happening when it comes to Israel.
The information you’re about to read below is all true. But most Americans never heard of it, and none of your friends ever told you about it, and the news never mentioned it.
And that’s why you’re just as unaware of this information, as MAGA yokels are unaware of who or what Trump really is.
Israel’s 55-year occupation of Palestinian Territory is apartheid.
-United Nations Human Rights Office
Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: a cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity.
A former Mossad chief says Israel is enforcing an apartheid system in the West Bank.
South African foreign minister says Israel is implementing apartheid.
South Africa calls for Israel to be declared an apartheid state.
Anglican Church of Southern Africa declares Israel an apartheid state: Archbishop says failing to recognise ground reality as apartheid would render complicity in continuing crimes against Palestinians.
Holocaust historian says accusing Israel of apartheid is not anti-Semitic. A growing number of Jewish academics are using the term apartheid to describe Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
Israeli policies against Palestinians amount to apartheid.
Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territory is apartheid.
If you find it hard to believe that America would support apartheid, remember that America also supported the racist white government of South Africa during the height of apartheid there.
And that shouldn’t really surprise you. Remember Manifest Destiny? That was a christofascist land grab.
European Christians believed (or pretended to believe) that they were God’s chosen people, and God wanted them to have all that new land in America. The “savages” were just in the way and had to be exterminated, with God’s blessing.
Where did they get that idea? Straight from the Bible.
Remember the Commandment “Thou shalt not kill?” Apparently it’s optional, and doesn’t apply to people who have stuff you want to take from them. Apparently it’s ok to kill people and take their stuff.
In Deuteronomy, God tells his chosen people to exterminate the neighboring seven nations and take their land, because it’s God’s gift to his chosen people.
How convenient.
According to the Bible, God is 100% pro-genocide:
When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2
According to the Bible, God is not a democrat. His chosen people didn’t get to vote on whether they wanted to genocide the neighboring seven nations. And nobody asked those seven nations if they’re ok with being genocided.
God is a dictator who tells you what to do, and kills you if you don’t. That’s how all dictators operate.
Fundamentalist Christian Evangelicals and ultra-conservative orthodox Jews believe the Bible is word for word the actual will of a God. They believe Jews have an absolute and non-negotiable claim to all of Israel.
God himself said so. End of story. No debate. Palestinians don’t get a say in the matter.
These religious extremists, who claim the land of Israel was given to Jews by God himself, believe Palestinians are the descendants of the Canaanites.
That means Palestinians don’t even have the right to exist anymore, because God told his chosen people to exterminate all the Canaanites in the Bible. The non-negotiable will of an actual God. Word for word.
These people believe it’s God’s will that Israelis should exterminate all Palestinians and take all their land.
How convenient.
The fascist mythology of the Bible was also the inspiration for the Nazi idea of Lebensraum: “God wants us to have all that land. We just have to exterminate the subhumans who live there first. But it’s ok, God is on our side.“
The words “God is with us” (or “Gott mit uns” in German) were literally engraved on every Nazi soldier’s belt buckle.
Genocide in Deuteronomy = Manifest Destiny = Lebensraum = apartheid in South Africa = Israel stealing Palestinian land = Russia invading Ukraine
It’s all the same fascist ideology: “We want what you have, and since we are better than you, God gave us permission to kill you and take your stuff.”
Colonialism was an early form of fascism. The British Empire killed millions of “savages” around the globe, to take their stuff.
And they used to think that was perfectly ok, because the British Empire was no less fascist than Nazi Germany.
I do not admit that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America, or the black people of Australia by the fact that a stronger race, a higher grade race has come in and taken its place.
Winston Churchill to the Palestine Royal Commission, 1937
The Israel-Palestine conflict is not about Palestinians trying to exterminate Israelis. It’s about Israelis trying to exterminate Palestinians, to take their stuff.
And that’s why even many Jews protest against Israel’s brutal oppression of the Palestinian people.
I mentioned in the title that Netanyahu is Israel’s Trump. Here’s why:
Israel swears in Netanyahu as prime minister, with the most right-wing government in the country’s history.
Netanyahu will return with his corruption charges unresolved. Netanyahu is on track to once again lead Israel as prime minister — while facing a corruption trial.
The corruption and autocracy nexus: The case of “King Bibi.”
Are Netanyahu’s legal troubles behind his push for judicial change? The judiciary has proven to be a problem for the Israeli PM, who is on trial on corruption and fraud charges.
Former Israeli defense minister blasts Netanyahu for sacrificing democracy to save his own skin: The former Likudnik and cabinet member Moshe Ya’alon said that the legislative proposals to overhaul Israel’s judicial system reveals the true intentions of a man ready to burn down the country and its values in order to escape trial.
Former prime minister Ehud Barak says the Israeli government shows signs of fascism, and mass non-violent revolt may be needed. Referencing Netanyahu, the former PM says those currently on criminal trial have joined forces with racist messianics to bring down democracy in Israel.
Israel’s new right-wing government is even more extreme than protests would have you think.
In Israel, there’s growing fascism and a racism akin to early Nazism.
Israeli neo-fascism threatens Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Tel Aviv mayor warns Israel is heading toward a fascist theocracy.
Holocaust survivors warn of stirrings of neo-fascism: Survivors of the Holocaust have warned of the first stirrings of neo-fascism in Israel following the emergence of a right-wing campaign to cleanse Arabs from predominantly Jewish parts of the country.
Fascism is already there in Israel, says Jewish professor of the Holocaust.
Netanyahu is letting Israel’s fascists enter by the front door.
Israel’s far-right finance minister says he’s a fascist homophobe, but he won’t stone gays.
Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir once again renewed calls for a wide-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank, urging the need to kill thousands of Palestinians. Ben-Gvir made the comments on Friday, 23 June, during a press conference where he called for the immediate legalization of the illegal Evyatar settlement outpost in the West Bank, which sits on privately owned Palestinian land.
The Cradle
Ben-Gvir, who is forty-six, has been convicted on at least eight charges, including supporting a terrorist organization and incitement to racism, compiling a criminal record so long that, when he appeared before a judge, “we had to change the ink on the printer.”
2017: The Israeli lawmaker heralding genocide against Palestinians: Deputy speaker Bezalel Smotrich’s admiration for the biblical genocidaire Joshua bin Nun leads him to adopt values that resemble those of the German SS.
March 2023: US condemns Israel far right minister’s call for Palestinian town to be erased.
Israeli settlers take advantage of Gaza chaos to attack Palestinians in the West Bank: Settlers and soldiers have killed 51 Palestinians in the West Bank since Saturday. At least two Palestinian villages have been entirely depopulated.
Israeli official calls for “doomsday” nuclear missile option: An Israeli lawmaker is calling for her nation’s military to use nuclear warfare in response to attacks by Hamas.
As Netanyahu forms Israel’s first fascist government, the US must respond.
Thousands in Israel march against fascism and apartheid at anti-Netanyahu protests: “We can see right now many laws being advocated for, against LGBTQ, against Palestinians, against larger minorities in Israel,” said one organizer.
Thousands of protesters say ‘no fascists in Knesset’ as Benjamin Netanyahu’s government sworn in: Demonstrators concerned about erosion of Israel’s democracy, discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and annexation of the West Bank.
Israel students refuse to serve in the military under a fascist government.
Israeli lawmaker blames pogroms against Palestinians for terrible attacks: Ofer Cassif says he warned the situation would erupt if Israel did not change its treatment of Palestinians.
Media calls the attack on Israel unprovoked. Experts say that’s historically inaccurate.
Poll: 86% of Israelis blame Netanyahu for the Hamas attack and demand that he resigns.
Truth matters, even if it’s unpopular.