The evil Israel does is the evil Israel gets
JVL Introduction
Chris Hedges looks for the roots of violence and the desire for vengeance, stating as an inevitable fact that “Israel’s genocide in Gaza is rearing a new generation of enraged, traumatized and dispossessed Palestinians who have lost family members, friends, homes, communities and any hope of living ordinary lives. They, too, will seek retribution.”
To understand is not to condone, but unless we can understand it, we cannot escape it.
He notes how yet another chapter in this nightmare being carelessly fuelled by Israel and the US…
RK
This article was originally published by The Chris Hedges Report on Fri 8 Dec 2023. Read the original here.
The evil Israel does is the evil Israel gets
Israel’s settler colonial project perpetuates the cycle of violence against the indigenous inhabitants of historic Palestine. Palestinians have been forced to speak back in the language Israel speaks.
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Chris Hedges is also a fine speaker. His eloquent 1-hour lecture on ‘The Genocide in Gaza’ was delivered in North Troy, New York state on 6 December and published on his substack site on 9 December. I can believe that many of those watching, were, like Hedges himself, almost in tears by the end. See https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/a-talk-on-the-genocide-in-gaza
I was very moved, having read that Chris Hedges piece. It “pulls together” what we have all witnessed: how the Zionist entity oppresses the Palestinians and, literally sets the agenda for a significant number of Middle – Eastern countries. Its violence, barbarism, brutality, cold blooded murder and executions, cruelty, humiliation of the Palestinians, disregard for the consequences of its actions, and its blood-lust, is unequalled by any nation on the planet in modern times. Hedges raises the question of the United Nations and the US veto. Are we witnessing the end of the United Nations? From its initial declaration to protect human rights, its become nothing more than an instrument of US Foreign Policy? The fall-out from the Zionist plans for a second Nakba is drawing in more countries and increasing the prospect of War, particularly with Yemen targeting ships in the Red Sea, the assassination of the Hezbolah Commander and Israeli attacks inside Lebanon. Iran has a warship in the Red Sea and China has been patrolling shipping through the Red Sea from Asia.
Just a mention to the great John Pilger in passing. RIP.
I can read that this offers a helpful analysis. However, the use of the ‘term evil’ is not helpful. This word is trotted out by writers who have not analysed the actual social relations. I can also follow the argument about how violence can produce a reactive violence. But as the writers description of the Hamas founders it can also produce a proper understanding which is necessary for a response.
Another term that crops up, missing here but heard in the media, is ‘tribal’, another serious misnomer. Here in Britain we bear much of the responsibility for what is happening in occupied Palestine. Both term shave turned up in debate just as they were common attributions on the war of independence against the British occupation in Ireland.