Today’s events also remind us that Saudi-Israel “normalization” is a side show, as is Israeli protest against Netanyahu’s judicial reform – they confirm that Israel can’t expect stability and security while it continues to violently dispossess and subjugate Palestinians🧵7/7
Palestinians seeking their freedom have been given no reason to expect any help from the West, Arab partners of Israel, and even the Palestinian Authority. They know no one is coming to save them. Hence the choice of some to take hold of their own fate 🧵 6/7
Unconditional support from Western and Arab governments has emboldened Israel to escalate its violent campaigns to drive Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, making permanent a regime of Jewish supremacy across Palestine 🧵 5/7
The Palestinian Authority functions as an administrative and security arm of an occupation that Israel has no intention of ending. It offers Palestinians no protection against Israeli violence; its purpose is to secure the status quo (i.e. the occupation) 🧵 4/7
Israel has never been held accountable for its repeated war crimes in Gaza. Nor has it faced any consequences for its illegal occupation and land theft in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and for the violent regime of apartheid it imposes on Palestinians 🧵3/7
「Gaza is a giant refugee camp –70% of its population are families forced from their homes by the creation of Israel in 1948. It has been under a brutal siege for almost two decades, facing constant bombardment, thousands of casualties and permanent humanitarian crisis🧵2/7」
「Today’s Hamas operation from Gaza surprised Israel, but it should be no surprise that Palestinians refuse to accept the fate to which Israel seeks to consign them. The fighters of Gaza and West Bank see a choice between living on their knees or dying on their feet 🧵1/7」
「This is obviously correct. The fundamental problem in our media & political establishment, however, is that while this will be forcefully condemned, the preceding (& far greater in scale) kidnapping & killing of Palestinian children by the Israeli government is entirely ignored.」
「Palestinians are jailed for writing poems. Palestinians are shot for being journalists. Palestinians are beaten for farming their land. Palestinians are hunted and targeted and abused and executed and never are allowed to have a breath in peace. THAT is today's context.」
「Fans of Celtic FC, known for their longstanding support of Palestine, waved Palestinian flags in a show of solidarity during today's Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park.」