Does Israel deserve security?

Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem is understood by pretty much every nation, including the United States, as a violation of international law, as are the settlements in the West Bank. So Israel's announced plans to build 1600 apartments in East Jerusalem was not just "ill timed" with Joe Biden's visit, but represents a clear-cut provocation and a demonstration of the Jewish state's true motives: Take as much land as possible from the Palestinians while pretending to be interested in peace.

Under those circumstances, Israelis are lucky they are not being subjected to more resistance, violent or otherwise, from the Palestinians, because they fully deserve it just as the South African apartheid regime deserved the militant movement mounted against it by Mandela, the ANC, etc.

But since the Palestinians are relatively powerless, and the Obama administration so far seems unwilling to do much more than issue ever louder "condemnations" of Israeli actions, no one should be surprised if Palestinian terrorism raises its desperate head once again.

Addendum: The Israeli human rights group Gisha has been documenting Israel's oppressive policies towards the Palestinians for a long time. Most recently they have tackled Israel's attempts to prevent movement between Gaza and the West Bank.

Update. A Ha'aretz editorial expresses the alarm that many Israelis are feeling at the possibility that Netanyahu has pushed things too far with the United States, and that Israel will be the loser.

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1 Comments

Unknown said…
You wrote, "Under those circumstances, Israelis are lucky they are not being subjected to more resistance, violent or otherwise, from the Palestinians, because they fully deserve it just as the South African apartheid regime deserved the militant movement mounted against it by Mandela, the ANC, etc."

Violent resistance is not directed at the state, but at individuals, who certainly do NOT deserve it.