Some might incorrectly assume I’m “anti-Israel.” I am not. My views on the subject tend to sync with the views of Israeli intelligence. For many years, Israeli intelligence has concluded that the occupation of the Palestinian territories is bad for Israel; the occupation is bad for both the Israeli state and Israel's culture.
The state of Israel is constantly at war with its neighbors. It bombs Lebanon. It bombs Yemen. It exchanges bombings with Iran. It rains death and destruction on Gaza. It regularly kills Palestinians in the West Bank.
On Wikipedia, there is a page entitled “List of wars involving Israel.” It has a lot to report. There is also a page entitled “List of wars involving Iceland.” The last entry was for the Cod Wars, which ended in 1976. Before that, the UK occupied Iceland in 1940. And before that, the entry is for 1809. Its page, needless to say, has less to report.
So, Israel does not have to live as it does. Many people love to say “Israel lives in a bad neighborhood.” So clever. So droll. So inaccurate.
Israeli soldiers are all over the place in Israel. One walks around West Jerusalem and sees a soldier every three minutes. It is Israel’s way of life. They live by the sword. And it comes at a cost.
There are documentaries and research projects in Israel that look into the effect this violence has had on Israeli soldiers. Whether it is the daily pressures of conducting an occupation or outright warfare, one can see former soldiers recounting what they did and saw while lording over the Palestinians. They recall how they despised the Arabs; how when they were young, they were eager to visit humiliation and suffering on the Palestinians. Years later, they recall these memories in tears. There is remorse.
This is what Israel is doing to its youth. It turns them into savages—psychotically racist ones—who carry an automatic weapon and answer to no one. Years later, they are sick with grief and remorse. This is abuse—and the state of Israel and its leadership know it.
So, when I criticize the occupation, I am merely aligned with Israel’s intelligence community. The occupation is bad for Israel; it is the cause of Israel’s security concerns, and it is bad for the people of Israel. Living by the sword has warped Israeli society. One can see this plainly in the opinion polls conducted in Israel. Their sense of humanity has been damaged. And I’m pretty sure the leadership is aware of this, too.
So, for those of you who fancy yourself “pro-Israel” and justify the murder and maiming of children in Gaza, just remember you are actually anti-Israel. To not condemn Israel’s conduct is anti-Israel. To condemn its conduct and speak up for Palestinian human rights is precisely pro-Israel.
Unless of course the intelligence agents at Shabak who have dedicated their professional lives to Israel’s security are just a bunch of anti-Israeli, self-hating Jews. Then never mind.
