Israeli Exceptionalism and the 3 Wars of Gaza


Since Israel began its assault on Gaza on July 7, three simultaneous wars are being fought on three fronts. Each is as brutal and inhumane as the other. Each unveils the fault-lines of the current international system and its total failure to establish justice and protect the weak.The first war is the actual war where the Israeli army, equipped with the most lethal and sophisticated weaponry in the region, bombards Gaza homes, schools, hospitals, mosques, U.N. shelters and schools, power stations and water purification centers. It kills children playing on the beach of Gaza and in U.N. schools where both they and their parents thought they would be safe.As of today, around 1,800 hundred Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children. Close to 10,000 have been injured. This has been the bloodiest month in the entire history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 1948. At least 210 women and 400 children have been killed. More than 30,000 homes have been hit with 10,000 of them partially or totally destroyed. In addition, 8 U.N. schools, 17 hospitals, 25 health centers, 55 U.N. shelters, 93 mosques and 300 shops have been destroyed by the Israeli bombardment from air, sea and land.This is coupled with a second war of global politics and diplomacy. Since the end of June, Turkish, American, Egyptian and Qatari top diplomats have tried at least half a dozen proposals to stop the hostilities in the West Bank and Gaza. The Netanyahu government refused them all. While it fully knew, as reported by Haaretz and other newspapers, that Hamas had nothing to do with the abduction and killing of the three Israeli settlers in June, it used it as a pretext to attack Gaza.The war of politics and diplomacy is where Israel feels comfortable. It knows that Americans and Europeans are too weak to confront it and the Arab regimes are happy to see Hamas dealt a heavy blow in Gaza. The U.N. is just too feeble to even protect its own buildings and personnel against Israeli attacks. The human toll of destroyed Palestinian lives flies on the face of political machination and rivalry for regional influence among the Arabs. This is a war as ugly and brutal as the first one.Then there is the third war, the war of media manipulations, distorted realities and controlled perceptions. The pro-Israeli media are at pains to "neutralize" the fighting and "normalize" Israel's relentless attacks on the Palestinians. Israel's story is always the main narrative; others are presented as "let's get another perspective…" Israeli officials are invited to make their case; Palestinians are asked the most aggressive questions to defend themselves. No one asks why Israel does not end the occupation.Then there is the systematic cover-up of the racist undercurrent against the Palestinians. The racism of the Knesset Member Ayelet Shaked who called not only for the killing of Palestinian children but also their mothers so that they will not give birth to them anymore, is reported as an isolated incident. It does not stick. It is not commented upon. You do not see any 'expert analysis' of the culture and psychology of an Israeli university professor who openly calls for the raping of Palestinian women so that their relatives will understand the extent of Israeli retaliation. Anything that will embarrass Israel is quickly erased or fades into obscurity.The Times of Israel publishes a piece called "When Genocide is Permissible" by Yochanan Gordon and then quickly removes it after huge protests. But again, it does not make it to the major news networks in the US or in Europe. None of the so-called experts talk about the religious, economic or cultural roots of such genocidal thinking. It is conveniently pushed to the margins and consciously forgotten.There is more. On August 2, more than 25 thousand people marched in front of the White House in support of Gaza. This is a huge number for any DC event. Yet, no major US newspaper or TV network reports it. They act as if it did not happen. When they do, they present it as anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic as if the two are one and the same thing. They use the charge of anti-Semitism to discredit all legitimate opposition to Israeli aggressions.Israeli exceptionalism reigns supreme in all these three wars. Whether unleashing destruction and pain on Palestinians or subverting diplomacy or manipulating the media, Israeli exceptionalism violates the fundamental principles of justified war, meaningful diplomacy and decent journalism.Luckily, there is a growing number of conscientious voices that question this exceptionalism. From Istanbul, London, Kuala Lumpur and New York to Paris, Latin American capitals and Tel Aviv, more and more people are coming out against the Israeli subversion of international and humanitarian law. They are exposing the ugly face of the three wars Gaza is fighting. They are calling for peace, justice and equality for all.If Israel and its friends truly want peace, they should listen to these voices.