From 6 Working day Victory to Six Month Failure
We’re happy to repost this fantastic report released a short while ago by our board member Rick Sterling on the L.A. Progressive web-site.
In June 1967, Israel released surprise assaults on its Arab neighbors and captured Gaza, the West Lender, Jerusalem, and the Golan. With military and intelligence help from Lyndon Johnson’s administration, Israel shocked and confused its neighbors, mainly destroying Egypt’s air drive on the ground. Israel not only seized possession of these territories, they humiliated their adversaries. It only took six days.
This assault was pivotal in 3 respects. 1st, it cemented hard core zionism, like unrepentant violence at the main of the state. This is revealed not only by the atrocities dedicated in opposition to their Arab neighbors. It is revealed in the attempt to sink the USS Liberty and kill all its US navy personnel. Second, it created the myth of Israeli army and intelligence superiority. Third it created massive aid for the Zionist point out internationally. As they say, “Everybody enjoys a winner”, and Israel was the undisputed winner in 1967. Anti-zionist sentiment in the US and worldwide Jewish local community, formerly pretty sturdy, declined drastically. Western assist for Israel enhanced dramatically. Because of to successful propaganda, public help also elevated.
The many years since then have witnessed a constant Israeli refusal to compromise with the men and women whose land they took and whose livelihoods they management. Gaza has been beneath siege for a long time and a concentration camp due to the fact 2007. The West Lender and Jerusalem are not a great deal greater with ever tightening restrictions, checkpoints, and arrests.
The Al Aqsa Flood Procedure
On 7 Oct 2023, it was the Israeli military services that was stunned. Hamas and other Palestinian resistance forces broke out of the focus camp, seized Israeli military posts, and entered Israeli cities and kibbutzes. They killed about 400 Israeli military and police and took about 250 armed forces and civilians hostage. About 800 civilians died possibly from Hamas gunfire or Israeli tanks or Apache gunship helicopters. Hundreds of autos that contains equally Palestinians and Israelis were being demolished by the latter.
The Israeli assumptions of armed forces, intelligence, and ethnic superiority were being exploded that working day. In rage, Israeli military and political officials vowed to avenge the shame and armed forces setback. Ministry of Protection Yoav Galant said Palestinians ended up “human animals” and vowed to get rid of via navy signifies and starvation. They vowed to “destroy Hamas” and straight away released wave after wave of bombing attack. Following about a thirty day period of bombing, the Israeli army entered Gaza . They are still there.
Steeped in perception in Jewish supremacy, much of the Israeli public supports the ongoing massacre. Now, immediately after six months of relentless assaults, the belief in Israeli superiority has fallen apart. The Israeli army has not been equipped to “destroy” Hamas or weaken Palestinian solve. On the opposite, help for Hamas and the other resistance forces has amplified equally in Gaza and the West Bank. Israeli leaders considered they could very easily conquer and “destroy” Hamas but they have not been in a position to do that irrespective of billions in US and western provided armaments.
Hamas and the other Palestinian militants have survived and continue to inflict considerable losses on the Israeli military. Yesterday, four more Israeli soldiers have been killed in Khan Younis.
Israel has wrecked United Nations faculties and shelters, church buildings and mosques, universities, and even hospitals. They have killed in excess of 100 reporters and thousands of well being employees, ambulance drivers, doctors and college professors. The current killing of 7 Environment Central Kitchen area help personnel was only exceptional simply because the victims were from the West. Israel has been committing atrocities like this in opposition to Palestinians for six months.
1967 vs Right now
As Israel’s intercontinental stature grew right after the Six Day War, it is collapsing just after the Six Month Siege and Massacre in Gaza. In 1967, a lot of American Jews embraced Israel. Now, fast escalating quantities who condemn Israel’s atrocities and want almost nothing to do with the state. They effectively perceive the variance concerning a point out (Israel) and ideology (zionism) on the a single hand, and a faith and ethnicity on the other. They are very pleased to put on T-shirts indicating “Jewish Voice for Peace” and “If Not Now”.
The World wide Majority of nations are fervently opposed to Israel and what it is executing. The UN Normal Assembly has condemned the zionist point out and many international locations have withdrawn their ambassadors.
Even western states intently allied with Israel, this sort of as Canada, are modifying their tune. Canada has suspended arms shipments to Israel and restored funding to UNRWA.
The International Courtroom of Justice has lately purchased Israel to permit food items and support into Gaza. The Australian ICJ decide confirmed they have purchased Israel to suspend army operations in Gaza. If Israel refuses to comply, it will only increase the worldwide condemnation.
As another signal of how significantly geopolitics are altering, Nicaragua has submitted a situation at the Intercontinental Court docket of Justice charging Germany with complicity in Israel’s genocide.
The US Congress and Administration proceeds to assist Israel’s genocide but is now shifting thanks to well-known presssure, protests, and needs. Even Democratic Party chief Nancy Pelosi is now urging Biden to cease arms shipments to Israel.
The Six Month Failure
Israel’s 6-Month Failure has fueled the contradictions inherent in the condition. Political and spiritual contradictions are escalating with greater and bigger demonstrations versus Netanyahu and his refusal to finish the war and provide house the hostages. Demonstrations inside Israel are obtaining even larger and far more unstable. Final Saturday, 5 protesters were purposely strike by a motor vehicle.
We have handed the tipping point. The unrelenting slaughter of Palestinian civilians about the previous 6 months has permanently improved the notion of Israel in the West.
Israel is now broadly seen internationally as a “bad man,” related to how the US was seen in the late 60’s in Vietnam. Just as the Tet Offensive price tag the life of tens of hundreds of Vietnamese but was a vital turning point, the October 7 Al Aqsa Flood procedure marks a vital turning issue for Palestine.