The Gaza Siege: A Harsh Spotlight on the West’s Moral Bankruptcy
Nov 15, 2023
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The podcast discusses the Gaza Siege and the moral bankruptcy of the West's support for Israel. Topics include the high number of Palestinian casualties, U.S. complicity in Israel's violence, Israeli settler violence, attacks on free speech, and reflections on power, violence, and suffering.
The Israeli government's brutal campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 11,000 Palestinians, including 4,000 children, with US support and financing.
Israeli settlers, with full support from the Netanyahu government, are terrorizing Palestinians in the West Bank through targeted attacks and assassinations.
Western media, including the New York Times, display biased coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, often adopting Israeli talking points and failing to adequately cover Palestinian suffering.
Deep dives
Palestinians in Gaza face ongoing scorched-earth campaign
The Israeli government, under Benjamin Netanyahu, has waged a brutal campaign to collectively punish the 2.2 million Palestinian residents of Gaza. The assault has resulted in the deaths of over 11,000 Palestinians, including 4,000 children. Despite US support and financing, including the recent $14 billion military aid package, the US government claims it wants to prevent harm to Palestinians. This crisis has solidified Joe Biden's pro-Israel legacy, and calls for accountability for Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu, are growing. The United States is complicit in enabling this slaughter through its political and financial support.
Israeli settlers wage campaigns of terror against Palestinians
Israeli settlers are terrorizing Palestinians in the West Bank with the full support of the Netanyahu government. This violence includes targeted attacks and assassinations of Palestinians. The Israeli government, backed by the belief that it lacks power or control, justifies aggressive action. This parallels the situation in the United States, where violence was used against African Americans to exert control and maintain white supremacy. The response to this violence against Palestinians by Western media has been minimal, exposing bias and double standards. The crackdown on speech and censorship further silences voices speaking out against these atrocities.
US and Western media fail to condemn Israeli violence
Western media, including the New York Times, have displayed biased and problematic coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Journalists often adopt Israeli talking points and fail to provide adequate coverage of Palestinian suffering. The self-proclaimed democracy of Israel, supported by Western nations, maintains a segregated and apartheid-like regime. This biased coverage perpetuates the violence and impunity of the Israeli government, which receives military aid and support from the US. Journalists and media outlets need to acknowledge their complicity in this skewed narrative and address this issue promptly.
Dangerous moment for free speech and activism
The current situation in the United States reflects a dangerous moment for free speech and activism. Efforts to raise awareness about Palestinian suffering and criticize Israeli actions are being suppressed. Speech critical of Israel is being conflated with anti-Semitism, and universities are imposing restrictions on discussion of Palestine. The silencing of speech highlights a wider trend of attacking free speech rights. A movement for justice is gaining strength, evident in the protests and pushback against censorship of Palestinian voices.
Palestine Festival of Literature (Palfest) provides a platform for discussion
The Palestine Festival of Literature (Palfest) aims to showcase and support cultural life in Palestine and break the cultural siege imposed on Palestinians. The festival brings international writers to Palestine to engage with local artists, activists, and communities. Palfest provides a space for discussion and cultural exchange, challenging censorship and raising awareness about the Palestinian struggle for justice. Palfest events have included author Tanahashi Coates, who shared his transformative experience and commitment to speaking out about Palestinian suffering following his visit to Palestine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said recently on CNN, “It’s not only our war, it’s your war too.” He was right: The Biden administration has armed, funded, and supported Netanyahu every step of the way as Israel wages a campaign of terror bombings against Gaza. In five weeks of sustained Israeli airstrikes and ground operations, one in 200 residents of Gaza has been killed. Of the more than 11,000 deaths, 4,600 of them are children. President Joe Biden remains entrenched in his support for the scorched-earth campaign of his “great, great friend” Netanyahu.
This week on Intercepted, independent journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Jeremy Scahill discuss the horrors facing the people of Gaza and the history of Biden’s support for some of the most extreme actions of Israel. They discuss the unprecedented killing of journalists in Gaza and the violent campaign being waged by Netanyahu-backed Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. Kouddous also discusses Israel’s killing of Al Jazeera correspondent and U.S. citizen Shireen Abu Akleh and decries the lack of solidarity from U.S. and other Western journalists. We also hear recent public remarks from author Ta-Nehisi Coates as he describes his trip to Palestine last summer as part of the Palestine Festival of Literature and offers his analysis of the siege of Gaza.
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