The horror that has been unleashed in Israel and Gaza has shook the world to the core. Instead of renewed calls for a ceasefire, peace talks, and a commitment to pacifism and a two-state solution, we have seen entrenched allegiance to nationalism and violence, from both pro-Zionists and pro-Palestinian activists. At the 2023 International Peace Conference in Munich from the 14-16 of February, and the protest demonstrations against the Security Conference, there was plenty of fiery rhetoric about genocide and war crimes, but little in the way of constructive nonviolent approaches.
One of the leading voices in the Israeli-Palestinian women's peace movement Women Wage Peace, Vivian Silver, was brutally murdered on 7 October 2023. There can be no greater shame than reacting to her death, and the deaths of young people at a Peace-themed music festival, than creating a genocidal war against civilians in their names.
Meanwhile, many Palestinians in the peace movement have been murdered, arrested or driven into exile. Anything less than 100% control of all of the land is unacceptable to Hamas, even if all of Gaza is reduced to rubble. Israeli nationalist hardliners want the same- all or nothing. Institutions that could have contributed to peace and diplomacy in the region- 12 colleges and universities in Gaza, 80% of all schools, not to mention mosques and churches, hospitals and pharmacies- have been brutally destroyed.
Netanyahu's Likud coalition has been described by Al Jazeera as "sleep walking into Jewish fascism", developing into a "fascist theocracy", doubly ironic, considering Israel's roots in antifascism and socialist-Marxist kibbutz settlement.
In his reaction to the horrific pogrom of 7 October 2023- by bombing insurgents and civilians alike- Netanyahu has managed to achieve what right-wing neo-Nazis have long dreamt of: creating a mass movement of outrage, an increase in antisemitism worldwide and a delegitimization of Israel and its very existence. In doing so, he has undermined democracy in Israel and the world, with a hope for meaningful peace talks practically nil.
How did we arrive here? A look at the framing of the conflict shows that we have been hoodwinked into a series of false narratives on both the right and the left, with a false dichotomy between Israeli fascist nationalism and Islamic fascist nationalism, with no mention of any alternatives. It goes without saying that neo-Nazis have always hated Jews and Israel. However, fascists have successfully infiltrated both left and right news media and social media, using a policy of "occupy, divide and conquer" to gain control of the media narratives, as violence on the ground is streamed and interpreted in real time.
Far-right "Palestine" sympathizers have managed a rebranding and marketing campaign that corporations like Coca-Cola could envy. By aligning themselves with progressive causes such as Black Lives Matter, they have created what Ashley Rindsburg refers to as the "Terrorist Propaganda to Reddit Pipeline" (see piratewires.com). This false narrative ignores the fact that Palestinian nationalist movements such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are anything but progressive, denouncing women's rights, LGBTQ rights and even harmless fun like movie theaters and amusement parks as "normalizing".
Terrorist propaganda is rebranded, marketed to social media sites such as Tiktok, Reddit, Quora, Discord and X. Task forces are set up to recruit the like-minded to replicate posts and memes, and comment. By using multiple profiles, these loyal keyboard warriors can assemble a virtual online army, driving up views and changing search engine results.
On the other hand, American news media, especially among conservatives, focused almost exclusively on the plight of the Israeli hostages, even as Netanyahu's policies were being protested all over Israel, with 100,000 protesters filling the streets for 40 weeks. Netanyahu, like all nationalist authoritarians, refused to take responsibility for either the lack of border security or his invasion and destruction of more than 60% of the infrastructure in the Gaza enclave (according to The Guardian). Instead of negotiating for release of hostages, Netanyahu insisted upon a full-blown war on Gaza's helpless residents.
Controlling the narrative means any person criticizing Netanyahu's policies, even Jewish and Israelis, is branded a friend of Hamas and a supporter of terror. At the same time, any person recognizing Israel as a sovereign nation with a right to security is branded a supporter of genocide. Logical, rational voices have been silenced.
Controlling the narrative also means that Netanyahu is personally never responsible for his crimes. News media reports that "Israel" is responsible, not Netanyahu's government. Jews all over the world, from Toronto to Berlin to Sydney, are attacked as "oppressors", Jewish cemeteries and synagogues are attacked, and Israelis are afraid to travel abroad as Netanyahu sips champagne in safety and security.
Who profits from war? With his growing unpopularity, Netanyahu needed a war to rescue his political survival. The USA, ever eager to sell weapons, needed a war to fill its coffers. The losers, as always, are the citizens on both sides: Israelis who are asked to sacrifice their children in war, and Palestinians who lose everything: their homes and businesses, their family members, their lives and their futures, not only in Gaza, but in the occupied West Bank.
The bloodshed has lasted for decades, but the arms industry has no interest in ending this war. The "Palestinian laboratory" functions as a training ground for warfare, with billions of dollars of weapons, security systems, and surveillance systems tested on Palestinians.
The ensuing hunger, death and starvation in Gaza has made Hamas incredibly unpopular, but, according to Dr. Gershon Baskin, young people in Gaza see no alternatives in sight. At the podium discussion on February 15, he noted that although up to 70% of Palestinians and Israelis are open to peace talks, there is a dire need for new leadership for both Israel and the Palestinians.
Imperialism, far-right ideologies and nationalism go hand in hand. Trump, Meloni, Orba'n, Le Pen and Netanyahu openly tout their authoritarianism, as do Hamas and other terror groups. Reactionaries all follow the same game plan: create a problem, finance extremists on both sides, declare an emergency and erase civil rights. Netanyahu follows the playbook with great care, labeling his opponents as "unpatriotic", and doing his best to weaken democracy in Israel.
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