Of course Israel broke the ceasefire; that’s what settler colonialism does

By Richard Sudan

Of course Israel broke the so-called ceasefire and resumed business as usual.  This is what illegitimate illegal settler colonialism does. Israel throughout its inception has displayed nothing but contempt and disregard for Palestinian life, clearly viewing them as subhuman, and has made an outright mockery of international law.

The mainstream media and their sock-puppets have tried as they always do, to equate the recent tidal wave of global public support for the Palestinian people with antisemitism. Some journalists for example opine as to why there is so much public sympathy for the Palestinians and evoke some of the other horrendous humanitarian situations around the world in comparison.  And they know full well what they are inferring.

Despite being ‘whataboutery’ personified, this trick betrays the simple truth that for anyone who understands the issue, Palestine is without question one of the most long standing and gravest examples of military occupation in the world, and people from all walks of life are against it because it is illegal, inhumane and also, because most of the political class and corporate media in the face of this, and the brutal facts, attempt to portray a ‘conflict’ of two even sides. And demonstrably, the millions upon millions around the world who have protested in solidarity with the Palestinians are sick of the facade.

The occupation of Palestine represents the last outpost of European settler-style colonialism, and people want it to come to an end. It’s really not rocket science. Palestinians of all walks of life in Gaza are trapped in what former UK Prime Minister David Cameron described as an open air prison. An open air prison lacking and starved of basic necessities, which is routinely bombed by one of the most sophisticated armed forces in the entire world, which last year alone received more than 3 billion dollars’ worth of financing from the so-called United States of America. If Israel is a democracy then either democracy isn’t fit for purpose, or Israel is a sick caricature of one.

And speaking of democracy, there was a great deal of discussion recently about Israel’s change of leadership, as Benjamin Netanyahu, deeply unpopular in Israel and accused of multiple cases of corruption, as well as war crimes, departed office.

But the reality, is that for Palestinians, a change in leadership is meaningless as whoever is in charge will simply preside over a project of land theft murder and colonialism which has continued in the same unbroken direction for the last 70 years. At times there might be acceleration in that process, but that process will not stop and will continue as sure as the sun rises.

In fact, since Naftali Bennett has taken power, Gaza has been bombed and the ceasefire has been broken, racist settler marches have taken place in Jerusalem, more forces have stormed Al-Aqsa, while more illegal settlement expansion has been planned.

What’s shameful is that while this vicious cycle continues commentators play the game of pinning responsibility on Palestinian resistance forces, for every single illegal act committed.

The fact is the Palestinians have a right to armed resistance under international law.  And whatever armed resistance the Palestinians can muster, is simply not comparable to the strength and capability of the Israeli occupation forces and all of the diplomatic support that they manage to galvanize for their campaign.

This was never a war and although Israel broke the recent ceasefire, there has never been a break in what Israel does. The Palestinians are living under slow burning genocide as Palestinian civilians are routinely murdered while it is clearly evident that Israel wants the Palestinians gone from the land.

The Palestinians have no freedom of movement and yet the right of return for the Palestinian diaspora is part of international law. Living under a two-tier legal system, in which children can be imprisoned while settlers and occupation forces can murder with impunity has been the status quo for decades.  

Israel broke the ceasefire, but they have been breaking international law daily for more than 70 years, denying the Palestinians the basic means to survive while stealing more and more land. Global support for the Palestinian resistance must continue alongside the demands for the political class to relinquish their uncritical support for the occupation and to do more than offer words of condemnation.

Richard Sudan is a journalist, writer and TV reporter working for Press TV.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV.

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