The Israeli military characterized the latest airstrikes as retaliation for “incendiary balloons” released into Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Just hours after far-right marchers chanted “Death to Arabs!” during a demonstration in the streets of Jerusalem, Israeli war planes bombarded the occupied Gaza Strip early Wednesday morning in the first series of airstrikes launched by the new government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a former IDF officer who once boasted that he has “killed a lot of Arabs” in his life.
While initial reports indicated that no Palestinians were killed in the new bombing campaign, the air raid intensified fears of a fresh wave of violence by the Israeli government just weeks after a tenuous cease-fire agreement paused Israel’s deadly 11-day assault on Gaza last month, which killed more than 240 people.
Naftali Bennett in 2013. (The Israel Project, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)
The Israeli military characterized the latest airstrikes as retaliation for “incendiary balloons” released into Israel from the Gaza Strip. The balloons reportedly caused at least 10 fires in Israel.
“Homemade fire balloons versus U.S. bombs. Is there a better example of the disproportionate use of force?” asked Ariel Gold, national co-director of the anti-war organization CodePink.
Homemade fire balloons versus US bombs. Is there a better example the disproportionate use of force?
— Ariel Gold ????? ? ????? (@ArielElyseGold) June 16, 2021
Abu Malek, whom the Associated Press identified as “one of the young men launching the balloons,” said the incendiary objects were released into Israel in response to a far-right, government-sanctioned march through Jerusalem, where demonstrators rallied alongside several members of the Israeli Knesset and chanted “Death to Arabs!”
Israeli police fired rubber bullets at Palestinians who tried to disrupt the march, which reached the main entrance to the Old City’s Muslim quarter.
“This is a genocidal chant. Let’s call it what it is,” tweeted U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). “I represent many within the Jewish community who disavow and condemn this hateful language. So why does only a small portion of our Congress?”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the first Palestinian-American woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress, said that “after racist and violent ‘death to Arabs’ marches earlier today in Jerusalem, children in Gaza are being woken by bombs in the middle of the night.”
After racist and violent "death to Arabs" marches earlier today in Jerusalem, children in Gaza are being woken by bombs in the middle of the night.
Israel's government doesn't value Palestinian lives. It has managed a decades-long ethnic cleansing project, funded by the U.S. https://t.co/LTEVu3Zr9P
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) June 16, 2021
“Israel’s government doesn’t value Palestinian lives,” Tlaib added. “It has managed a decades-long ethnic cleansing project, funded by the U.S.”
The Israeli airstrikes came just over 48 hours after the country’s parliament narrowly voted to replace former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Bennett, a change that defenders of Palestinian rights did not applaud given the latter’s record and policy stances, which include support for annexing the occupied West Bank in violation of international law.
Gaza tonight pic.twitter.com/2iwp09R1js
— Muhammad Smiry (@MuhammadSmiry) June 15, 2021
“While being hailed by many as the opportunity for a fresh start, Naftali Bennett is at best a continuation of Netanyahu’s policies and at worst an ideologue whose positions are to the right of Netanyahu’s,” Gold of CodePink wrote for Common Dreams on Monday.
This article is from Common Dreams.
Netanyahu would probably set his mother’s house on fire to achieve political gain but, for all his self serving ruthlessness, Bennett – who appears to be a true believer, an ideologue – could prove to be even more lethal for Palestinians. Yet Bennett would seem to be the embodiment of the fascism that has matastised in current Israeli culture. I fear more sadistic violence will continue for some time; as Israel has a vested interest in antagonizing Hamas to justify not negotiating a withdrawal from the occupied territories.
It is hard to read this article without knowing that insanity has now taken hold in Israel .I wonder how much worse it could get as I can’
fathom the possibility .
Whatever small crack that opened up in msm which allowed some criticism of the Israeli govt has now been closed…bet on it. Netenyahu is gone, which was the point of the media excercise, and why the anti-semitism concern has now overshadowed the narrative. I remember the bad blood between bibi and barrak, and it must have worsened when trump/kushner got so cozy w/ netanyahu. The obama folks likely did their media thing to send some bad press bibi’s way and help him out the door. Thats over now, the media is back to their regularly scheduled propaganda .
Israel continues it’s vile assaults on the Palestinians. In
1939 Ben Gurion stated, “the Arabs have to go.,,” That position holds to this day.
This will never end unless Iran and Syria arm
Tragically this murderous assault funded by the USA will continue The Middle East bombing campaign supported by the U.K. will continue
China and Russia need to strengthen at all cost
Of course the main help from Joseph Biden is to Israel to make the “Iron dome” more effective against the evil rockets and balloons.
Not much different than usa, except we give them the $$$ & supplies & support.
usa has been doing the same – admin after admin – … and potus46 is no different.
Keep writing & protesting.