October 10, 2023
Permalink: https://revcom.us/en/war-crimes-and-selective-outrage-america-and-americans
News reports are that Hamas has seized 150 Israelis and is holding them hostage. Attacking noncombatant civilians, killing them, or seizing them and threatening to kill them, is criminal and an expression of the reactionary nature of Hamas.
These news reports, and the expressions of indignation by the rulers of the U.S. and their media mouthpieces are aimed at programming Americans to be fixated on outrage at 150 hostages and blind to the exponentially greater outrage that Israel has taken ALL OF GAZA HOSTAGE. Right now, over 2 million people, overwhelmingly non-combatants, are being held hostage by Israel which has imposed a complete siege of Gaza, cutting off electricity, food, fuel and water, THREATENING TO STARVE EVERYONE IN GAZA TO DEATH! Denying children, elderly people, babies! food, water, and electricity essential to keeping hospitals operating.
This comes on top of decades of crimes against the Palestinian people, starting with the terrorist ethnic cleansing of Palestine that drove a million people from their homes and homeland in 1948 when the state of Israel was established. It comes on top of Israel’s massive bombing and invasion, with U.S. backing, in 2008-2009 and 2014 that killed thousands, destroyed water and sewage infrastructure, and has left much of Gaza in ruins. On top of a 15-year blockade that has deprived Palestinians locked down in Gaza of access to food, drinkable water, supplies to rebuild their bombed homes, schools and hospitals, and the ability to leave. And on top of a reign of official and “settler” terrorist ethnic cleansing against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Here again, when it comes to the “indiscriminate violence” and “terrorism” that the U.S. today so loudly and hypocritically condemns, nobody holds a candle to either America or its loyal ally Israel.