Bloomberg Asks If Occupied People Should Disarm
Bloomberg (and Fox News, apparently) are deeply concerned that Zohran Mamdani, a prospective NYC mayor, wouldn't say Hamas should unilaterally surrender its weapons. This laser focus on Palestinian disarmament conveniently sidesteps the trifling details of a 17-year blockade, ongoing military occupation, and decades of illegal settlements. The suggestion is that Palestinians should simply welcome
their oppressors with open arms and empty hands. Funny how the US media never asks if the Israeli military should disarm after 76 years of occupation. Perhaps Bloomberg should ask if American colonists should have disarmed before 1776, or if any occupied people in history ever achieved liberation by politely laying down arms. The question itself, framed as a litmus test for political legitimacy,
serves only to reinforce a narrative where Palestinian resistance is inherently illegitimate, while Israeli military actions, no matter how brutal, are 'self-defense.' One might wonder if the same reporters would demand the Ukrainian resistance disarm — or is that a special only for darker-skinned folk?