Israel Says It Won't Fully Leave Gaza, Because of Course It Won't
Al Jazeera reports Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, stated explicitly that Israel will "never fully withdraw from Gaza," planning permanent military units there. This isn't a new script. Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared in 2003, during the 'disengagement' from Gaza, that while settlers would leave, Israel would maintain "overriding security responsibility." What 'security
responsibility' means for an occupying power usually involves checkpoints, blockades, and a captive population. The US, which recently approved another $14 billion in aid to Israel, despite a looming humanitarian crisis, regularly frames these declarations within the 'two-state solution' fantasy. Senator Mike Lee, for instance, who took $10,000 from AIPAC in 2022 according to OpenSecrets, recently
voted for increased aid during a period when Israel's intentions for Gaza's future could not be clearer. One might wonder then, how many more 'security responsibilities' do we fund before someone calls it annexation?