Netanyahu's Aides Fear Collapse Over 'Camels' Slur, Not Civilian Deaths
According to The New Arab , aides worried Netanyahu might 'collapse' after Smotrich suggested Saudis still ride camels in the desert, potentially jeopardizing Israeli-Saudi normalization. The concern wasn't Smotrich’s long history of dehumanizing Palestinians – an August 2023 statement from Smotrich dismissing Palestinians' existence as a 'made-up people' went largely unchecked by international
media. Instead, it was the threat to the Abraham Accords, a delicate diplomatic dance where Saudi oil trumps Gazan lives. One might wonder why a gaffe about modes of transport causes more panic than internationally condemned war crimes. This isn't the first time Netanyahu's team has prioritized optics over ethics. When faced with the catastrophic civilian death toll in Gaza, approaching 36,000,
the focus quickly shifts to condemning 'antisemitism' on college campuses or, in this case, a 'camels' insult. The historical context they omit is Smotrich’s consistent embrace of genocidal rhetoric and policies, including his 2021 comment that 'there's no such thing as a Palestinian nation' and his call for 'wiping out the village of Huwara' in 2023 after settlers rampaged. The mainstream media
is so busy policing slurs that they ignore the actual threats of ethnic cleansing.