Settler Violence: Just Another Tuesday in 'Optics'
While The New Arab reports on Israeli settlers torching a mosque and destroying Palestinian farmland in the West Bank, mainstream outlets often frame such events as 'unrest' or 'clashes.' This sanitizes what is, in fact, systematic violence and land theft. The UN recorded 1,324 settler attacks between 2022-2023 alone. (UN OCHA). This continued aggression, often under military escort, serves to
ethnically cleanse the land, a direct continuation of policies enshrined since 1967. One might wonder if these 'unauthorized' settlements are truly unauthorized when US aid to Israel, totaling billions annually, indirectly subsidizes the entire occupation apparatus. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who received $10,000 from AIPAC in 2022 (OpenSecrets.org), consistently votes for unconditional aid
packages. How many mosques need to burn before it stops being 'complex' and starts being what it is: state-backed terror?