West Bank 'Incursion' or Plain Old Invasion?
Al Jazeera reports Israel's latest 'deadly incursion' into the West Bank, complete with air strikes and 32,000 displaced Palestinians. (Because dropping bombs from above is always just an 'incursion,' not, say, an act of war or occupation enforcement.) This isn't groundbreaking news; B'Tselem has documented daily systemic violence and displacement in the West Bank for decades. The US, which just
sent Israel another $14 billion in aid (HR 815 passed in March 2024), continues to call for 'de-escalation' while funding the escalation. One might wonder if their definition of 'de-escalation' involves more F-16s. Remember when Netanyahu promised 'quiet' in the West Bank back in 2014, and then again in 2021? The only 'quiet' appears to be the media silence on the continuous land grabs and settler
violence that provoke these very 'incursions.' It's a convenient cycle: provoke, respond with overwhelming force, then lament the 'unfortunate' loss of life while expanding settlements. (And collecting another check from Washington.)