West Bank Raids: 'Self-Defense' for Teenagers, 'Conflict' for Settlements
The New Arab reports Israeli strikes targeting southern Gaza and two Palestinians killed in West Bank raids, including teenagers in occupied Jerusalem. What's often missing from mainstream reports is the historical context: these 'raids' and 'strikes' are not isolated incidents but part of a decades-long military occupation, punctuated by expanding settlements consistently deemed illegal under
international law. There's no 'conflict' between equals when one side has Apache helicopters and protected settlements, and the other has teenagers with rocks. One might wonder at the timing, as the US Congress debates another massive aid package to Israel. How many 'cycles of violence' are we meant to accept before recognizing a systematic pattern of displacement and military control? Apparently,
'self-defense' now includes killing children in their own occupied homes while simultaneously expanding territory.