Middle East Press on: Anti, Semites, Gaza, Trump, Israel, Jews: New Age Islam's Selection, 1 February 2025
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
1 February 2025
Poor, Frustrated Anti-Semites: Truth, History Must Take Second Place To Outrage
Let Donald Trump Make Gaza Great Again
My Zionism Means A Palestinian State Must Exist
Ireland Must Re-evaluate Its Approach To Israel And Jews
Gaza’s Future Hinges On Reuniting Under PLO, Launching Real Reconstruction
Making America Great Again By Ethnically Cleansing The Palestinian People
Is Trump’s Lifting Of Sanctions Against Israeli Settlers A Green Light For More Violence?
Israel Now Applying Its ‘Gaza Model’ In The West Bank
-----
Poor, Frustrated Anti-Semites: Truth, History Must Take Second Place To Outrage
By Paul Socken
February 1, 2025
The antisemite must be the most frustrated person on the planet. Has anyone ever put more effort into any project? And what does he have to show for millennia of dedicated effort?
After the Jews lost their Temple and sovereign state 2,000 years ago, they wandered wherever they could find refuge – from Babylonia, eventually to Europe and North Africa, and later North America.
Each host country in time turned on Jews as scapegoats for hard times or as an excuse for religious persecutions. Being a Jew in a Christian land or a Muslim state was not a long-term solution to statelessness. Too many stubborn Jews refused to convert in spite of intense
pressure and practiced their religion in secret or left for temporary greener pastures elsewhere – hence, “the wandering Jew.”
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-838577
----
Let Donald Trump Make Gaza Great Again
By Martin Oliner
February 1, 2025
There has been an international uproar since US President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One on a flight from Las Vegas last weekend that he wants Arab countries to absorb the population of Gaza during its reconstruction.
Trump merely said he told Jordanian King Abdullah II that he would like Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians temporarily or on a long-term basis and that he would discuss the matter with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The idea was immediately mocked by Israel’s enemies and the usual naysayers. United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese called it “ethnic cleansing… illegal, immoral and irresponsible.”
Hassan Jabareen of the anti-Israel organization Adalah said relocating Gazans “would in fact be a continuation of the war, through the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
The Council on American–Islamic Relations called it “delusional and dangerous nonsense.” Qatari officials said it crossed a redline.
Even an analysis in The Jerusalem Post disrespectfully mocked the proposal, saying “Trump’s ideas for rebuilding Gaza and turning it into a successful beachfront state, kind of like a large Miami, face many hurdles.”
Knowing President Trump, such condemnations will only strengthen his resolve and determination to do the right thing by implementing this idea and proving all his critics wrong.
The president was right in saying that much of Gaza is currently inhabitable, though I would have preferred he add context, blaming Hamas for dooming Gazans by attacking Israel mercilessly on October 7, 2023.
He has worked in real estate long enough to understand that during lengthy reconstruction projects, out of the box thinking is required. Those who purport to care about Gazans should be gushing with praise for the president for caring enough to find them a positive resolution to their current problems.
And those like myself who do not believe Gazans are worthy of any mercy should welcome it as well.
Collective guilt
LET’S NOT mince words here. The people of Gaza are collectively guilty for invading Israel, murdering, raping and kidnapping Israelis and holding them hostage.
It was not just Hamas terrorists who held Israeli civilians captive. Physicians, journalists and United Nations staff from the upper echelons of Gazan society enthusiastically joined that nasty effort. It was Dr. Ahmed Al Jamal and his son, journalist Abdullah Al-Jamal, who held hostages Almog Meir Jan, Shlomi Ziv, and Andrey Kozlov at their home in Nuseirat. The IDF rescued them in June in the same operation that freed Noa Argamani, who President Trump hosted for his inauguration events.
The actions of the Gazan people prove they need detoxifying education before the reconstruction should even be able to begin. They are fundamentally evil, and they must pay a price for their actions.
The countries who take in Gazans should properly screen and monitor them to prevent them from causing further harm. If enough countries get involved, the international problem of Gaza could be solved.
Besides Egypt and Jordan, other Muslim countries like Indonesia and Saudi Arabia should take them in. Canada, Australia, Mexico, and every country in South America and Europe can take their share.
Egypt gave hope by accepting 70 terrorists in Saturday’s hostage release. Surely, they can also take Gazans who have not been convicted of any crimes.
IT IS IMPORTANT to keep in mind that before the October 7 attacks, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman was moving full speed ahead toward normalizing relations with Israel and expanding the Abraham Accords. The attacks were aimed at scuttling that promise.
Trump’s administration will soon take action to move the accords forward and shift the dynamic of the Middle East in the right direction it was heading in during the president’s first term.
Bin Salman had told the Palestinians to get on board with the accords or miss the train. They missed out by not taking that advice.
During the war, the Abraham Accords premise of bypassing the Palestinians and moving forward the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries has been proven smarter. Taking the Palestinians out of the equation is the key toward reaching more successful accords, and relocating them is a good way to do that.
Getting Hamas out of Gaza would also be another blow to Iran. There is hope that the further weakening of Tehran will enable America or Israel to attack the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities and initiate a process that will lead to the regime change that is the key to making Israel, the region and the entire world safer.
It may sound like a serious challenge. But that is why Americans have elected a president who is such a bulldozer, after enduring four years of an ineffective commander-in-chief.
The power of this president is enormous. We need to support his creative ideas and work with him to make them a reality.
If he receives the international support he deserves, President Trump will succeed at making Gaza great again.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-840021
---
My Zionism Means A Palestinian State Must Exist
By Eran Nissan
January 31, 2025
Zionism is an idea, a concept, and it has never been one thing that people universally agree upon. From its very beginning, Zionism was a subject of debate and contention. There is a saying that where you have two Jews, you have at least three opinions. Zionism is a work in progress, an open concept, and in many ways it is a struggle. It is a struggle over identity, purpose, and values. It is a debate about what it means to build a national home for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, and it continues to evolve with each generation.
The origin of Zionism is the ancient yearning of Jews to return to Zion, a longing expressed in prayers, songs, and rituals for thousands of years. However, in its modern rebirth in the late 1800s, Zionism emerged alongside many national aspiration movements awakening across Europe and beyond. It evolved in parallel with its twin movement – the Palestinian national movement. My first contention is that to understand Zionism without historical context, and specifically the connection to the Palestinian national movement, is to try to define a fruit without talking about its size, color, or flavor. The two movements are intertwined, and any meaningful discourse on Zionism must recognize this reality.
Zionism has always been a deeply personal and profoundly political identity for me. As I reflect on what Zionism means in 2025, I am compelled to situate it within my lived experiences as an Israeli, former combat soldier, and now a peace activist leading Mehazkim, a progressive digital movement in Israel. My journey through the complexities of identity, history, and conflict has shaped a vision of Zionism that is both rooted in its foundational values and adapted to the urgent realities of our time. It is a Zionism that acknowledges the intertwined destinies of Israelis and Palestinians, one that seeks justice, equality, and dignity for all who call this land home.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-838632
----
Ireland Must Reevaluate Its Approach To Israel And Jews
By Jonathan Lieberman
January 31, 2025
The recent disgraceful events at an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event in Ireland have sparked widespread outrage and condemnation.
The keynote speech delivered by Irish President Michael D. Higgins at the event, meant to honour the memory of the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, instead veered into a political diatribe criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza. Such behaviour on a solemn occasion dedicated to commemorating one of the darkest chapters in human history is deeply inappropriate and disrespectful, not least to the Holocaust survivors who were in attendance.
To understand the gravity of this incident, it is crucial to examine Ireland’s historical relationship with antisemitism and its stance on Jewish issues. While Ireland today portrays itself as a champion of human rights, its historical record reveals a troubling pattern of neglect and hostility towards Jews.
Ireland’s neutrality during World War II is a case in point. While much of the world united to defeat the genocidal Nazi regime, Ireland remained officially neutral, a stance that some argue was tantamount to moral abdication.
Éamon de Valera, Ireland’s then-Taoiseach, even extended condolences on the death of Adolf Hitler in 1945, a gesture that shocked and appalled many around the world.
Sinn Féin, a dominant political force in Ireland, has historically shown a disregard for Jewish concerns. The party’s alignment with Palestinian causes often crosses the line into overt hostility toward Israel, ignoring the historical and existential struggles faced by the Jewish people.
This stance has, at times, spilled over into anti-Semitic rhetoric, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and fuelling anti-Jewish sentiment in Irish society.
In recent years, Ireland has emerged as one of the most aggressively anti-Israel countries in the world. The Irish government has repeatedly supported measures to condemn Israel on the international stage, including endorsing allegations of genocide and apartheid in forums like the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This one-sided approach neglects the context of Israel’s security challenges and fails to adequately condemn the violence perpetrated by Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.
October 7
The events of October 7, when Hamas launched a brutal and unprovoked attack on Israel, highlighted this bias. While many Western nations unequivocally condemned the atrocities committed by Hamas, Ireland’s response was tepid at best. This failure to stand firmly against terrorism reveals a deep-seated prejudice that prioritizes anti-Israel rhetoric over genuine concern for human rights.
Such is the extent of anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland that Israel recently closed its embassy in Dublin. This unprecedented move underscores the strained relations between the two nations and serves as a stark indictment of Ireland’s hostile policies toward the Jewish state.
Against this backdrop, President Higgins’ decision to use a Holocaust Remembrance Day event to criticize Israel is particularly egregious. The Holocaust stands as a unique and unparalleled tragedy in human history, a genocide that sought to annihilate an entire people.
To use such an occasion to launch a political attack on the one country that serves as a safe haven for Jews is a betrayal of the memory of the Holocaust and the survivors who endured unimaginable suffering.
The Irish Jewish community had specifically requested that President Higgins refrain from politicizing the event. They implored him to respect the solemnity of the occasion and focus on honouring the victims and survivors.
THAT HE chose to disregard these appeals speaks volumes about his indifference to the concerns of Ireland’s Jewish citizens.
One of the most disgraceful moments of the event came when an audience member, a Jewish woman, turned her back in silent protest against the president’s speech.
Instead of allowing this quiet act of dissent, event organizers ejected her from the venue. This act of silencing a Jewish voice at a Holocaust memorial is deeply troubling and indicative of a broader disregard for Jewish perspectives in Ireland.
Israel is not merely a nation-state; it is a refuge and a sanctuary for Jews worldwide. After centuries of persecution culminating in the Holocaust, the establishment of Israel in 1948 provided a homeland where Jews could live free from discrimination and violence.
Criticizing Israel at a Holocaust memorial event, therefore, is not only inappropriate but also deeply insulting to the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust.
President Higgins’ actions at this event reveal a troubling double standard. While he claims to advocate for human rights and justice, his failure to condemn Hamas’s atrocities and his willingness to politicize a solemn occasion suggest otherwise.
His speech did not merely criticize Israeli policies; it undermined the very essence of what the IHRD represents: a commitment to remember the past and fight against all forms of hatred and bigotry.
The events at the IHRD in Ireland should serve as a wake-up call. It is essential for Irish leaders to reflect on their actions and the message they send to their Jewish citizens and the global community.
Holocaust memorials are not platforms for political grandstanding; they are sacred spaces for reflection, remembrance, and the reaffirmation of our collective commitment to ensuring that such atrocities never happen again.
The Irish government must also reevaluate its stance on Israel and its broader approach to Jewish issues. Supporting one-sided narratives and failing to condemn terrorism not only damages Ireland’s international reputation but also alienates its Jewish citizens.
True commitment to human rights requires a balanced and fair approach, one that recognizes the legitimate concerns of all parties and condemns violence and hatred in all its forms.
President Higgins’ speech and the subsequent ejection of a Jewish audience member who protested his remarks represent a low point in Ireland’s history of engagement with Jewish issues.
There are 2,000 Jews living in Ireland.
What message has been sent to them by this disgraceful desecration of so solemn an event? Does Ireland value its Jewish citizens? Does it respect the memory of the Holocaust? Does it even care what the Jewish population thinks or feels?
When it can answer these questions honestly and in the affirmative, only then can it claim to truly stand for justice and human rights. Until then, we know who are our friends and who are our enemies.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-839994
----
Gaza’s Future Hinges On Reuniting Under Plo, Launching Real Reconstruction
January 31, 2025
As the Muslim saying goes, “He who does not thank people does not thank God.” Gratitude must, therefore, be extended to all the countries that contributed to the cessation of the brutal aggression against our people, the people of Palestine—Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, some European countries, and the US under the Donald Trump administration.
Since an end was announced to the brutal Israeli aggression against Gaza, the world has been confused about what to call the post-aggression period. Some call it “the day after.”
This term has been frequently mentioned since the start of the aggression and up until today. When talking about “the day after,” the discussion revolves around who is to manage Gaza and how, with many racing to propose plans as if Gaza were an orphan without affiliations and not an essential part of the Palestinian state.
Gaza and its people have suffered greatly due to the division of the Palestinian homeland and the separation of Gaza from the modern Palestinian geographical map.
Recently, a group of Gazans with representative roles in various elected councils from grassroots institutions, private sector organizations, and civil society institutions have demanded the return of Gaza to Palestinian legitimacy. They argue that those who should govern it are representatives of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the most comprehensive Palestinian Arab body representing all Palestinian factions and groups.
All forces outside this broad framework must integrate into the PLO to restore Palestinian representation in all its factions and parties now, not tomorrow. This move will serve to avoid further political disputes, which do not benefit any citizen, especially in the upcoming phase of relief, reconstruction, and building a genuine future.
Let us look at the neighboring Arab countries of Syria and Lebanon and apply their experiences. Both states saw inevitable change and engaged their political frameworks in drawing a new image for themselves, gradually compelling the world to recognize them as agents of change.
Palestinians don't lack anything in comparison
We Palestinians don't lack anything in terms of intellect, thinkers, or experts in various fields such as health, engineering, relief, and reconstruction. What we do lack is human and personal willpower. Enough with the conflicts, especially about the future of Palestine and Gaza in particular.
The people of Gaza, Palestine, and their friends—Arabs, Muslims, and others—have the necessary resources to achieve this goal with excellence and in a distinctive manner.
Genuine Palestinian willpower is required, and we must empower those with the capability and expertise to achieve our realistic dream of restoring both the people and the land.
The destruction that has occurred in the months since October 7, 2023 requires all resources, expertise, and capacities to be reversed. We know this will take decades, but we must take the first step, which is to unite behind one leader and one heart, closing the chapter of the past without looking back.
Let us look to the future with a visionary outlook, free from selfish partisan views. What has brought us here is partisan and factional conflict, not differences of opinion. The vast majority of people are not affiliated with any faction and are telling everyone, “Enough is enough.”
Here I stand, and call upon His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas in his capacity as the head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization to take genuine initiative. If the major factions still have disagreements, they must resolve them away from Gaza and Palestine, because enough is enough.
Gaza, the Gaza of our fathers and grandfathers, the Gaza of history, present, and future, has been utterly devastated in every sense.
Gaza is calling, first to the Palestinians, and then to the Arab and international community, once again saying, “Enough is enough.”
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-840120
----
Making America Great Again By Ethnically Cleansing The Palestinian People
By Dr Mohammad Makram Balawi
January 31, 2025
US President Donald Trump’s remarks about his call with the king of Jordan and his suggestion that Amman should take in Palestinians from Gaza reflect clear ignorance of the nature of the Palestinian issue and the political history of the region. Trump failed to understand that the Palestinians who sought refuge in Jordan were originally Jordanian citizens of the occupied West Bank, which was part of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan before Israeli occupation. When the occupation took place, they were forcibly displaced to the eastern bank of the Jordan River, which is now Jordan.
Trump’s statement was not just an offhand remark; it was apparent that it is part of a broader US strategy to support Israel’s ethnic cleansing, initiated by Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, a mission the Israeli occupation failed to execute in full, through military force. His mention of discussing the matter with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi about accepting about 1.5 million Palestinian (about 70 per cent of Gaza’s population), made it clear that he was intent on implementing this criminal action plan, regardless of the position of his Arab allies, and indeed international law. This underscores that the United States is not merely a supporter of Israel but an active and bold partner in its expansionist and aggressive policies, as well as its crimes against humanity.
Ironically, Trump is adopting a policy to prevent and restrict immigration to the US, although America is built by immigrants including his family. While he preaches America’s right to do so, he wants to drive the local Palestinian indigenous people out of the land of their ancestors and allow Jewish immigrants to expand their fascist, racist, re-actionist apartheid state onto it.
Trump is in no way an exception in this crazy strategy. From the outset, the United States has supported Israel diplomatically in the UN Security Council, legally by threatening the International Criminal Court (ICC) and trying to criminalise its members, and economically by pumping billions of dollars into Israel – despite economic crises within the US such as the California wildfires, which exposed the country’s weak infrastructure. Militarily, Washington has deployed aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines while providing Israel with the latest lethal weapons, such as 2,000-pound smart bombs – ordinarily used against military fortifications but instead deployed to target civilian infrastructure. It is also providing Israel with intelligence and military guidance.
Moreover, Washington has played a major role in media manipulation, seeking to distort facts and cover up Israeli crimes, such as bombing civilian infrastructure and new born babies, and adopting Israeli propaganda in full, whether through the White House National Security Council spokesperson, the State Department, or even President Biden himself. After the ceasefire, clear evidence emerged that Israel had been planning from the outset to forcibly expel Gaza’s residents by systematically destroying hospitals, universities, roads, water and electricity networks, schools and markets — pushing people southward while simultaneously promoting land purchases in Gaza as if the territory were empty of its rightful inhabitants.
This was not merely an illusion propagated by extremist Zionists, but an official policy backed by the Trump administration, which treated the Palestinian cause as nothing more than a real estate transaction. Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century” was nothing but a realisation of Netanyahu’s fascist dreams, attempting to extort Arab states into funding economic prosperity for Palestinians in exchange for them abandoning their national aspirations. This idea was heavily promoted by former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who openly stated that Palestinians were incapable of governing themselves.
Such policies emboldened Jewish extremists to escalate their attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and expand illegal settlements, attacking the local Palestinian population in the occupied West Bank, provoking Palestinian resistance. Meanwhile, Arab and Muslim countries faced immense US pressure to normalise relations with Israel, completely disregarding the Arab Peace Initiative and reinforcing Palestinians’ sense of abandonment with no viable political solutions.
All these factors culminated in the events of 7 October 2023; a direct consequence of the policies championed by Trump. His policies, contrary to his beliefs, do not extinguish wars but yield mayhem, political unrest and regional wars.
Today, the forced displacement of Palestinians is no longer just a conspiracy theory but an overt Israeli-American policy that blatantly contradicts international law and human rights principles. This exposes the double standards that have subjected the US and its allies to global criticism, damaging their credibility and international standing.
Thus, while Trump boasted about “making America great again”, his actions have – in reality – contributed to tarnishing its image and reputation. Nevertheless, the Palestinian people, who have withstood massacres and occupation, will not be swayed by Trump’s hollow statements. Their resistance will remain a testament to the fact that US policies toward the Palestinian cause have not only harmed Palestinians but have also been disastrous for America’s own standing in the world.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250131-making-america-great-again-by-ethnically-cleansing-the-palestinian-people/
----
Is Trump’s Lifting Of Sanctions Against Israeli Settlers A Green Light For More Violence?
January 31, 2025
The Trump administration last week officially removed sanctions on more than 30 illegal Israeli settlers and groups in the occupied West Bank, reversing a Biden-era policy in an executive order by the new president.
The move came after a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal in Gaza, as well as reports that Trump pressured the Israeli government to end its 15-month genocidal war on the Palestinian territory.
It also followed a surge in attacks by illegal Israel settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank, raising fears of further escalation.
What were the sanctions?
The Biden administration had imposed sanctions under Executive Order 14115, signed 1 February 2024.
The measure, targeting individuals and entities involved in “extremist settler violence, forced displacement, and property destruction” in the occupied West Bank, blocked their access to assets in the US and the country’s financial system.
Key targets included Amana, an organisation linked to settler violence, and individuals like David Chai Chasdai, a 29-year-old Israeli settler with a history of violence against Palestinians.
Chasdai was accused of initiating and leading a deadly riot in the West Bank town of Huwara, where he and fellow illegal settlers set vehicles and buildings on fire, causing property damage, and assaulted Palestinian civilians. The attack has been described as a “pogrom”.
Despite calls for broader sanctions, the Biden administration stopped short of sanctioning the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion, which allegedly abused Palestinian civilians and caused the 2022 death of 80-year-old Palestinian-American Omar Assad.
Why were they imposed?
The sanctions were partly in response to mounting violence across the occupied West Bank as Israel waged an onslaught in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since 7 October 2023.
More than 880 Palestinians have been killed and 6,700 injured by Israeli occupation forces since the outbreak of the Gaza war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Settlement watchdog group Peace Now indicates that over half a million illegal Israeli settlers reside across 147 West Bank settlements and 224 outposts. The International Court of Justice, in July 2024, declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements.
Amid rising tensions, the Biden administration, which had resisted calls from public figures and members of Congress to halt arms shipments to Israel despite reports of widespread violations of international and US law, imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers to curb violence in the West Bank.
How did Israelis and Palestinians react?
The Israeli government, dominated by pro-settlement hardliners like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, welcomed Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Israeli settlers, calling it a “just” course correction from the Biden administration’s policy.
The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, condemned the move.
“This decision encourages settlers to commit more crimes,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA), said in a statement.
During his first term in office, which ended in 2021, Trump reshaped US policy to align with many of Tel Aviv’s long-held positions.
He moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem, recognised Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and reversed a long-standing US policy on illegal settlements, rejecting a 1978 State Department legal opinion that deemed the settlements “inconsistent with international law.”
In February 2024, the Biden administration reversed course, reaffirming that Israel’s Jewish-only settlements in the occupied West Bank violate international law.
Trump did not indicate whether he would double down on the change, but made controversial remarks about Gaza, proposing a plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring Egypt and Jordan; a plan both nations strongly reject.
By lifting sanctions, Trump signals a return to the staunchly pro-Israel policies of his first term, potentially emboldening settler violence and further diminishing prospects for Palestinian statehood.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250131-is-trumps-lifting-of-sanctions-against-israeli-settlers-a-green-light-for-more-violence/
----
Israel Now Applying Its ‘Gaza Model’ In The West Bank
Daoud Kuttab
January 31, 2025
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict seems to have shifted from Gaza to the West Bank, with little international accountability, even though there are no hostages being held there.
While global observers grapple with the ramifications of the US foreign aid suspension and incendiary calls for the forced displacement of 1.5 million Gazans, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has played a pivotal role in delaying ceasefire negotiations. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli military operations continue to escalate, exacting a devastating toll on Palestinian civilians.
In recent weeks, Israeli military forces have intensified their presence in the West Bank, notably through the reoccupation of the Jenin refugee camp. This aggressive strategy mirrors historical patterns, drawing uncomfortable parallels to the policies of Ariel Sharon in the 1970s. Once again, the civilian population bears the brunt of military maneuvers as homes, roads and infrastructure are razed in the name of security.
The deployment of massive Caterpillar D9 and D10 bulldozers to demolish homes and widen roads in Jenin is eerily reminiscent of Gaza’s long-standing plight. The Israeli military claims these operations target militant strongholds, yet the scale of destruction suggests a broader objective — one that punishes entire communities rather than surgically addressing security threats. The Israeli army reported that its recent incursion in Jenin resulted in 18 Palestinian deaths and 60 arrests, yet it made no mention of the homes that were demolished or the families left homeless.
In the town of Tamun, south of Tubas, Israeli airstrikes claimed the lives of 10 Palestinians in what can only be described as a massacre. Elsewhere, the pattern of destruction continued: the Al-Taqwa prayer hall in Sur Baher was demolished under the pretext of lacking a permit, while businesses and homes in Jabal Al-Mukaber suffered a similar fate. The cumulative effect of these actions suggests an insidious strategy — one that seeks to impose the “Gaza model” on the West Bank, reducing Palestinian cities and refugee camps to rubble.
The expansion of Israeli military aggression cannot be separated from the inflammatory rhetoric of far-right Israeli officials, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who openly advocate for the destruction of Palestinian communities. These calls for violence are not empty threats; they translate into real-world policies that systematically strip Palestinians of their homes, rights and dignity.
Adnan Dmeiri, a former spokesperson for the Palestinian security forces, articulated the sheer absurdity of Israel’s justification for these incursions. Speaking to Al-Monitor, he pointed out that the destruction of essential infrastructure — such as roads, water systems and power grids — serves no military purpose beyond collective punishment. The calculated targeting of civilian spaces under the guise of counterterrorism raises fundamental ethical questions. How can one claim to fight extremism while employing tactics that deepen resentment and suffering?
Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture. Abu Fayez, a resident of Jenin, likened the destruction to a second Nakba, a reference to the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948. His words carry a chilling truth: for many, the loss of a home is not just a material setback — it is the erasure of history, identity and future prospects. Similarly, Maysoun Khanfar, another displaced resident, described the trauma of being forced from her home in the dead of night, watching helplessly as entire neighborhoods were reduced to ashes.
The humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and the West Bank demands an immediate response from the international community. Yet, time and again, Palestinian suffering has been met with indifference or, worse, outright complicity. While some global leaders issue hollow condemnations, meaningful action remains elusive. The destruction of mosques, schools and hospitals — protected under international law — should elicit more than mere words of concern.
The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs has condemned the targeted destruction of places of worship, emphasizing the cultural and spiritual significance of these sites. Such violations underscore the need for accountability. The international legal framework, including the Geneva Conventions, explicitly prohibits the targeting of civilian infrastructure. Yet, in practice, enforcement is nonexistent when it comes to Israel’s actions in the Occupied Territories.
If history has taught us anything, it is that silence emboldens aggressors. The world has watched this crisis unfold for decades, offering only sporadic interventions that fail to address the root causes of Palestinian suffering. Without substantive pressure — both diplomatic and economic — Israel has little incentive to alter its approach. The global community must demand an end to the systematic destruction of Palestinian homes and the relentless cycle of displacement.
Beyond the statistics and political maneuvering, it is essential to recognize the human cost of this ongoing violence. The destruction in Tulkarem, Jenin and other West Bank areas is not merely about military strategy, it is about the everyday lives of people who are trying to survive under occupation. Families that once had homes, businesses and places of worship now face an uncertain future, stripped of the most basic of human necessities.
For every building reduced to rubble, there is a family left homeless. For every school destroyed, there are children who will struggle to access education. For every act of aggression met with silence, the message is clear: Palestinian lives are deemed expendable in the grand chess game of global geopolitics.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot shift from one occupied area, Gaza, to another, the West Bank including East Jerusalem.
A just resolution requires international accountability, a halt to illegal settlements and recognition of Palestinian sovereignty. Sustainable peace cannot be achieved through military might, but rather through genuine dialogue and mutual recognition of rights.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2588567
-----
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/middle-east-press/anti-semites-gaza-trump-israel-jews-/d/134493
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism