Genocide Normalized?

David Finkel

June 8 demonstration against the genocide taking place in Gaza and the West Bank as well.

THERE ARE ENDLESS “ceasefire talks” rumors, but no ceasefire in Gaza. There are plentiful words from Washington and especially Kamala Harris that “too many civilians have died,” but the slaughter — and destruction of what’s left of Gaza — continues.

As U.S. media coverage shifted to the twin circuses of the election and the Olympics, it became increasingly hard to avoid the sense that the U.S.-supplied-and-enabled Israeli genocide is becoming normalized. That’s an incredibly dangerous development. Although happening mostly off-camera and away from prime cable network commentary, the unfolding reality in Palestine and Israel should be deeply shocking — far beyond the hugely undercounted quasi-official 40,000 death toll.

You’d think that U.S. journalists would be stunned by Israel’s systematic killing of over 100 of their Palestinian colleagues, many deliberately target in their homes, along with their families. Whatever U.S. reporters’ feelings may be, they’re apparently not allowed to voice them on air.

At an Israeli detention facility called Sde Teiman in the West Bank, it’s been revealed that 44 prisoners, including captives from Gaza, have died under conditions of malnutrition, medical neglect and physical torture. Nine Israeli soldiers were taken into custody for questioning. In response, rightwing mobs — including Knesset members and even ministers in the governing coalition — broke into the facility where the soldiers were held, attempting to “rescue the heroes.”

The penetration of the genocidal mentality into the Israeli army and reserve units certainly helps account for the killing of over 600 West Bank Palestinians in the 10 months since last October 7. Militant Palestinian resistance also appears to be growing.

At the same time, prime minister Netanyahu is renewing his “judicial coup” project to take control of the court system — the issue that brought tens of thousands of protesters into the streets of Israeli cities every week before October 7 changed everything.

While U.S. media are consumed with speculation over an “all-out Middle East regional war,” the largely ignored story is that the slaughter in Palestine continues and quite predictably feeds straight back into Israeli society’s slide toward semi-fascism and theocracy.

September-October 2024, ATC 232