Should the international community sanction Israel over settler violence in West Bank?

[FloralDeerPattern]

The problem of Israeli terrorism is getting worse and worse. Just over the past few weeks amongst other things Israeli terrorists have killed multiple people, commited sexual assault, beaten and threatened to rape young Palestinian girls, continually attacked the residents and property of the only remaining fully Christian town in the West Bank, stolen 100s of sheep from the Bedouin community, beaten activists who are there to provide a protective presence to Palestinians, set fire to property.

Palestinians don't have the right to defend themselves from this violent, rapidly escalating Israeli terrorism. They can't arrest and detain the Israeli terrorists. They are sitting ducks with no means of protecting themselves from beatings and sexual violence. Is it time that the international community steps in and sanctions Israel until they can control their obvious terrorism problem? What else can be done to try and protect innocent people from this escalating Israeli violence?

There is definitely a pride that is unique to groups that have undergone huge trauma.
I have seen posted that if it were there children they would just leave but that completely underestimates the effect occupation has on the national psyche.
(It's also what Israel wants to happen so that is also a factor)

No because I've heard it many times before. In fact the first time I heard it was in the first few days after Oct 7th.

Ugh the keyboard conspiracy theorists were quick off the mark.

Yes but not just on the computer. I think the first time I heard it was in a pub.

They have also learnt from the first Nakba. They know that leaving is a one way ticket and they would never be allowed to return. Once that happens, it's game over for them. I believe that most of them would rather die than let that happen.

Ok I did think after I posted that I shouldn’t have included the word “keyboard”.

Personally I don’t mix with anyone who would openly speculate immediately after the massacre & rapes of 7/10/23 that Israel may have allowed it for their own reasons.

The normal response to any country whose innocent civilians have been targeted is pity.

I'm going to be honest with you. I think there are a hell of a lot of people who believe it. Far more than you think. I believe there are power players in every government and military in the world who are more than capable of sacrificing their own innocent civilians to achieve a goal. Although I said I don't believe it, it is only because I don't feel it has been proven, to me. Not because I don't believe anyone is evil enough to do it. That's why I said I wouldn't be as shocked as you if it did turn out to be true.

May as well be honest … I think there’s a lot more antisemitism in the UK than people realise. Some of it is quite open other parts are less obvious. Like people assuming that Israel is capable of anything and therefore they have an excuse to feel/express no pity when their civilians are attacked.

As a thought experiment I wonder if people down the pub would be so quick to jump to - they probably knew it was going to happen and allowed it for their own reasons if it was a different country apart from Israel or the US. If they were focusing on a conspiracy theory rather than saying- how awful - those poor people.

What if it happened to a Muslim country? It would rightly be seen as Islamophobic to focus on blaming the country and saying maybe they wanted it, rather than feeling sympathy for the civilians being attacked.

I guess you do get some conspiracy theorists whatever the situation. The trick for all of us is not to listen to them. Call them out on it if we feel able to.

You can do both. Feel awful for what happened to the victims and at the same time suspect that something nefarious was at play. I do not feel it is antisemitic but that is my opinion. If people had no sympathy for the victims then yes, the only reason for that would be total antisemitism and I would have absolutely have nothing to do with them. In fact I would in no uncertain terms tell them what I think of them. The thing is, people love conspiracy theories. Covid, 9/11, the Kennedy assassination, flat earthers for gods sake. The list goes on.

Were the people in the pub doing both - saying how sorry they felt for the victims but at the same time blaming Israel for what happened to them?

Somehow I doubt it, the conspiracy theorists I know are quite lacking in the empathy department as they just want to tell everyone their mad theories.

And would you blame them.

They have been denied any right to return.

Just saw Israel airstrikes have killed 11 in the Lebanon. There is no stopping them.

I think they would have to be rather daft to not know that the minute they leave Israel would claim the land and that's the end of that. They can see it happening in the West Bank right now. There was a siege on a Palestinian home like the one of the past week in June, the Palestinians were eventually driven out. Israelis live there now, in the Palestinian families home, just like that.

I saw this video a while back of an American who went on a birthright trip to Israel years ago, he recorded some of the tour they were given. The tour guide said that Arabs either left or 'vanished' so Jews moved into the empty buildings and made their homes there. I've thought about that video a bit over the past week seeing all of the coverage of the seige. The story that 'Arabs' just left or vanished(because we all know that it is possible for people to just vanish), just like that and ready made homes were there for the taking. What also struck me about that video was that no one questioned it, no one said eh but how do people just vanish, that's not possible? Is that the story that will be told of the West Bank in 100 years time, a story that will just go unquestioned?

If you listen to the likes of Natasha Hausdorf (UKFLI)that's what happened/happening in the West Bank. Israel have not displaced anyone. (Said with a straight face as well)

Wouldn't it be lovely to just live in such blissful ignorance that the Arabs just "vanished " willingly.

So what sources are you talking about?

There's definitely anti semitism in the UK and other countries but I think the huge majority felt great sympathy for the victims of the 7th October attack, as they should have, of course. Sadly, the aggression of the Israeli government has been a major factor in the rise in anti semitism in other countries.

Conspiracy theories generally take time to develop. There is no harm in considering them as part of critical thinking. It doesn't mean that you need to 100% believe them or 100% dismiss them. The individual can make a judgement based on the evidence that is available over time.

It's interesting that you contrast this to Islamophobia, which is far more openly acceptable and more common than anti semitism. The genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing in Lebanon/The W Bank, including the deliberate targeting of civilians, is constantly dismissed as 'well it's a war, what do you expect?' On here blatantly Islamophobic comments are often unchallenged or only slightly challenged. In some areas of the MSM, the Telegraph in particular, Islamophobia is positively encouraged. The response is entirely different is anyone criticises the Israeli government. The poster is frequently accused of anti semitism. There is a lot of racism towards brown skinned people in general, particularly Muslims.

Another long list of Palestinian civilians being attacked by Israelis over the past two days.

A Palestinian intensive care nurse left paralysed for life and a woman shot in the back and the head after Israelis opened fire in them

Five Palestinians mostly women and children injured after a violent Israeli attack in Umm al-Khair. Footage from the village also shows Israelis kicking a Palestinian woman as she sat on the ground.

A 16 year old boy beaten by Israelis near an IDF roadblock. The IDF didn't intervene instead they prevented an ambulance from reaching the boy for over an hour.

Israeli children were filmed raiding the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya and harassing residents.

Israelis attacked a Palestinian crew who were trying to fix power and water lines that had been damaged by Israelis. The IDF arrested 3 of the Palestinian workers, restricted the rest of the crews so that they couldn't restore power and water to the homes that are still under siege by Israelis.

These are incidents are incidents that have occurred over the past 2 days only(and only ones reported in this single article). Yet Labour friends of Israel are strongly opposing economic sanctions, arms embargos and bans on goods from West Bank illegal settlements. They think that the UK should keep trading with and therefore funding the people responsible for these relentless attacks.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/two-palestinians-hurt-by-settler-gunfire-including-nurse-said-to-be-paralyzed-for-life/amp/

Ah @FloralDeerPattern these are the people Katz called "boys in the hills" like a group of mischievous ragamuffins.

Thinking of the small children and toddlers held hostage by these terrorists and the IDF in their own houses today. Hopefully there will be the same international outcry for them.

https://www.trackisraellobby.uk

This shows which MPs have received donations from a variety of pro Israel sources. It is not a huge amount of money (only just over £1 mil in total, but you do have to ask what the donations are buying.

I do find it extraordinary the way settler violence is tolerated by the U.S and Europe.

Perhaps we should all stop referring to them as ‘settlers’. They are terrorists and thieves.

Someone on mn once referred to their vile actions as ‘settler antics’ as though they’re a band of court jesters. Defining the perpetrators of terrorism as ‘settlers’ is a way of diminishing and understating the brutality of their role in the occupation.

The UK government would surely feel more obliged to sanction trade deals with ‘terrorists’ than they would with ‘settlers’ ….

They are a bunch of vile, violent cunts and should all be behind bars by now.

But they are the little golden children of Netanyahu carrying out his dirty work, so they can do no wrong.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1373379918322635

What a brave guy @IHateShein . The risks are huge for him.

Here he is on the ground trying to feed the innocent family that are being terrorized . . .

https://www.facebook.com/reel/878047542055139

I saw that, Netanyahu has referred to them as 'a handful of kids' in the past.

This small number of 'boys' sure do seem well armed and able to get around, having an IDF escort probably helps with that.

For sure the term 'settler' diminishes what they really are and what they really do, their mission is to ethnically cleanse the West Bank and they make no secret of that.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/israeli-settlers-seize-palestinian-water-092333678.html

This is beyond sick. Starving out Palestinians and having fun while doing it. As a farmer said, a bullet might kill one person but cutting off the water kills an entire community.