The Western world (18 percent of the whole world) believe HAMAS is the terrorist of Gaza. That’s a result of mainstream media conflating HAMAS terrorism with legitimate aspirations for self-determination. It disregards the observation that one man’s terrorist may be another man’s freedom fighter in the Gaza strip.

Most Westerners would also likely reject the idea that, by definition, Zionists and the Israeli military force (IMF) are bigger Gaza terrorists. Paradoxically, however, Israel’s PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, may be said to have in effect admitted his government are Gaza terrorists. This is at a 1986 PBS interview where he said terrorism is about engaging in the “systematic and deliberate attack, the murder, maiming and menacing of innocents, of civilians, for political goals”. This aptly describes what Israel is presently doing in the Gaza strip. And there’s no way he can say he does not know it. Co-incidentally, his definition of “terrorism” is similar to the description approved by the UN’s Sixth Committee (Legal) in 1994, viz they are “criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror … for political purposes”.

There is no difficulty identifying Zionist terrorism in Gaza. The Israeli Defence Force’s systematic and extensive bombing of Gaza (eg, 11,000+ strikes over three weeks) causing utter terror, extensive civilian casualties and massive destruction of infrastructure are “terrorist” attacks politically motivated to induce fear and terror amongst Palestinians.

Further, few would doubt the IDF is committing terrorist crimes in other ways, as by cutting off food, medical supplies and piped water to Gaza and thereby creating famine. Another example is the continued bombing of southern Gaza while telling people to go there because it’s supposedly safe. These acts of terrorism are part of Israel’s plan to achieve its political objectives: to eliminate Palestinian civilians or to induce them to leave the Gaza and never to return. There was certainly enough evidence for the International Court of Justice to regard the IDF’s conduct as potentially genocidal, the crime of all crimes. In turn, the sheer terror inflicted on Palestinians by Israel is why the UN Security Council has finally succeeded in passing a ceasefire resolution, overcoming sustained US resistance.

Further, contrary to misinformation by some Western media, Zionists terrorism did not occur only after October 7, 2023. It goes back decades. There are three reasons why these should be taken into consideration.

Firstly, from 1920-1940 there were 18 listed Zionist terrorist attacks on Palestinians. These included the killing of 49 people with many others injured when a Zionist terrorist group called Irgun threw a bomb into the melon market in Haifa. It also bombed the King David Hotel killing 91 and injuring around 45 people. From 27 December 2008 to 19 January 2009, the IMF attacked medical personnel and civilians and impeded emergency medical evacuations and also restricted health care for the civilian Gaza population. Also, a decade ago, a Zionist terror group of 30-40 people (known as ‘the Revolt’) launched 12 arson attacks, its aim being to create a Jewish Kingdom in Israel without Arabs. These are good indications that Israel is using terrorist ways to get rid of Palestinians and to enable Israel’s expansion to Palestinian territories.

Secondly, terrorism, deep-seated in Israel, is led by influential Zionist activists and organizations with an extremist anti-Arab ideology. They regard acts of terrorism as legitimate tools to achieve their vision of the Jewish state. Indeed, one group, the Lehi, proudly referred to its members as terrorists. Also, as pointed out by Yaacov Shavit, Tel Aviv University’s history professor, Lehi members regard Jews as a “master race” and Arabs as a “nation of slaves”. Another group of Zionist supremacists, Lehava, objects to most personal relationships between Jews and non-Jews. Members of the group have promoted the forced expulsion of most Palestinians and Arab Israelis from Israel and the Palestinian territories. It is rather telling that, in March 2023, Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich said there’s “no such thing” as “Palestinian people”.

Thirdly, Zionist terrorist groups are often closely linked to Israeli political leaders. Several past Israeli politicians had actually been members of terrorist groups in Israel. For example:

•    Yitzḥak Shamir (PM 1983–84 and 1986–92) was a former leader of the Israel Freedom Fighters (Stern Gang). It readily admitted to having carried out terrorist attacks. In 1948, its activist members became part of the IDF.

•    Yigal Allon, Acting PM of Israel, was a commander of the Palmach, the elite fighting force of an underground army of the Jewish community which became the IDF in 1948.

•    Menachem Begin, Israel’s sixth PM, was a commander of Irgun, described as a terrorist organization by the UN, the UK, the US and in Western media. It was the predecessor to the Likud Party which, since 1977, has led or been part of most Israeli governments.

•    Meir David Kahane, founder of the far-right Israeli political party Kach (once listed in the US as a terrorist organization) was an Orthodox rabbi and ultra-nationalist politician. He served one term in Israel’s parliament (Knesset) before being convicted of acts of terrorism.

Given this background, why has Western media not even talked about Israel’s terrorist acts in Gaza?

Gim Teh is a retired Australian law academic. He has an interest in misinformation and imperialism and has written about US-Australia-China relationship. Gim was a member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. He retired in 2003.

The article is a republication from PEARLS & IRRITATIONS website at https://johnmenadue.com/the-terrorists-of-gaza/

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.