Western narcissism and support for genocidal Israel go hand in hand
Delusional beliefs of civilisational superiority help the West claim it is on the right side of history while supporting genocide in Gaza.
It takes a special kind of narcissism for a world leader to declare himself a 50-year-long adherent to a white supremacist ideology that excuses apartheid, settler-colonialism and genocide, and then to turn to the greatness of the US and all its “possibilities” as if the US has only been sprinkling pixie dust around the world and not intervening with brutal military and economic power over the past 130 years.
But the US president is not alone in his self-delusion. At the Conservative Friends of Israel gathering in London last month, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak showed unwavering support for Israeli attacks on Gaza and the West Bank. “There is a horrific irony in Israel, of all countries being accused of genocide,” Sunak said, labelling South Africa’s case against Israel “completely unjustified”.
The “horrific irony” is that Israel, as a Western ally, cannot be accused of genocide because it is one of “the good guys”. The “bad guys” can only be non-Western (really, non-white) nations, such as South Africa.
Meanwhile Egypt is inforcing the border
Netanyahu still pretending to care for the hostages while doing everything to get the rest of them killed
Netanyahu says he thinks enough hostages are alive to "warrant the kind of efforts" Israel is making
A photo taken from southern Israel, along the border with Gaza, shows an Israeli tank positioned behind a sand wall and damaged buildings in Gaza on January 18.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he thinks enough hostages are alive in Gaza to “warrant the kind of efforts” Israel is making to secure their release. “I’m committed to getting them out, make every effort. And it requires pressure, pressure has worked, and pressure will work again,” Netanyahu told ABC News in an interview aired Sunday.
Netanyahu was asked about the Hostage and Missing Families Forum’s open letter that questioned Israel’s approach to ongoing negotiations with Hamas, and its commitment to securing the release of hostages. “I’m not sure anybody can put themselves in the position of the families, but neither can the families put themselves of the decisions makers,” Netanyahu said. “These are two separate things. They reach our heart, they reach my heart, but I’m also responsible for the safety and the security of the people of Israel,” he added.
What we know about the hostages: There are currently 136 hostages held in Gaza, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office. Of those, 132 are from the October 7 attack. It is believed 103 of those hostages are alive, with 29 reported dead. Hamas holds a majority of the hostages, but some are believed to be held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and possibly smaller groups or individuals in Gaza.
Call with Biden: During a call with US President Joe Biden on Sunday, Netanyahu discussed hostage negotiations at length, according to a senior US administration official. The official cautioned that, while a framework for a deal is in place, gaps remain.
