Hideous. Sadistic. Vicious. Murderous. That is how Noam Chomsky describes Israel’s 29-day offensive in Gaza that killed nearly 1,900 people and left almost 10,000 people injured. Chomsky has written extensively about the Israel/Palestine conflict for decades. After Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009, Chomsky co-authored the book "Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel’s War Against the Palestinians" with Israeli scholar Ilan Pappé. His other books on the Israel/Palestine conflict include "Peace in the Middle East?: Reflections on Justice and Nationhood" and "The Fateful Triangle: The United States, Israel, and the Palestinians." Chomsky is a world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author, Institute Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has taught for more than 50 years.
Below is a video intereview with Chomsky, followed by a transcript:
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: To talk more about the crisis in Gaza, we go now to Boston, where we are joined by Noam Chomsky, world-renowned political dissident, linguist, author, Institute Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he’s taught for more than 50 years. He has written extensively about the Israel-Palestine conflict for decades.
AMY GOODMAN: Forty years ago this month, Noam Chomsky published Peace in the Middle East?: Reflections on Justice and Nationhood. His 1983 book, The Fateful Triangle: The United States, Israel, and the Palestinians, is known as one of the definitive works on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Professor Chomsky joins us from Boston.
Welcome back to Democracy Now!, Noam. Please first just comment, since we haven’t spoken to you throughout the Israeli assault on Gaza. Your comments on what has just taken place?
NOAM CHOMSKY: It’s a hideous atrocity, sadistic, vicious, murderous, totally without any credible pretext. It’s another one of the periodic Israeli exercises in what they delicately call "mowing the lawn." That means shooting fish in the pond, to make sure that the animals stay quiet in the cage that you’ve constructed for them, after which you go to a period of what’s called "ceasefire," which means that Hamas observes the ceasefire, as Israel concedes, while Israel continues to violate it. Then it’s broken by an Israeli escalation, Hamas reaction. Then you have period of "mowing the lawn." This one is, in many ways, more sadistic and vicious even than the earlier ones.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And what of the pretext that Israel used to launch these attacks? Could you talk about that and to what degree you feel it had any validity?
NOAM CHOMSKY: As high Israeli officials concede, Hamas had observed the previous ceasefire for 19 months. The previous episode of "mowing the lawn" was in November 2012. There was a ceasefire. The ceasefire terms were that Hamas would not fire rockets—what they call rockets—and Israel would move to end the blockade and stop attacking what they call militants in Gaza. Hamas lived up to it. Israel concedes that.
In April of this year, an event took place which horrified the Israeli government: A unity agreement was formed between Gaza and the West Bank, between Hamas and Fatah. Israel has been desperately trying to prevent that for a long time. There’s a background we could talk about, but it’s important. Anyhow, the unity agreement came. Israel was furious. They got even more upset when the U.S. more or less endorsed it, which is a big blow to them. They launched a rampage in the West Bank.
What was used as a pretext was the brutal murder of three settler teenagers. There was a pretense that they were alive, though they knew they were dead. That allowed a huge—and, of course, they blamed it right away on Hamas. They have yet to produce a particle of evidence, and in fact their own highest leading authorities pointed out right away that the killers were probably from a kind of a rogue clan in Hebron, the Qawasmeh clan, which turns out apparently to be true. They’ve been a thorn in the sides of Hamas for years. They don’t follow their orders.
But anyway, that gave the opportunity for a rampage in the West Bank, arresting hundreds of people, re-arresting many who had been released, mostly targeted on Hamas. Killings increased. Finally, there was a Hamas response: the so-called rocket attacks. And that gave the opportunity for "mowing the lawn" again.
And yet he is silent on how Hamas initiates these conflicts by firing thousands of rockets at Israeli civilians.
BP should ask Putin what he would do to Ukraine should they fire thousands of missiles at Moscow and surrounding areas.
Might not be able to live in Ukraine for a few thousand years would be my guess. Isreal was very restrained they could have have totally destroyed Gaza and it's population had they wanted to do so. People of Gaza only need to look at the millions of Muslim Arabs who live inside Isreal to see what standard of living peace can bring. If Isreal is so evil why do they share there land with some 2 million Muslim Arabs living inside isreals borders. Theses Muslims don't seem to have any issues with Isreal, they seem happy.
BP should ask Putin what he would do to Ukraine should they fire thousands of missiles at Moscow and surrounding areas.
Might not be able to live in Ukraine for a few thousand years would be my guess. Isreal was very restrained they could have have totally destroyed Gaza and it's population had they wanted to do so. People of Gaza only need to look at the millions of Muslim Arabs who live inside Isreal to see what standard of living peace can bring. If Isreal is so evil why do they share there land with some 2 million Muslim Arabs living inside isreals borders. Theses Muslims don't seem to have any issues with Isreal, they seem happy.
There is debate about the proportionality of Israels response.
Having said that the attacks on Israel are wrong also, though the Israelis have handled themselves poorly with illegal settlements and acting the bully. Their current policies dont bode well for their own long term security regardless of whether Hamas are to blame or not for this round.
Today Israel can act with impunity as demonstrated by the body count, but they have inadvertently demonstrated their nature to friend and foe alike.
The Israeli's are currently in the drivers seat. But that wont last forever.
Rather than playing Win Lose, they should try Win Win. Its only a matter of time before countries in the region get nukes.
There is debate about the proportionality of Israels response.
Having said that the attacks on Israel are wrong also, though the Israelis have handled themselves poorly with illegal settlements and acting the bully. Their current policies dont bode well for their own long term security regardless of whether Hamas are to blame or not for this round.
Today Israel can act with impunity as demonstrated by the body count, but they have inadvertently demonstrated their nature to friend and foe alike.
The Israeli's are currently in the drivers seat. But that wont last forever.
Rather than playing Win Lose, they should try Win Win. Its only a matter of time before countries in the region get nukes.
Then what ? Armageddon ?
You'll be fucked too in those circumstances Mike.
So the 32 tunnels which go from Gaza into Israel constructed a cost of $100 million are for what? Tourist attractions?
While people in Gaza starve, can't get health care, jobs Hama is wasting money building tunnels into Israel so it can launch terrorist attacks.
Why would Israel stop the blockade of an enemy who wants it wiped off the map as Hamas does. I would also blockade Gaza until the Government there changes it's policies. Why would Israel want to trade with an enemy who wants it wiped out. Even Egypt a fellow Muslim nation won't trade with Hamas.
I note the complete lack of any support from the Muslim world while Israel pounded Gaza, no one really cares as Hamas got what it asked for. The people of Gaza are now suffering due to a poor choice in elections, Hamas are the Government and the people need to hold them to account as to why they started and lost the war against Israel. What did Hamas gain, nothing other then watch much of Gaza be destroyed. The people pay the price for the poor choices a government makes, Hamas just keeps making poor choices. Hence the lack of international support in any real form.
So the 32 tunnels which go from Gaza into Israel constructed a cost of $100 million are for what? Tourist attractions?
While people in Gaza starve, can't get health care, jobs Hama is wasting money building tunnels into Israel so it can launch terrorist attacks.
Why would Israel stop the blockade of an enemy who wants it wiped off the map as Hamas does. I would also blockade Gaza until the Government there changes it's policies. Why would Israel want to trade with an enemy who wants it wiped out. Even Egypt a fellow Muslim nation won't trade with Hamas.
I note the complete lack of any support from the Muslim world while Israel pounded Gaza, no one really cares as Hamas got what it asked for. The people of Gaza are now suffering due to a poor choice in elections, Hamas are the Government and the people need to hold them to account as to why they started and lost the war against Israel. What did Hamas gain, nothing other then watch much of Gaza be destroyed. The people pay the price for the poor choices a government makes, Hamas just keeps making poor choices. Hence the lack of international support in any real form.
You do realize that those tunnels are also used to bring in foodstuffs, medicine, water in response to Israel illegal block-aid to Gaza.
You remind me of Mark in this video.
Clearly many people around the world realize that Israels response is disproportionate.
And clearly Hamas are also making their situation worse.
The tunnels are used to smuggle a wide range of goods, including livestock, zoo animals, food, medicines, clothes, car parts, building supplies, weapons and luxury items in general.[16] Some, more secret, tunnels are said to be used by militant groups to bring in arms and money.[17] Construction materials
Israel restricts the importation of construction materials into the strip, to prevent their use for military purposes by Hamas. As a result, concrete and other construction materials are some of the main goods smuggled through the tunnels.[18][10] Fuel
Smuggling fuel through the tunnels has been essential for keeping running Gaza's only power plant. Electricity is inter alia needed for the desalination of drinking water.
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