Breaking down Netanyahu’s ‘no choice’ narrative

According to Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has no choice but to keep fighting in Gaza. There’s another definition of genocide coming from the settler-colonial enterprise in Palestine – genocide as a last resort. Because, according to Israel, which the US finances to the tune of $3.2 billion a year, besides benefiting from the Qualitative Military Edge, is too vulnerable to face resistance from a colonised, ethnically cleansed and forcibly displaced Palestinian population.

No one believes Netanyahu. But no one will stop him, either. The genocide, according to news reports, will only stop if Israel destroys Hamas, the hostages are freed and there is no more threat from Gaza to Israel. Dropping a mention of Iran into the equation, of course, seals the deal. The international community is always looking for the next enemy to bully.

Israeli media also reported Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, stating, “We have to say the truth, returning the hostages is not the most important thing.”

The most important thing for the Israeli government is genocide to empty Gaza and colonise it. Netanyahu and Defence Minister, Israel Katz, are advocating for escalating “the military pressure in Gaza to allow for an additional deal”, while Smotrich sees increased aggression as the chance to defeat Hamas.

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Israel still has not learnt that, wherever colonisation exists, resistance will not be annihilated.

Of course, Israel is not alone in this trajectory. The West, in particular, is not taking into consideration the colonial reality that has oppressed and slaughtered Palestinians for decades. With language that alters what is really happening to Palestinians and which eliminates the space for Palestinians to state their political objective, only one narrative reigns supreme. And that narrative can direct foreign policy, destroy the principles of humanitarian aid as well as its delivery, and conjure an image of an enclave that relies mostly on itself as a major enemy to Israel.

If the international community takes colonialism out of the equation, Netanyahu faces no opposition to his fabricated security narrative. The updated statistics at the time of writing show that Israel has killed 51,266 Palestinians and injured over 116,991. Israel normalised killing Palestinian civilians and the world followed suit, conveniently forgetting that Palestinians have the right to resist colonialism by all means. Remembering that international law gives rights to the colonised does not bode well for Israel and former colonial powers.

For all the rhetoric of requesting “both sides” to abide by international law, the international community has done a great disservice to Palestinians by annihilating their right to resistance, while allowing Israel impunity for all crimes listed in the legislation.

There is a choice, of course. Israel could choose to abide by international law and decolonise. The international community would uphold its obligations to eradicate colonialism by dismantling the last settler-colonial project. Instead, we have diplomats justifying Israel’s genocide in Gaza by all means possible, be it supplying weapons, ignoring the international arrest warrants, engaging with Israel diplomatically and economically, or remaining silent, as more Palestinians are killed daily. Just because Netanyahu said he has “no choice”.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.