Troubling Israel war update: Israel's society and the US government are radicalizing

Some evidence is coming out indicating that Israeli society is radicalizing and losing patience with all of the Palestinians, not just Hamas or Islamic Jihad. There are indications that the US government is also radicalizing against the Palestinians.

The following is commentary and information PD posted here yesterday. 

A culture of repression and scapegoating Palestinians and war-critical Israelis, has gripped Israel at a societal level. Journalists, human rights activists, and protesters for peace in Gaza are all being harassed, doxxed, bullied and, says The Nation, even "summoned to police investigations or questioning simply for 'liking' posts on social media." The full story is in their article, The Crackdown Has Begun: Israel Goes After Its Critics. 

One victim of bullying (added: and threats of physical violence) discussed in the article is a left-wing ultra-Orthodox journalist and outspoken critic of Israeli policy who had to flee from a mob trying to harm him in his own home. He, as it turns out, made a video from an undisclosed hiding place which describes the culture of repression now spreading through Israeli society. He warns those who only a month ago were protesting against the Right Wing zealots who want religious law and an end to judicial review and full democracy that they are now "becoming like the Right Wing government you opposed so recently." Is that what is happening? Here is his video published on YouTube by The Middle East Eye. 

This repressive atmosphere is matched in the US by a chilling effect in the State Dept., where a memo circulated strongly discouraging any criticism of the war for those in the Biden Admin that are supposed to advise and provide feedback to their "higher-ups." The leaked internal memo, reported by HuffPost last week, discourages use of certain phrases like "de-escalate" and "avoid bloodshed" for members of the state dept. when discussing the Israel-Hamas War and US policies related to it.

Also deeply troubling is the fact that three Muslim hosts at MSNBC were sidelined (Germaine edit: shut up) with no explanations. This includes Mehdi Hasan. MSNBC has stated that the "schedule changes are coincidental." The website Semafor originally reported on this. This matter is also discussed in an article in The Nation.

The NYT reports on one state dept. offcial, Josh Paul who oversees arms transfers. His objections to unconditional support for Israel militarily right now, he said, fell completely on dead ears. After 11 years of service, he resigned in protest. He felt his and others' critical input was not even considered or debated, he wrote in a letter explaining his decision to resign.

For me, this news is deeply troubling. I can see a closer merger of toxic authoritarianism, with radical, bigoted theocracy in both Israel and the US. This is really frightening news.

Remember, the 9/11 attacks in the US caused a bloody, catastrophically failed 20 year war in Afghanistan and a needless, bloody, destructive failed war in Iraq. Some experts believe it is possible that Hamas' goal was to force overreactions by Israel and the US in response to its slaughter of Israeli civilians. If that was the goal, this news makes it look like they may be succeeding, regardless of how many innocent, non-combatant Palestinians get slaughtered in the process.

Q: Is Germaine being irrationally alarmist, melodramatic or crackpot, or is there good reason to be scared about how this war could potentially cause great damage to democracy in the US and Israel?

Added info about war propaganda from PD and Matthew:

Channel 4 News (UK) also finds problems with Israel's account/s. This is a very interesting, detailed analysis of the hospital explosion.

Israel lied about never hitting hospitals, reported by Norman Finkelstein.