It Could Happen Here - Operation Breakwater and Israel’s Far-Right Government

Episode Date: March 13, 2023

Shereen recaps some events in Palestine in 2022 that led to it being the deadliest year in the West Bank in decades. She also discusses Israel’s far-right government and the recently-appointed ultranationalist ministers who will only take it further in that direction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You should probably keep your lights on for Nocturnal Tales from the Shadowbride. Join me, Danny Trejo, and step into the flames of fright. An anthology podcast of modern-day horror stories inspired by the most terrifying legends and lore of Latin America. Listen to Nocturnal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jacqueline Thomas, the host of a brand new

Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while running errands or at the end of a busy day.

From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Listen to Black Lit on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T. Connecting changes everything. your podcast. AT&T, connecting changes everything. I found out I was related to the guy that I was dating. I don't feel emotions correctly. I collect my roommate's toenails and fingernails. Those were some callers from my call-in podcast, Therapy Gecko. It's a show where I take phone calls from anonymous strangers as a fake gecko therapist and try to learn a little bit about their lives. I know that's a weird concept, but I promise it's very interesting. Check it out for yourself by searching for Therapy Gecko on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, this is It Could Happen Here, and I am Shereen. And today, it's just me. It's me, and I am alone. So that means I am probably going to tell you about some fucked up shit that happened in the Middle East, which is exactly what I'm about to do. I just think some things are purposely underreported, and even when they are seldom reported about, it's always a bit skewed and biased. So, I just try to draw attention to certain countries and their people as best as I can because of this. And today, I think we're due for an update on Palestine. Israel continues to dehumanize Palestinians daily and blatantly, and it's not

just through murdering them. Last year, under new Israeli restrictions on foreign entry into the West Bank, foreigners romantically involved with Palestinians must declare their relationship to the occupying Israeli government. Yes, you have to tell them if you are involved with a Palestinian. Why? I don't know. Because they're treated as less than human. And this is one of many laws that deny Palestinians of basic human rights and keep them under apartheid rule. I want to talk about all that's happened in just these first few months of 2023

because this cycle of violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank in particular has suddenly surged to levels that we have not seen in years. As of this recording on March 7th, at least 66 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers since the start of 2023, and at least 17 of those killed have been children. For comparison, in 2022, which was the deadliest year in the West Bank in decades, 48 Palestinians were killed in the combined months of January, February, March, and April. The deaths are increasing day by day, and there doesn't seem to be a stop to them at all. 2022 saw the highest number of civilians killed by Israeli security forces in the past 17 years,

and the highest number of Israelis killed since 2016. Renewed violence flared up between Palestine and Israel in January of this year for many reasons, and it continues to build and intensify after a cascade of concerning events. And before we jump into those events that happened in January and onward, I think we need to look back on 2022 in order to understand this a bit better and to hopefully provide some context. So let's take a look at 2022 and how we got here. We are going to be focusing on the West Bank with the majority of the data in this episode in particular, the one tomorrow will be more broad. I'm going to explain a little bit about what the West Bank even is, just for some more context. The West Bank is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediterranean in Western Asia that

forms the main bulk of the Palestinian territories. It is bordered by Jordan and the Dead Sea to the east and by Israel to the south, west, and north. The West Bank includes East Jerusalem. It's been under Israeli military occupation since 1967, and its area is split into 165 Palestinian quote-unquote islands. These islands are under total or partial civil administration by the Palestinian National Authority, or the PNA or PA. There are also 230 Israeli settlements into which Israel law is being pipelined. The West Bank initially emerged as a Jordanian occupied territory after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, before being annexed outright by Jordan in 1950, and it was given its name during this time based

on its location on the western bank of the Jordan River. This annexation was widely considered to be illegal and was only recognized by Iraq, Pakistan, and the UK. The territory remained under Jordanian rule until 1967, when it was captured and occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War. The Oslo Accords, which were signed in 1993 between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Israel, created administrative districts with varying levels of Palestinian authority in specific areas in the West Bank. There was Area A, which is administered exclusively by the PA. There is Area B, which is administered by both the PNA and Israel. And then there's Area C, which is administered exclusively by Israel. And this Area C, which is controlled exclusively by

Israel, accounts for over 60% of the West Bank's territory. 2022 was the deadliest year for West Bank Palestinians in nearly two decades. Israeli forces killed more Palestinians in the West Bank in 2022 than in any other year the United Nations began systematically recording Palestinian fatalities in 2005, and they started doing this after the last major Palestinian uprising, aka the second intifada that lasted five years. And knowing that, I want you to keep in mind that unfortunately, the number of Palestinians that have been killed by the IDF is far greater than some of the numbers I'm going to say in this episode, and again, that is because I am focusing particularly on the West Bank. I want to talk about Israel's 12-month crackdown that has been

happening in the West Bank. Nearly 12 months ago, Israel began what has become a year-long violent crackdown in the West Bank. Israel last year prompted a sweeping Israeli military campaign that they called Operation Breakwater, beginning March of 2022. It was created after attacks occurred by Palestinians against Israeli settlers. Since then, Operation Breakwater has conducted nearly nightly IDF raids in the West Bank, which of course causes heightened friction between the IDF and the Palestinian population. So far, Israeli security forces have made over 2,000 arrests. And that's way too big of a number. Just to give you an idea of the terrifying scale of this operation, Operation Breakwater is the biggest IDF operation in the West Bank since the Second

Intifada that I mentioned earlier that lasted from 2000 to 2005. Since the start of this operation last year, nearly every day, Israel has conducted raids in the West Bank, which is part of the Palestinian territory, which encompasses the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which is part of the Palestinian territory, which encompasses the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. And this whole territory has been illegally occupied by Israel since 1967. In spite of this, because Israel does whatever the fuck it wants, because it's already founded upon existing illegally in the first place, thousands of Palestinians, many of them young, have been arrested. And nearly every week, more Palestinians are being killed. Last year, this all resulted in

the highest cumulative death toll in the West Bank since 2004. Palestinian rights groups and UN experts have said that the bloodshed is due to Israel's excessive use of force and open fire rules during near-daily military operations, as well as rising assaults by settlers in the West Bank, where again, Palestinians are living under illegal Israeli occupation. Israel justified their intensifying violence because of the fatal attacks on Israelis by Palestinian militants, which also spiked last year, which is also very bad. But blaming the people you've been oppressing for nearly a century for being angry and fighting back, people without an army faced against one of

the most powerful armies in the world, it just does not sit right with me. In 2022, Israeli security forces killed at least 152 Palestinians in the West Bank and predominantly Palestinian East Jerusalem, compared with 75 Palestinians in 2021. These are figures provided by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. Four Palestinians in the West Bank were killed by Israeli settlers. Not soldiers. Settlers. Settlers that have been emboldened and even encouraged in their hate and violence by the Israeli far right. And the Israeli far right is basically the Israeli government at this point. And we're going to get into some of the extremes that these settlers go through in their hate and their violence more tomorrow. But for now let's focus on 2022. Most of the Palestinian deaths occurred during

Israeli military raids and clashes in the West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus. More than half of the Palestinians who were murdered were under the age of 25. They never even had a chance to live their lives with their families and their loved ones. Each one of these individuals that were killed have people mourning them and missing them every day, and I never want anyone to forget that. Among those killed last year were also U.S. citizens, Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akhle and 78-year-old Omar Assad, and because of their U.S. citizenship, their deaths gained rare worldwide attention and briefly sharpened international criticism of Israel.

Shireen, if you remember, was shot in the head while wearing a press vest. She was there as a reporter doing her job. No violence was taking place around her. She was targeted and killed. Israel says she was probably killed by a soldier's gunfire unintentionally. And that was that. The world moved on. I did an episode last year about Shireen Abu Ahmed and how Israel murdered her in broad daylight, so if you guys want to revisit that, that is there. Back to the episode, I don't want us to forget that this data is regarding the West Bank only.

Hundreds of Palestinians die at the hands of Israel's terrorist organization that they call an army every year. In May of 2021, if you can remember that far back, at least 200 Palestinians were killed in a week of Israeli airstrikes. Just one week. And the deaths included 59 children and 35 women, with nearly 1,300 people wounded. Women and children made up nearly half of the casualties. 59 children. 59 children that were just taken, with families that will never be the same. I just want people to remember these things when I mention numbers, that each number is I just want people to remember these things when I mention numbers, that each number is an actual living child or person.

In 2022, in a statement to the Washington Post, Israel's military said that Israeli soldiers used live fire when, quote, necessary during counterterrorism activities in response to, quote, violent riots, which often include explosive devices, Molotov cocktails, and rocks hurled at the IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians. Are you kidding me? One of the most powerful and supported armies in the world is saying that it's killing people in response to rocks being thrown at them? Armed and protected soldiers, covered in SWAT gear with all the weapons they could ever fucking dream of, fighting against a people without an army at all, blaming them in an official statement to the Washington fucking Post for throwing rocks. I mean, just get the fuck out of here. The IDF are all fucking clowns, and maybe I shouldn't be cursing and I should pretend to be professional, but they make me fucking mad, and I think I shouldn't be cursing, and I should pretend to be professional, but they make me fucking mad, and I think we should all be fucking mad. Because I don't think it's fair,

and I know life isn't built to be fair, but to terrorize and genocide a population, drive them into a corner, and then blame them for having the audacity for fighting back in the only ways accessible to them is fucking ludicrous. You can't both sides a conflict when one of those sides has one of the most advanced and supported armies in the world that oppresses the other side that has no army and no support of any kind, a side who has rocks in their hands, resorting to violence because absolutely nothing and no one is helping them. A total of 224 Palestinians were killed in 2022, including the 49 people that I mentioned earlier that were murdered during a three-day Israeli assault on the

besieged Gaza Strip. 17 were children. And I'm emphasizing this because Palestinian children have started keeping goodbye letters in their pockets in case they're killed by the Israeli army. No child should have to live in fear that they might be killed at any moment, but that's the reality for Palestinian children. Nearly every day, Palestinians wake up to news that the Israeli military has killed yet another Palestinian. This daily violence against Palestinians has traumatized generations of Palestinian children and their parents have no way to protect them. Many of the casualties in the West Bank in 2022 were young Palestinians who have only ever known military occupation and the oppression of the Israeli government. The West Bank also has to deal with the repressive politics of the Ramallah-based

Palestinian Authority, the PA, which was set up as a caretaker government three decades ago and is now widely unpopular among Palestinians. And I'll get into this more after a quick break, so BRB. Welcome, I'm Danny Thrill. Won't you join me as the fire and dare enter? Nocturnum, Tales from the Shadows, presented by iHeart and Sonora. An anthology of modern day horror stories inspired by the legends of Latin America. From ghastly encounters with shapeshifters

to bone-chilling brushes with supernatural creatures. I know you. Take a trip and experience the horrors that have haunted Latin America since the beginning of time. Listen to Nocturnal Tales from the Shadows. As part of my Cultura podcast network. Available on the iHeartRadio app. Apple Podcasts.

Or wherever you get your podcasts. I found out I was related to the guy that I was dating. I don't feel emotions correctly. I am talking to a felon right now. and I cannot decide if I like him or not. Those were some callers from my call-in podcast, Therapy Gecko. It's a show where I take real phone calls from anonymous strangers all over the world as a fake gecko therapist and try to dig into their brains and learn a little bit about their lives. I know that's a weird concept, but I promise it's pretty interesting if you give it a shot. Matter of fact, here's a few more examples of the kinds of calls we get on this show.

I live with my boyfriend and I found his piss jar in our apartment. I collect my roommate's toenails and fingernails. I have very overbearing parents. Even at the age of 29, they won't let me move out of their house. So if you want an excuse to get out of your own head and see what's going on in someone else's head, search for Therapy Gecko on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's the one with the green guy on it. Hey, I'm Jack B. Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature.

I'm Jack Peace Thomas, and I'm inviting you to join me and a vibrant community of literary enthusiasts dedicated to protecting and celebrating our stories. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while commuting or running errands, for those who find themselves seeking solace, wisdom, and refuge between the chapters. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Together, we'll dissect classics and contemporary works

while uncovering the stories of the brilliant writers behind them. Blacklit is here to amplify the voices of Black writers and to bring their words to life. Listen to Blacklit on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Okay, we're back. As I mentioned earlier, the West Bank has to deal with repressive politics of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which was set up three decades ago and is now widely unpopular among Palestinians. A spokesperson from the Palestinian rights group Al-Haqq said, People are very, very fed up, whether it's in Jerusalem or Jenin or Nablus. The last 20 years have not shown any improvements in the situation. This spokesperson spoke only on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal by Israeli security forces, because the Israeli security forces raided the organization's headquarters in Ramallah last August. The spokesperson explained that, quote,

the near daily raids in areas under control of the PA showed that the sovereignty of the PA does not exist. So they're saying that the Palestinian Authority is basically useless. If these Israeli raids are happening in areas that are supposedly under control or, quote, care of the PA, then what the fuck are they even there for? Tor Wensland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the Washington Post last year, quote, we have a new dynamic in the West Bank and around Jerusalem with a, quote, new generation of Israelis and Palestinians in conflict, there is an urgent need to de-escalate. He also cited the, quote, growing tension and so-called friction zones, which are areas where Israeli settlements continue to encroach on Palestinian lands and where violence

is mounting. Probably in part due to the frustration with the lack of action by the Palestinian Authority, 2022 also saw the emergence of two new Palestinian militant groups, the Jenin Battalion and the Lion's Den, both led by disaffected young men with local support networks. Meanwhile, Israel's military has repeatedly declined to provide the number of internal investigations they supposedly opened last year regarding their misconduct related to the Palestinian deaths. In September of last year, Israel announced the results of its inquiry into the death of Shirin Abu Akhle, who again was shot in the head while covering a military raid near Jenin last May. The IDF said that it, quote, found a high possibility that Ms. Abu Akhle was accidentally killed by IDF gunfire

towards suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen during an exchange of fire. Though it has not released any evidence whatsoever showing the presence of gunmen in the area, an investigation by the Post contradicted the IDF's claim that there was an exchange of fire in the minutes before Abu Akhle was killed. And surprising absolutely no one, the IDF said it would not pursue criminal charges against its soldiers. No one is being held accountable for the killing of Palestinian life, including Palestinian children. Israel has continued to operate as though they have immunity, which in a way they do, thanks to the United States, who does nothing but give Israel more money and weapons and good press. Even more concerning, far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gavir, who is Israel's new national security minister, has proposed giving police and soldiers wider latitude to use live ammunition

and putting laws in place that would shield them from criminal prosecution for killing or injuring Palestinians. And this should be a red flag for everybody. The Al-Haq spokesperson said that many of those killed in Israeli raids last year appear to be either bystanders or victims of excessive force. Let's not forget that they also killed members of the press, who clearly wear press vests in a moment where no violence was ever taking place, just a camera and reporters trying to raise awareness that the crimes that Israel commits.

In early December, Israeli fire killed a teenage girl in Jenin who was on her roof as a raid unfolded nearby. Days earlier, Israeli forces fatally shot a 16-year-old boy who was throwing stones at a checkpoint outside Ramallah. We're getting to the end here, so let's take our last little break and we'll be right back. Welcome. I'm Danny Thrill. Won't you join me at the fire and dare enter? Nocturnum, Tales from the Shadows, presented by iHeart and Sonora. An anthology of modern-day horror stories inspired by the legends of Latin America.

From ghastly encounters with shapeshifters to bone-chilling brushes with supernatural creatures. Take a trip and experience the horrors that have haunted Latin America since the beginning of time. Listen to Nocturnal Tales from the Shadows as part of My Cultura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I found out I was related to the guy that I was dating. I don't feel emotions correctly. I am talking to a felon right now, and I cannot decide if I like him or not. Those were some callers from my call-in podcast, Therapy Gecko.

It's a show where I take real phone calls from anonymous strangers all over the world as a fake gecko therapist and try to dig into their brains and learn a little bit about their lives. I know that's a weird concept, but I promise it's pretty interesting if you give it a shot. Matter of fact, here's a few more examples of the kinds of calls we get on this show. I live with my boyfriend and I found his piss jar in our apartment. I collect my roommate's toenails and fingernails. I have very overbearing parents. Even at the age of 29,

they won't let me move out of their house. So if you want an excuse to get out of your own head and see what's going on in someone else's head, search for Therapy Gecko on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's the one with the green guy on it. and a vibrant community of literary enthusiasts dedicated to protecting and celebrating our stories. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while commuting or running errands,

for those who find themselves seeking solace, wisdom, and refuge between the chapters. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Together, we'll dissect classics and contemporary works while uncovering the stories of the brilliant writers behind them. Blacklit is here to amplify the voices of Black writers and to bring their words to life. Listen to Blacklit on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back, talking about how the IDF shoots Palestinians as though they're basically playing a video game. They have shot a teenage girl and then a 16-year-old boy, and there are many disturbing videos of IDF soldiers shooting Palestinians like they are playing a video game. There's one video in particular that I'm thinking about that is so fucking disgusting, where one soldier is crouching down and aiming his gun at a Palestinian who was hiding behind a dumpster. I know that the Palestinian is hiding behind a dumpster because the soldier says something to the effect of, what does he think he's doing behind that dumpster?

And then the soldier shoots and jumps up in pure elation, cheering for himself because he shot this person. There is another soldier in the frame next to him who seems to be more aware of the camera that is recording them, who keeps telling his annoying murderer friend to be professional instead of jumping up and down like he just scored a point in a game because that is all this is to them. There is much more evidence of this infuriating and horrific attitude and culture of the IDF in Abby Martin's 2019 film, Gaza Fights for Freedom, which I've probably already recommended a million times and will continue to recommend. It is free on YouTube. Tor Wensland, who we mentioned earlier, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said, quote, the continued killings of

Palestinians by Israeli security forces and incidents where they did not appear to present an eminent threat to life are disturbing. He went on to say that, quote, I am increasingly concerned by the fragility of the current political and security dynamics, particularly in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said, for this violence to end, the occupation must end. On all sides, there are people who know this. The violence of last year reflects a dangerous mix of on-the-ground and generational changes, and this could only escalate further as Israel's mostly far-right government becomes more far-right because Jewish supremacists who have incited violence against Palestinians were recently sworn

into office, including Israel's aforementioned new minister of national security. And he's just one of the many cogs in the machine of Israel being controlled by far-right terrorists. And yes, to me, they are terrorists because literally everything they do is either a crime or a crime against humanity. Regardless, at the end of last year, Israel's new government was sworn into office. It's nationalist, exclusionist, and far, far right. It's the most extreme Israeli government in the nation's history. Benjamin Netanyahu, who's already the country's longest-serving prime minister, is at the helm of the country for the sixth time. And this time he's assembled the most far-right

cabinet in Israel's history, with the most notable posts given to ultra-nationalists, one of them being the person we mentioned, Itamar Ben-Gavid, the new minister of national security, aka a position that oversees the police. There's also Bezalel Samotrik, who will have significant power over Israeli settlements in addition to his role as finance minister. The government has promised to expand those settlements, those already illegal settlements. The members of this new coalition have also made extensive comments denigrating the queer community. They've also called for stricter definitions of who even qualifies as Jewish. In making its vision abundantly clear, the government

released policy guidelines at the end of September, announcing the Jewish people's, quote, exclusive and inalienable right to all parts of the land of Israel. Toward the end of January, the policies of Netanyahu's newly sorting government coalition brought out about 80,000 protesters in Tel Aviv. The protesters were largely focused on the government's proposals to overhaul the judicial system, which could weaken the country's democracy and separation of powers. Quote-unquote democracy. Yeah, right. But the effects of the policies on the 1.6 million Palestinian citizens of Israel and the 5.2 million Palestinians living in the occupied territories, all of these effects are going to be catastrophic and only building upon years of policies that Israeli human rights organizations say constitute crimes against humanity.

The human rights defenders and experts in Israeli politics emphasize that this government is not a departure from the previous ones. And yes, it is Netanyahu's sixth time leading the country. But instead of being a new government, it's instead a culmination of Israeli politics that are only drifting farther and farther to the right, and then decades longer of policies that amount to de facto annexation of the Occupied West Bank and policies of Jewish supremacy. What's different now, however, is how clearly these ideas are stated in the new government's coalition guidelines by prominent ministers of the fundamentals of how the country runs. This time, it is clear. It is written in the guidelines. There's no longer subtlety to their hate. It is in writing. The new Israeli government is somewhat

of a turn from the brief centrist government of last year, but it's still seeking to implement policies that are anti-Palestinian and anti-liberal. But again, it is certainly not the first Israeli government to do these things. The executive director of the Israeli watchdog B'Tselem, again, apologize, probably mispronounced that, said, it's key not to pretend, as many seem to already be doing, that it'll somehow be a sudden departure from Israeli quote-unquote democracy. What worries me is that even this level of clarity will not be sufficient to trigger an adequate international response. And the new Israeli government is shaping up just to be extreme as we anticipated. Israel's

parliamentary system is made up of many fragmented parties and it's slowly been collapsing and there's been turmoil and whatever because there have been five national elections since 2019. The quote-unquote change government in 2021 brought together opposing parties last year to oust Netanyahu. Finally, once and for all, right? But that fell apart last summer, and in the ensuing elections, Netanyahu built a coalition of ultra-Orthodox and religious Zionist parties that returned him to power, leading to an even more extreme government. So even they tried to get rid of him, but he came back worse than ever. And so this extreme government is already acting in extreme ways. And again, the new government's ministers have made longstanding attacks on the queer community, as well as religious freedom and Israeli and Palestinian civil society, as well as who can call themselves Jewish.

Above all, there are going to be drastic implications for Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and for the civil liberties of Israeli citizens, mostly because Netanyahu's internal coalition negotiations have brought settlers into key ministerial posts. In only days into the government being sworn in, there have been already multiple signs and signals of how these personalities are going to rule. Justice Minister Yariv Levin has introduced legislation that would weaken judicial review and the power of Israel's Supreme Court to strike down legislation. Another proposal would revamp and politicize the country's long-standing process for selecting judges. And of course, we can't forget about the fucking new national security minister,

aka Itamar Ben-Gavir, who was part of the Jewish Power Party. His political ideas are inspired by the late radical iconoclast, Rabbi Meir Kahane. Ben-Gavir has stepped into a role that is basically tailor-made to oversee the police both within Israel and the occupied West Bank. And in early January, he, on somehow legal grounds, directed the police to tear down any Palestinian flag in public spaces. And then there's also finance minister Bezalel Simatryk. He is the head of the religious Zionism party, and he's also a settler whose anti-gay rhetoric is prolific, to say the least. He has already seized customs revenues that belong to the Palestinian Authority, and he's called the Palestinian Authority a terror-abetting body that he thinks should fall.

He also holds newly created authorities that give him oversight of the West Bank occupation through a role crafted for him in the Defense Ministry. So they're essentially just creating these roles and creating these rules that only allow them to have more control. Corruption 101, I suppose. We can also see clearly how Netanyahu and his partners are going to govern in the coalition's agreement that sets out the new government's guidelines. It's not legally binding, but it states plainly in its ideology that,

quote, the Jewish people have an exclusive and inalienable right over all areas of the land of Israel. The government will promote and develop the settlement of all parts of the land of Israel. And this includes, to them, the occupied West Bank. Israeli human rights organization Adalla wrote in a report, This goes further than any previous agreements. The government has made explicit the coalition's party's long-standing intent to further entrench Jewish supremacy and Palestinian repression throughout the state of Israel and the occupied

West Bank through a two-tiered system of governance on all levels. The new government's approach to the occupied West Bank revolves around the illegal annexation of Palestinian land. The government plans to legalize the illegal outposts that are built on private Palestinian land, and the likely result of that is Palestinians being stripped of rights and protections and left even more vulnerable to violence and the hardships they're already enduring. The Israeli rights organization Abdullah goes on to say that these changes to the judicial system and bestowing ministers like Sumatrick with new authorities over the occupation threaten civil rights and individual rights in

Israel, but it is mainly going to be a big, big issue against the national minority, the Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up about 20% of the country. They are going to be the first and most severely damaged by those changes. And clearly, the Israeli government, even before all of this, by now it is clearly stated, it has all the components of fascism. And yet the U.S. still appears to be holding out hope that it can somehow work with Netanyahu and his fucking government and his fucking ministers even now. Politics are all a scam. Everyone fucking sucks. Israel has been violating Palestinians' human rights with impunity for decades, but this new government again just

illustrates the most brutal intentions with greater clarity. B'Tselem, another human rights group, said, the hypocrisy is denying that Palestinians have already been living for many years under extreme, organized, criminal Israeli state violence underwritten by the U.S. And the lack of accountability and the acquiescence of the international community is to a great extent responsible for driving this. community is to a great extent responsible for driving this. And as we mentioned in this episode, last year, 2022, was the most deadly year for Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank since the UN began recording the deaths in 2005. It was also the year that the most Palestinians have been held in administrative detention. And the attacks on Palestinians throughout the

center-right government leading up to all of this, the governments of Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, cannot be understated. It's always been bad, now it's just extremely bad and in sharpie. The U.S. has a role here too, because it continues to supply Israel with billions of dollars of military aid, and it has also failed to publicly criticize Netanyahu's new political allies. An analyst covering Israel and Palestine for International Crisis Group said, there's no way that Netanyahu, as desperate as he is, would have gone to form this kind of coalition if it wasn't for years and years of U.S. abdication of responsibility for what happens here. He just wouldn't have felt that he could do it. It would

have been too outlandish. And all of this brings us to 2023, which we will talk about tomorrow because I like short episodes. So I'll see you there. It Could Happen Here is a production of Cool Zone Media. For more podcasts from Cool Zone Media, visit our website, coolzonemedia.com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can find sources for It Could Happen Here updated monthly at coolzonemedia.com slash sources. Thanks for listening. You should probably keep your lights on for Nocturnal Tales from the Shadow. Join me, Danny Trails, and step into the flames of fright. An anthology podcast of modern day horror stories inspired

by the most terrifying legends and lore of Latin America. Listen to Nocturnal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple audiobooks while running errands or at the end of a busy day from thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry we'll explore the stories that shape our culture listen to black lit on the black effect podcast network iheart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts at& Connecting changes everything. I found out I was related to the guy that I was dating. I don't feel emotions correctly. I collect my roommate's toenails and fingernails. Those were some callers from my call-in podcast, Therapy Gecko. It's a show where I take phone calls from anonymous strangers as a fake gecko therapist and try to learn a little bit

about their lives. I know that's a weird concept, but I promise it's very interesting. Check it out for yourself by searching for Therapy Gecko on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.