The Lessons From 9/11 Are Being Actively Ignored by Israel

 

As the US response to 9/11 demonstrated, mass murder and civil repression only create more war and less democracy

by Jon Reynolds 

Posted onOctober 28, 2023

There are a disturbing number of parallels between the events surrounding September 11th and the October 7th attacks against Israel earlier this month.

For example, as with the dozens of warnings the US received before 9/11, Israel also received numerous warnings about an impending attack by Hamas. As with unverified propaganda stories that emerged after 9/11 – such as the widely spread fairy tale about thousands of Muslims dancing and celebrating the attacks – fake stories emerged after October 7th, such as the one about babies beheaded by Hamas. As with the US government’s crackdown on civil liberties following 9/11 – such as mass surveillance programs and the censorship of anti-war voices – the aftermath of October 7th has also seen similar acts by the Israeli government, such as the targeting of government critics and the prevention of anti-war protests. And as with 9/11 and Bush administration plans drawn up in years prior to invade Iraq, hawks within the Israeli government have also seized on to the attacks as an opportunity to enact long-dreamed plans of forcibly removing millions of Palestinians.

In the years since 9/11, the US government launched wars against Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya, along with routine strikes inside Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen, all of which have taken more than 800,000 lives at a financial cost to US taxpayers easily exceeding $8 trillion dollars. There have been other costs as well, such as the creation of invasive spying infrastructure which still exists today, gruesome torture programs with zero accountability, and the opening of Guantanamo Bay, which still holds dozens of individuals who have never been tried or charged with a crime.

Not a single one of these wars or policies were justified by 9/11, nor have they stemmed global terrorism; if anything, there is evidence that the so-called “War on Terror” has actually created more terrorism.

Likewise, the October 7th attack on Israel does not justify their response over the last few weeks, which has included, among other things:

• Bombing bakeries, ambulances, mosques, markets, and evacuation routes, along with entire neighborhoods and family homes
• Killing more than two dozen journalists
• Maiming and/or detaining thousands of people without charge or trial
• Trying to silence news networks like Al Jazeera for continuing to report on the ground in occupied Palestinian territories
• Detaining Israeli citizens and journalists critical of the war effort
• Using white phosphorous in densely populated areas
• Cutting fuel, water, and electricity to millions of people
• Using the attacks as an “opportunity” to enact plans thought up in years prior to exterminate/relocate millions of Palestinians

Collective punishment against Palestinians won’t make Israel safer, and restricting journalism and antiwar voices won’t strengthen Israeli democracy. As the US response to 9/11 demonstrated, these types of hostile responses often bring about the opposite of their stated goals. Instead of preventing further bloodshed, they create more of it; instead of preserving democracy, such policies weaken it.

Unfortunately, it seems these important lessons are being actively ignored by Israel.

Jon Reynolds is a freelance journalist covering a wide range of topics with a primary focus on the labor movement and collapsing US empire. He writes at The Screeching Kettle at Substack. Reprinted with permission.

https://www.antiwar.com/blog/2023/10/28/the-lessons-from-9-11-are-being-actively-ignored-by-israel/