Thread by @RBrulin

IDF targets Hamas weapons manufacturing site in Gaza. THIS is why media SILENCE re: Bergman's revelations that
@IDF officers created & ran #terrorist group in 1980s is SO dangerous: it HIDES fact that "we" would NEVER accept idea that "they" could use force vs "our terrorists"

In Feb 2018, Ronen Bergman published "Rise & Kill First," a book on history of Israel's use of "targeted killings" in its fight vs "the terrorists." It COULD have led to an intelligent, constructive public discussion about morality or legality of use of force vs "the terrorists"

After all, this book contained a STUNNING revelation: in early 1980s, very senior Israeli officials (Sharon, Dagan, Eitan, Ben-Gal) conducted a huge car bombing "terrorist" campaign that killed hundreds of civilians in Lebanon.

In 1980, 2 Israeli journalists investigated story about this covert operation. Military censor killed it. Since 2018, US media AND "terrorism experts" have remained silent about revelations. As a consequence, the MUCH NEEDED discussion about use force vs "T" NEVER took place

And yet very DIFFICULT questions could have been asked:
If Bergman is right, Sharon/Dagan/Eitan engaged in "terrorist" campaign that killed hundreds of civilians. What does this mean in terms of the rights of Lebanon (or PLO) to use FORCE in self-defense vs these "terrorists"?

Bergman describes how, early on, the bombs used by the FLLF (the fictitious group used by Israel) were built by Dagan & Eitan in an Israeli Kibbutz: does it mean that this kibbutz was a "terrorist bomb making facility" that could legitimately be targeted?

Of course such uses of force would NOT have been legitimate, would NOT have been moral and would (of course) clearly have been denounced as such by Israel, the US and the rest of the world community.
And this is precisely the point:

If we know, if we can feel in our bones that such uses of force vs Israeli officials, vs an Israeli Kibbutz, WOULD have been IMMORAL & WRONG (even though these officials undeniably DID engage in "terrorism") then how can WE claim right to use force vs those WE call "terrorists"?

If we know, if we can feel in our bones that such uses of force v an Israeli Kibbutz WOULD have been IMMORAL & WRONG (even though terrorist bombs WERE manufactured there) then how can ISR claim right to bomb Hamas weapons factory in middle of Gaza???

If we KNOW, instinctively, that we would CONDEMN a Lebanese official who said "we did kill a few civilians in this Kibbutz, but Israel is to blame: they made their bombs there & used these civilians as shields" then why is that same logic acceptable when "we" use force vs "them"?

The revelations in Bergman's book are crucial because car bombs in marketplaces, in front of restaurants or theaters are clearly, undeniably acts of "terrorism" & because US media's absolute refusal to cover them is most recent proof that discourse on "terrorism" is pure ideology

The "war on terrorism" has been an abject failure. It is high time we develop a RADICAL critique of the discourse that has enabled & justified so many criminal, and counter-productive, policies. So that one day, let us hope, the cycle of violence may stop.
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