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9 tweets,
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a quick(ish) thread on Israel's intense state of militarism, and its interconnectedness with what's happening in Yemen, Kashmir, and mass shootings in the USA -- 
^I took this when the the IDF decided to stop our bus headed to the West Bank from Jerusalem & check everyone’s ID’s. Just TWO mins from the military checkpoint we were about to go through, where we about to get searched AGAIN by teens holding machine guns.
Did they really need to stop the bus right before we were all about to get off & go through a military checkpoint? More than anything these are constant reminders that Palestinians are living in an open-air prison, their movement is heavily controlled, & that Israel runs it all.
Yes, teens holding machine guns. Israel has MANDATORY draft (2yrs 18mo for men & 2yrs for women) at age 18. This means ALL young Israeli citizens (aside from Palestinians) either have served, will serve, or are currently serving in the violent Israeli apartheid military.
Israeli civilians are also encouraged to carry weapons “to strengthen public security”. Not only is the state itself intensely militarized, but this culture permeates into everyday "civilian" life. (Meanwhile Palestinians carrying a gun are shot on sight) timesofisrael.com/hundreds-of-th…
Palestine (much like Afghanistan has been historically for the USA) acts as a testing ground for Israeli military & tech developments. While Israel used to depend on the US for most of its weapons, the USA now purchases equipment & tech from Israel.
India, Saudi, USA, & so many other states actually have their local POLICE force TRAINED by the IDF. Including local Chicago police. That’s right, the CPD are trained by a military apartheid state, & learn to treat poor Black ppl in Southside Chicago like occupied peoples.
oops this was the last part of this thread --
