Thread by @RBrulin

Patel's decision to list Hamas as a whole as a terrorist org is based on logic that its military & political wings are intertwined
Below is story of a terrorist car bombing campaign implemented by IDF & proxies under direction of Ariel Sharon, who was Israel's Defense Minister

https://twitter.com/RBrulin/status/1443935200082280450

According to Patel's logic (& logic applied by US & EU) not only should the whole @IDF (the "military wing") have been designated a "terrorist organization" but the entire Israeli government (the "political wing") should have been designated as such.

In real world, in 1981 Israeli military censor killed a story by 2 Israeli journalists that would have revealed the existence of this secret terrorist operation. And, since the whole thing was revealed in 2018, the US media has remained SILENT about it:

https://twitter.com/RBrulin/status/1331610105515798528?s=20

In the West, reaction to @ronenbergman's revelation (in bestseller book everyone RAVES about!) has NOT been to demand that Israel confirm or deny these allegations, NOT been to demand that it condemn such practices, NOT been that it open investigation into these alleged crimes

In the West (which, u'll remember, is at war w/& opposes ALL terrorism) reaction has NOT been to demand that Israel explain decision by its military censor to kill story that would have revealed role that senior IDF officers played in extraordinarily deadly terrorist campaign

In the West reaction to Bergman's revelations (his sources r Israeli officers who were involved in this secret op or who knew of it @ the time) has been COMPLETE SILENCE. Eitan/Dagan/BenGal/Sharon conducted terrorist campaign that killed hundreds? Nothing to see here. Move along!

The point is of course NOT to deny that Hamas has resorted to terrorism. Of course it has & such methods are NEVER justified, regardless of justness of the cause Hamas (or other actors) claim to act in the name of. The point is about utter hypocrisy of the discourse on terrorism

This is about finding a way OUT of this perpetual cycle of violence & counter-violence, terrorism & counterterrorism. The ONLY way we will do so is by first acknowledging that "we" have resorted to terrorism too:

https://twitter.com/RBrulin/status/1212948096931565569?s=20

Hypocrisy of Britain's decision is even clearer when u account for immediate context, ie:
- Israel's evidence-free decision to list 6 Palestinian Orgs as terrorists
- Settlers increasingly resorting to terrorism under protection & w/ support of Israeli Gvt

https://twitter.com/LaraFriedmanDC/status/1459927275223371776?s=20

Of course the point is NOT that "because Eitan/Dagan/BenGal conducted terrorist campaign the entire IDF should be considered terrorist org" NOR that "because Sharon was Def Min the entire Israel Gvt should be considered terrorist org." Both positions are crazy: THAT'S the point!

Note: Throughout 1980s US imposed conditions for starting dialogue w/ PLO: PLO had to accept Res. 242 & 338, accept right of Israel to exist, and "reject & condemn terrorism." Finally, on Dec 15, 1988, Arafat said the "magic words" & dialogue started: nytimes.com/1988/12/15/wor…

Note that for years the US rejected statements by Arafat because he only "denounced" terrorism without "renouncing" it: ie the US demanded, as a condition for a dialogue w/ the PLO, that the PLO ADMIT that it had resorted to terrorism in the past

Here is what Arafat finally said in his famous Dec 15, 1988 speech in Geneva: ''we totally & absolutely renounce all forms of terrorism, including individual, group and state terrorism.'' Notice something funny in that phrasing? It's something most commentators (then & now) miss

That phrase is strange no? Arafat denounces AND renounces "state terrorism," which makes no sense: the Palestinians do not have a state! What's happening here of course is that Arafat is denouncing (like countless Palestinians) ISRAELI state terrorism

Back to Bergman: EXACTLY at the time the US was demanding that PLO "denounce & renounce T" senior Israeli officers were conducting their own deadly terrorist campaign in Lebanon! & of course, ISR was strongly OPPOSED to any US/PLO dialogue because PLO were all ... "terrorists" !

And CENTRAL reason why Israeli elected officials were able to maintain that charade & continue to (w/ straight face) denounce the Palestinians as "savage, uncivilized terrorists" was because Israeli military censor KILLED a story that would have revealed the whole thing in 1981!!

Since May 2018 (when I published my first article on these revelations) I have tried to get US journos to explain HOW exactly they came to conclusion that Bergman's revelations were NOT newsworthy. I have had very little success. One exception: @rudoren

https://twitter.com/RBrulin/status/1447266140644839433?s=20

Today I ask again: What exactly in Bergman's revelations (Israeli officers conducted secret terrorist car bombing campaign that killed hundreds of civilians, it was covered up by act of state censorship & this story may still be censored in ISR to this day) is NOT newsworthy? END