Israel, America, and Going "Massive"
Using Terror Attacks as an Excuse to Kill Indiscriminately
In the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on America in 2001, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld knew exactly what to do: “go massive.” Al Qaeda’s “shock and awe” attacks were an opportunity for the Bush/Cheney administration not only to strike against “terror” but against Saddam Hussein and Iraq, possibly even Iran, even though those countries had no role in 9/11. Here’s how Rumsfeld put it:
"Hard to get good case [against Iraq]. Need to move swiftly. Near term target needs - go massive - sweep it all up, things related and not."
Going “massive” had another benefit: it distracted Americans from the colossal failure of Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld to keep America safe, to anticipate and prevent the Al Qaeda attacks. Americans rallied around the flag and asked few questions as Congress gave the president a blank check to wage a “global war on terror.”
Something similar is happening in Israel today. The Hamas terror attacks are giving Bibi Netanyahu and the hard right in Israel an opportunity to “go massive,” to “sweep it all up, things related and not.” This has the added virtue of distracting Israelis from the colossal failure of Netanyahu in anticipating and preventing the Hamas attacks. Like their American counterparts, Israelis are tending to rally around the flag as their government is given a blank check (supported by the USA) to wage a war on terror in Gaza.
Of course, a war on terror is a war of terror, which is what we’re witnessing in Gaza. Massive Israeli bombing. Deaths that will soon exceed ten thousand. Widespread hunger, thirst, and suffering. Massive displacement of Palestinians from their homes. All justified because Israel was attacked, and not just attacked but embarrassed, as America was embarrassed on 9/11.
Consider these satellite images from Gaza showing massive destruction from Israeli bombing.
Broadly speaking, the USA and Israel share a conceit of being God’s chosen people and also of having the world’s finest and best military forces. These conceits were challenged respectively by the success of the Al Qaeda and Hamas terror attacks. Embarrassment coupled with anger and revenge leads to going “massive,” irrespective of wisdom or legality (or morality). Going “massive” is also a great CYA exercise, as in covering your ass.
Now is the time, these failed leaders decide, to punish “evildoers,” innocent people be damned. What matters is violence, action, vengeance, settling scores, irrespective of human rights and the so-called rules-based international order. It’s time to kill.
If history doesn’t quite repeat itself, it surely does echo as Israel, much like the USA after 9/11, goes “massive” and kills innocents while claiming it’s all in the cause of self-defense and justice.
You are exactly right.
It always bugs me to hear US politicians say, as Biden has said, that there is no daylight between the US and Israel, but in military posture it is surely true. Both put no value on human life beyond their nationals. Both have engaged on the Israel model of disproportionate response, the routine behavior of Israel toward Gaza. Lose the life of a national, take 10 or 20 lives in return. 9/11 showed the US commitment to that.
Biden, were he a great President, would tell Netanyahu not to invade Gaza. There is no country that has ever held more leverage over another than the US holds over Israel. WW1 showed how dear the cost could be for large nations chaining themselves to the actions of small countries and now the US risks major war and has already aroused the ire of literally hundreds of millions of people in order to defend an ethnic cleansing colony.
Not only would the world and many Israelis be relieved if Biden acted courageously, he would also be acting after Israel had achieved its historic goal of inflicting pain far beyond what it suffers.
Netanyahu is now talking as would a religious zealot - of the forces of light against the forces of darkness so unless Biden stops the madness we are in for a wild ride that has the world shaking its head.
When you demand, in the name of basic human rights, that all sides ceasefire, you will invariably hear from either gang in the fight that you are asking only them to stop killing. All sides in a terrorist battle demand the right to continue to slaughter innocents. An immoral equivalency that unites the inhumane.