ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS: THE SLIDE INTO VIOLENCE
Israel has a new right-wing coalition government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, one of whose guiding principles is “a direct assertion of the Jewish people’s exclusive right to both Israel and the occupied West Bank… Another coalition agreement promised to formally annex the West Bank at a time of Mr. Netanyahu’s choice, and to legalize dozens of unauthorized settlements.” (NY Times 1/29/23).
Naturally this new government’s policies have caused another flareup of Palestinian resistance and reprisals on both sides. Nine Palestinians were shot dead on 1/26/23 by Israeli forces, and 7 Israelis were killed by a Palestinian gunman outside a synagogue on 1/27/23. At least 166 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 2022, the deadliest year since the UN
began tracking in 2005. And at least 35 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces so far in 2023.
Palestinians involved in attacks on Israelis lose their homes, which are sealed and demolished by Israeli authorities. Human rights groups call this collective punishment, as innocent family members are affected as well as the assailants.
Positions are becoming intransigent on both sides in this conflict, and no outside force, including the U.S. seems to want or be able to stop the slide into further violence.
(Sources: The New York Times:,2/2/23, 1/29/23, 1/27/23) and Amnesty International: 2/1/23).