Israelis constantly squeal at the notion of being called colonisers but so much of how Israel acts today and even in its rhetoric really just mimics colonial powers of the past. Colonial and imperial powers also used to unleash methods of collective punishment as a way to squash rebellions, if one civilian (or even soldier) from the colonial entity got hurt, colonisers had no problem murdering hundreds of the colonised peoples just to avenge that one civilian. Colonial powers would frequently seize land for whatever purpose they saw fit, they’d destroy local economies and pillage resources for their own benefit all to the detriment of the natives. But I think the rhetoric is where it really shows from the painting of Jews as exclusive victims to the dismissal and denial of Palestinian suffering, to even just the arrogant hubris of Zionists and even bragging at times when Israel would assassinate certain figures whilst chucking a tantrum at the mere mention of arresting Netanyahu for war crimes. There’s so much more I could mention but as I said, Israel’s behaviour really just speaks for itself!
Funnily enough I made this post yesterday before I had even known about what took place in Nablus. A Palestinian killed a settler with the settler's own weapon after the settlers invaded the Palestinian village and the Palestinian is being touted as a terrorist by Israeli politicians and media alike. After the settler was killed, 4 Palestinians were killed all from the same family. Palestinians are demonised for defending their land even while land-stealing armed settlers invade their land and then when they're killed by those armed settlers, it's painted as the settlers "defending themselves." Israelis don't stop to ask what the settlers were doing there in the first place, to Israel those settlers have a right to be there because in their eyes, it is "Jewish land." Then the likes of Ben Gvir have threatened to seize land and demolish homes of those responsible for the settler killings and even called to bomb them, and this is something Smotrich has echoed before too.
