‘It is not a war. It is murder.’

Here is Noam Chomsky’s statement on Israel’s latest aggression in Gaza:

“The incursion and bombardment of Gaza is not about destroying Hamas. It is not about stopping rocket fire into Israel, it is not about achieving peace.

The Israeli decision to rain death and destruction on Gaza, to use lethal weapons of the modern battlefield on a largely defenseless civilian population, is the final phase in a decades-long campaign to ethnically-cleanse Palestinians.

Israel uses sophisticated attack jets and naval vessels to bomb densely-crowded refugee camps, schools, apartment blocks, mosques, and slums to attack a population that has no air force, no air defense, no navy, no heavy weapons, no artillery units, no mechanized armor, no command in control, no army… and calls it a war. It is not a war, it is murder.

When Israelis in the occupied territories now claim that they have to defend themselves, they are defending themselves in the sense that any military occupier has to defend itself against the population they are crushing. You can’t defend yourself when you’re militarily occupying someone else’s land. That’s not defense. Call it what you like, it’s not defense.”

Chomsky recently visited Gaza, writing about ‘the world’s biggest open-air prison’ at length upon return.

Contrary to how it is being portrayed, aggression does accurately describe what Israel is doing. Israel initiated this conflict. Israel had several opportunities to pacify the situation and re-establish a cease-fire, and chose instead to escalate. Civilian and government infrastructure is being targeted. As of the time of this writing, the number killed in Gaza has surpassed 80, 22 of them children, 9 of them elderly; 709 have been wounded, 230 of them children, 50 elderly. Three Israelis have been killed by Hamas rocket-fire.

Obama is still acting as a vocal advocate of Israel’s actions in Gaza. And Israel continues attack Gaza with an impunity granted them by American tax dollars, American support, American depravity.

68 thoughts on “‘It is not a war. It is murder.’”

  1. And never forget you're paying for it.

    Remember this when you look at your paychecks and see how much your rulers steal out of it and on April 15 when you pay tribute to your masters.

      1. I'd say the retard is the one you see in the mirror. Exactly what part of Bob's post is in any way inaccurate.

          3. In this way, Israel is utilizing "modern ambush planes and maritime vessels to shell thickly packed outcast camps, schools, condo pieces, mosques, and slums", yet has killed just 80 individuals with many bombs/missiles. Possibly Israel's complex weapons are making a ghastly showing of conferring genocide or you aren't right. Which would it say it is?

          4. 'the world's greatest outside jail' i couldn't concur more.recently Egypt has shut numerous tunnels and Gaza is completely hindered in every conceivable ways.israel doesn't comprehend that by this they are making the condition worse.surely by slaughtering the guiltless regular people the Israeli's are taking a chance with the life of their citizens as well.

  2. So, Israel is using "sophisticated attack jets and naval vessels to bomb densely-crowded refugee camps, schools, apartment blocks, mosques, and slums", yet has killed only 80 people with thousands of bombs/missiles. Either Israel's sophisticated weapons are doing a terrible job of committing genocide or you are wrong. Which is it?

    1. Did you fail to see the fact that there are 709 wounded? There is no information on how wounded these people are and whether or not the number of casualties will soon increase. Please stop trying to make arguments based on small specific details and instead take all of the information into account before making such statements.

      Thank you and have a nice day.

    2. Who said anything about genocide ? Its mass murder and ethnic cleansing.

      And the death toll is rising daily,, this isn't over yet.

        1. The word comes from the Greek Genos and the Latin occidere, which is a contraction of ob caedere. Got it? The corresponding substantive is occidio.

          1. If Israel wanted to cause genocide they could kill a million in an afternoon WITHOUT the loss of foot soldiers. Simple. Move on to the next hypocrisy.

    3. or you are blind, or you are AZIONISTS PRODUCT (THE TRUTH!!!) WHICH IS IT YO??
      What a human knows by seeing the pics of Palestinian kids 2 years old her brain is tow parts, and see the zionists aggression is ok!!!!

    1. If you want antiwar.com to have live photographers on the scene, then you need to make a bigger donation.

      1. They shouldn't put up any pictures at all if they don't have any. This is very misleading and also that quote is NOT Noam Chomsky. This article is false facts and misleading images.

  4. No matter what now is time for PLA to demand their statehood to be implemented by UN, now is time to get ride of Tony Blair and Bill Clinton among others who negotiate with Israel fascistic regime on behalf of PLA, now is time for the Arab Nations (Arab league) to stand firm and demand for UN that Israel to be totally boycotted as they did to Iraq, now is time for the Sunny Muslims government from Turkey to Egypt to demand that US stop helping and supplying Israel with their weapon that are used to murder PLA, that is to say…, if Turkey and Egyptian government are able to see and understand who their enemy is truly is.., what is happening in Gaza is simply a war crime, this Neo Fascism system murdering people wanting to expend Israel territory, wanting to steal more of what is left of Palestine, this is a falsified democracy adopted policy by the west for the west domination and they don't give a damn about a life, no matter whom life it is.

  5. Obama is still acting as a vocal advocate of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

    As would Willard Romney had he been (s)elected Puppet Emperor two weeks ago. Any occupant of the Awful Orifice must, by nature of the position, be a mouthpiece for AIPAC and the rest of the Israel-firsters.

    1. The US has 1000s of PACs. But every year, the entire government spends at least 2 days attending the annual meeting of ONE PAC – i,e AIPAC.

      In other words, the citizen pays the salary of government officials to go and listen to AIPAC every year and ignore all other PACs. Do they still represent you? Who does AIPAC represent? – It represents a terrorist state. Why should I pay for it?

  6. Pingback: Gaza: “It’s Not War! It’s Murder!” | Social & Human Rights Issues
  8. Pingback: “It is not a war. It is murder.” | Noam Chomsky « The Age of Blasphemy
  9. Pingback: “It is not a war. It is murder.” | Noam Chomsky « Middle East atemporal

  10. I love a good killing but not the crazy type killings of maniacs just running amuck, although at times it does seem exciting, organized rationalized, politicized, and Cannonized is best.
    Not being insane,the game are not mere animals but animals that can think, now they are my cup of tea.
    Much more exciting and yes more sporting if one has just a slight chance of losing ones mortality.
    If I can kill from a thousad yards on the ground or from the air able to hit moving or still targets at will it is not my fault the game does not have my skill.
    A modern warrior has but one request, that between morning prayers and those before nights rest, three good meals are best to keep my body and warrior spirit alive.
    My share of the kill if you will is to be lionized and idolized as the nations best example of manhood and defender of alld its god.

  11. i`ll ask only that,
    if israel attacked with sticks and stones would it make it more right
    compared to daily attack of mortar fire from hamas on the kibutz settalments around gaza?

    p.s.
    and syria using tanks to fllaten all city`s with no looking who is the enemy,
    closing the water and power.
    is it nore civiliazed than what israel does?

  12. It is too bad we do not still hear from men of wisdom today, they are still saying such words, but their voices are drowned out by the fools who shout it is xxx will, my xxx not theirs.

  14. OK good job niqnaq for finding out that the 'quote' is an amalgam of older statements by Chomsky and Chris Hedges.

    The point certainly remains: this looks more like the blitzkrieg assault on Poland by the hated national socialists of Germany than any other 'war' I can think up. Maybe the Spanish 'civil' war?

  15. dirty filthy Israeli firsters, it is time for a revolution to support America before filthy Israel.

  17. The Israeli decision to rain death and destruction on Gaza, to use lethal weapons of the modern battlefield on a largely defenseless civilian population, is the final phase in a decades-long campaign to ethnically-cleanse Palestinians.

  18. The Israeli decision to rain death and destruction on Gaza, to use lethal weapons of the modern battlefield on a largely defenseless civilian population,

  27. Really, it is very sad that naval vessels to bomb densely-crowded refugee camps, schools, apartment blocks, mosques, and slums to attack a population. Which information touched my heart.

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