Lauchs

Always does not mean "since I started paying attention" but regardless...

Anyway, you're so close! Let's tey the socratic method, given that the West Bank has been an Israeli target for years, why do you think the violence has been at such a lower level than Gaza since the rapes and murders of Oct 7th?

And why did that coincidentally change days after the election, with Smoterich now directing "the start of professional work to prepare the necessary infrastructure to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria."

If you're ruling out Biden etc, was it just a wild miracle of timing?

I'm just finishing the Crippled God now! Definitely a difficult series but so infinitely rewarding (and heart breaking.)

If you honestly don't understand the difference between saying "Netenyahu must order an annexation" or "our legislators will need to pursue this" and "“I have directed the start of professional work to prepare the necessary infrastructure to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria" well, that's on you kid.

From the article:

In the past year, about 4,555 Palestinians have been displaced in the West Bank after Israeli forces demolished their homes.

Now, I'm no mathematician but surely you understand that's orders of magnitude fewer than have been displaced in Gaza, right? Please?

Are you reading any of these and actually not noticing the difference between what's being said before and after the election?

With all respect, I had to chuckle at this as it reminded myself of me, a quarter century-ish ago, when after having watched Colin Powell give his speech to the UN about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, I confidently supported it. Then, a kind socials studies teacher pointed out the retrospectively obvious, just because a government says it, doesn't make it true. But he did so without making me feel belittled or dumb so I'll try to pass on the favour.

I'd think of it though like when trump as President says there was massive electoral fraud, when Hungary/Belarus argues for denazifying Ukraine etc. Just because a government is saying something does not make it true.

In the case of South Africa, context is huge, so let me share that with you.

Since actual Apartheid, South Africa's been ruled for 30 uninterrupted years by the ANC, which wins largely on the basis of being A) Mandela's party and B) the symbol of anti-colonialism etc. In the last 15 or so years though, progress has pretty much stopped (the stats on indoor plumbing, electricity, youth unemployment etc are heart breaking) and they've started bleeding support especially to harder, more populist, vehemently anti white parties (the two main rivals argue for seizing any white farms) on the one side and the technocratic but "whitey" party, the DA on the other side. Coming into this year, the polls and election results were the worst that the ANC has ever suffered, leading to a humiliating, first ever, coalition government with the ANC and the DA.

Amidst this backdrop, Gaza happened. I cannot imagine an easier symbol of the ANC's anti-colonial roots than lobbying a very anti colonial case at the ICJ. All the benefits of identity politics and symbolism with almost zero cost. Especially when you consider the ANC almost certainly expected they were going to have to form an unpopular coalition government and to avoid burning the country down, would do so with whitey's colonial party. (And yes, Ramaphosa absolutely touted and campaigned on his government's cases at the ICJ.)

Edit: Sorry, Ramaphosa is the president of South Africa and leader of the ANC. Also, even without the domestic backdrop, you might consider their BRICS membership and what that entails.

You uhhh, might want to read some of the articles that pop up under that search:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/11/far-right-israeli-minister-orders-preparations-for-west-bank-annexation

Though yes, Israel has done some bombing in West Bank I don't think anyone who has seriously followed the conflict would say that the actions in the West Bank have been in any way comparable to the scope and devastation in Gaza. (Admittedly, unsure what Tik Tok is saying.)

I don't think you know what apartheid actually was.

What new settlements happened thete in the last year? You are conflating an increase in tensions and conflict with expansion.

The West Bank, where roughly half of Palestineans live was more or less left alone as one of yhr administrations red lines (also, Iran's oil/nuclear facilities.)

With trump incoming, it seems Israel feels they have a green light to expand in the West Bank.

You mean, finance minister Smotrich?

And yes, believe it or not, the Israelis were not the only people on Earth who didn't know about the election of their largest ally and presumably gameplanned for either a Harris or trump victory.

The fact Smotrich held back from saying anything until after the election tells you the election mattered in terms of what happens next.

One of those dumb fucks already responded here.

But Id like to think they're AI instead of just mind numbingly stupid.