A bit of a coincidence.
A bit of a coincidence that, just as the Israeli government was having its worst PR week since its Gaza campaign began over eighteen months ago, a random young guy happened to kill two Jewish people outside a Jewish museum in the US.
The apparent shooting of two Israeli embassy officials by a pro-Palestinian young person (Elias Rodriguez) seems to have been timed perfectly for Israeli officials and apologists to once again flip the narrative and play the deflection game.
And at a moment when it really needs to.
Police say the suspect shouted “free Palestine”. Which maybe he did.
But “free Palestine” might become the new “Allahu Akbar”: how many alleged terror attacks in the past conveniently featured a culprit allegedly making the same proclamation? It was a lot. Maybe “free Palestine” will be the new calling card.
Immediately, the conversation was shifted back to supposedly rampant antisemitism and the existential threat to Jews – these arguments being made by Netanyahu himself.
This was immediately after Britain, France and Canada made a joint condemnation of Israel’s present actions and threatened sanctions – an action that, though painfully late, was being seen as outrageous by Israeli officials.
And also immediately after Israeli Minister and former military General Yair Golan made his damning statement accusing the Israeli government of war crimes and the IDF of killing babies as a ‘hobby’. Golan was then unsurprisingly accused of “antisemitic blood libels“.
Let’s take stock.
The Israeli government is being humiliated internationally and facing growing protest at home. And Israel’s campaign in Gaza is coming under even sharper scrutiny for its aid blockade, an impending humanitarian catastrophe, and the open announcement that the plan is now to occupy Gaza permanently and drive out the native population.
A big moment, really: and one in which popular opinion, both internationally and domestically, is perceived to be turning against Israel, with even erstwhile allies and enablers starting to finally speak out.
And at that precise moment, Elias Rodriguez decided it was the moment to stalk that museum and open fire on some Israelis – giving Netanyahu and the war-crimes apologists a timely narrative-shifting prop.
And yes, entirely predictably, Netanyahu immediately implied that the French, British and Canadian leaders’ public criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza is causing Jews around the world to be under threat.
It’s very timely and very helpful, is all I’m saying. And seems very scripted.
Hey, coincidences and coincidental timing are a fact of life. Maybe it’s just one of those things.
Probably best we leave it at that.
My condolences to the two victims.
US Attorney for the District of Washington, (a right wing, heavily pro Israel, Fox News host named Jeanine Pirro, who was handpicked by Trump himself), said this shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism: and has said Rodriguez’s case is a “death penalty eligible case”.
