2023 will be remembered for its last 3 months, when tens of thousands of Gazans were massacred with the blessing of the US government, when the world watched a “live-streamed genocide.” The first 9 months of 2023 were also far from peaceful. Here is a run-down of the coverage that If Americans Knew provided.
by Kathryn Shihadah
Since October 7th, If Americans Knew has worked to keep readers up to date on Israel’s brutal attack on Gaza and the alarming level of violence in the West Bank that followed the Hamas escape from Gaza and assault on Israeli kibbutzim. In those 11 weeks, we brought you about 100 articles.
Before October 7th, we posted or reposted roughly 140 articles, covering the situation in Israel-Palestine and news relevant to the region. That seems like a lifetime ago. For many of us, all of 2023 pales next to the situation in Gaza.
But the circumstances of January 1 – October 6 matter deeply, and can help us understand the subsequent events better. Join us in a look back over the first 9 months of 2023, and let’s see what light it sheds on the last 3 months.
At the bottom of this article, find our recommendations for understanding the historical context of the Palestinian struggle.
Keep in mind that no one knows better than Palestinians themselves that, in between these major stories, Israeli oppression has been relentless and crushing.
West Bank Before October 7
Data are dry and impersonal, but they can offer certain insights. A quick comparison of a few categories of Palestine-related statistics from 2022 and 2023 is very informative. For example:
Deaths – West Bank
Before the October 7th attacks*, Israeli forces had killed over 200 Palestinians in the West Bank, already making it the deadliest year for West Bank Palestinians since the UN started keeping records in 2005.
Since October 7th, at least 316 more have been killed in the West Bank, for a total of well over 500 in 2023.
Previously, 2022 had been the most deadly year for West Bank Palestinians, with “only” 146 killed.
Child deaths – West Bank
ReliefWeb, a UN-linked humanitarian information service, announced – 3 weeks before the October 7th attacks, that 2023 was the deadliest year on record for children in the occupied West Bank. At that time, 38 children had been killed.
Today, the number is at least 76.
Previously, 2022 had been the deadliest year for children in the West Bank on record, with “only” 36 deaths.
A few headlines about Palestinian children:
- Feb. 7: Israeli Army Kills A Palestinian Youth In Nablus – Shot in the Face
- Mar 10 Israel vs Palestinian youth: attacks, killing, demo orders for primary school
- July 12: Stripped, Beaten, and Blindfolded: ongoing violence and abuse of Palestinian children detained by Israeli military
Displacement – West Bank
Israeli home demolitions made 809 Palestinians homeless (357 of them children) before October 7th.
Since then, an additional 1208 people (586 children) have been displaced, for a total of over 2,000 displaced, 943 of them children.
In 2022, Israeli home demolitions made “only” about 823 Palestinians homeless (373 children).
Settler attacks – West Bank
In the 9 months before October 7th, Palestinians endured at least 315 settler attacks, during which 9 Palestinians were killed.
Since October 7th, an additional 353 Israeli settler attacks have been recorded, with at least 8 more Palestinians killed, for a total of over 660 attacks and 17 deaths in 2023. (Read about one of the most serious episodes of settler violence: Feb 27 Israeli settlers rampage as killings continue.)
In 2022, there were “only” about 250 settler attacks.
Unforgettable
May 8: Khader Adnan’s death & Israel’s decades of despotic military orders
One of the heroes of Palestine in 2023 had to be political prisoner and hunger striker Khader Adnan.
Adnan began a hunger strike on the day he was imprisoned, February 5th, 2023. It was his 12th trip to Israeli prison; he had spent 8 years behind bars – and he was only in his 40s.
He died after 87 days on strike, protesting the Israeli occupation and illegal detention of thousands of Palestinian civilians.
At the time of Khader Adnan’s death, Israel held a shocking 4,900 Palestinians as political prisoners – over 1,000 of them without trial or charges – as administrative detainees (read about the restrictions on administrative detention here). Since October 7th, Israel has arrested about 4,800 more; many of those since released have spoken of being tortured and humiliated.
6 Palestinian prisoners have died while imprisoned since October 7th, at least one apparently beaten to death.
Today, Israel holds over 2,000 Palestinian administrative detainees, and 7,000 total political prisoners. Last year at this time, there were “only” 800 detainees and 4,700 total political prisoners. Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention violates multiple international laws. Palestinian prisoners (including children) are routinely subject to torture.
Since 1967, Israel has imprisoned more than 700,000 Palestinians from the occupied territories (West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem).
ISRAEL’S “VIOLENCE FIRST” POLICY
Not only do Israel’s military and police use lethal force as a first resort, they also have the admiration and support of their government in doing so. Particularly notable are the Palestinian shot in the head for honking his horn, the Palestinian shot for protesting the deaths of 9 other Palestinians, and Israel’s use of tear gas in the pediatric ward of a hospital.
Here are some of the too-many stories we brought you in 2023:
- Jan. 4: Israel has killed three Palestinians already in 2023
- Jan 7 Israeli soldiers kill 4th Palestinian in 2023 (3 of them children)
- Jan. 25: Israel’s “shoot first” policy leads to 2 more Palestinian deaths
- Jan. 26: Major Israeli raid on Palestinian city kills 9, tear gas pediatric ward
- Jan. 26: Israeli forces kill a Palestinian as he protests deaths of 9 other Palestinians
- Jan 27 Israel killed 29 in 26 days, fighters fire 2 rockets, Israel shells Gaza
- Jan 30 3 more Palestinians dead – one shot in the head for honking his horn
- Feb. 4: Israeli forces kill Palestinian father of newborn with a bullet to the chest
- Feb. 5: Israel committed 3,532 human rights violations against Palestinians in January
- Feb 17 WATCH: Israeli police strip, beat Palestinian child at checkpoint
- Feb 22 Israel kills 11 Palestinians in daytime raid on Nablus
- July 4: Thousands flee Israel’s biggest West Bank military operation in decades
- June 20: Israel killed 6+ Palestinians Monday, & many more in previous weeks
- Sep. 6: Using an Attack Dog, Israeli Women Soldiers Forced Palestinian Women to Undress
- Sep. 20: Israel kills six Palestinians in two days
- Jun 21 Israeli forces shoot dead 14-year-old Palestinian boy in Jenin
- Jun 21 Palestinian girl dies two days after an Israeli bullet to the head
After October 7th, of course, Israel’s “violence first” policy was its oxygen, especially in Gaza. As IAK’s daily updates have chronicled, Israeli forces have killed over 21,500 Gazans and injured almost 56,000. Many thousands more are suffering the effects of starvation, drinking contaminated water, and living in unsanitary conditions. (For statistics in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, see above.)
THE SITUATION IN GAZA Before October 7
Before October 7th, Israel had already attacked the people of Gaza many times in 2023
On May 9th there was an escalation, beginning with what many considered an unprovoked attack that killed 15, and was over by May 13th. In all, 33 Palestinians were killed, along with 1 Israeli. Here are a few of the headlines we brought you during that escalation:
- May 9: Israel attacks Gaza, killing 15 Palestinians, including women and children
- May 10: Israeli Missiles Kill Eight Palestinians, Including A Child, In Gaza
- May 10: Israel closes Gaza crossings; possible serious deterioration of humanitarian conditions
- May 11: What’s standing in the way of an Israel-Gaza ceasefire? Israel wants to keep breaking int’l law
- May 13: What is behind the latest Israel-Gaza violence?
In between the escalations, Israel’s 17-year-long blockade of Gaza caused endless misery for the people. For example:
- Aug. 3: Israel blocks tools for treating Gaza’s kidney patients
- Sep. 13: This year, Israel denied life-saving health care to ‘two Palestinian children a day’ in Gaza
Don’t let the shortage of headlines fool you – whenever there is a time of de-escalation, Gazans still grapple with many serious challenges imposed by Israel (learn the basics here).
ISRAEL’S NEW DANGEROUS, EXTREMIST GOVERNMENT & ITS POLICIES
Benjamin Netanyahu’s new administration – sworn in at the end of 2022 – includes overtly racist parties, whose leaders now occupy high-level posts. They hit the ground running, putting into place protocols and normalizing rhetoric that reduced the already compromised rights of Palestinians. The government banned the flying of Palestinian flags; revoked senior Palestinian officials’ travel permits; discriminated against Palestinians in the prison system; and prioritized home construction on stolen Palestinian land – to name a few examples.
From January until October 7th, Israelis protested steadily against some of the alarming changes this new administration was considering – changes that would permanently shift the balance of power into the hands of radicals. No one protested those policies that harmed Palestinians.
Here are stories of just a few of the tactics that Israel employed in 2023 to guarantee its supremacy – some new, and some tried and true:
- Jan. 9: Israeli police officer who killed autistic Palestinian gets promotion
- Jan. 12: Israel’s new radical government shows itself reckless and racist
- Jan 28 Israeli government: stories you may have missed
- Feb 5 Israel committed 3,532 human rights violations against Palestinians in January
- Mar 17 ‘Angry’ Netanyahu Instructs Israeli Ministers, Do Not Visit Washington
- Mar 24 Israeli hacking & disinfo team meddling in elections around the world
- Mar 25 Netanyahu’s covert operation to manipulate 2016 US election
- Apr 5 Israeli police raid Al Aqsa mosque compound, beat and arrest hundreds of Palestinian worshipers
- Apr 7 Israeli police caught lying about a Palestinian they gunned down (VIDEO)
ISRAEL’S WAR ON HISTORY
Israel and its apologists went out of their way in 2023 to monopolize the historical narrative, to erase the indigenous Palestinians’ very existence in the land. A few notable examples:
- Feb. 24: Netanyahu purveyed a fictional history of Israel to Jordan Peterson
- Aug 9 National Review article misinforms readers on Israel
- Sep. 27: No more “shrinking map of Palestine” – it’s gone
Israel’s war on history since October 7th includes the destruction of more than 200 heritage sites in Gaza, including mosques, churches, schools, museums and ancient archaeological sites, some of them dating back to the Phoenician area.
Gaza’s government media office called the targeting of the sites “a failed attempt to obliterate the Palestinian cultural and heritage presence and an attempt to conceal historical evidence and the depth of Palestinian history in the Gaza Strip” – and deemed their destruction a violation of international law.
ISRAEL’S WAR ON CHRISTIANS
Closely related to Israel’s war on history is its war on Christians. As Israeli leaders promoted their false narrative as the only rightful inhabitants of historical Palestine, and became more consumed by the “demographic threat” of non-Jews, their attacks on Christians have become more brazen. Here are just a few examples:
- Mar 22 Bezalel Smotrich calls a lie “the biblical truth”
- Apr 13 Israel severely restricts Orthodox Easter celebration in Jerusalem
- Aug. 4: Christians come under attack as Israeli leaders get more extreme
- Oct 3 Prominent Israeli Settler Says Spitting on Christians ‘Ancient Jewish Custom’
Since October 7th, Israel’s war on Christians has included snipers killing Christian women inside a Gaza church compound, and attacks on all 3 Christian churches in Gaza. Pope Francis has called Israel’s actions “terrorism.” (See more here.)
WASHINGTON’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH APARTHEID ISRAEL
Throughout 2023, American politicians have been showing their true colors – standing with the oppressor state of Israel, or (occasionally) with the oppressed Palestinians (a punishable offense). Most have been bought and paid for by the Israel lobby. Here are some stories we brought you:
- Feb 15 Nikki Haley: Candidate for President of U.S. or of Israel?
- Mar 6 By caving to Israel, Biden opens the door to war
- Mar 8 Greenwald: The Unholy Alliance of Neocons & Democrats
- Apr 18 Top Pentagon Officer Said Politicians Get ‘Very Rich’ by Supporting Israel
- Apr 28 AIPAC Israeli Economic Espionage Against U.S. Hits $366 Billion
- May 16 Is the United States Moving Its Capital to Jerusalem?
- Sep 11 Congress gives 29 bipartisan standing ovations for Israeli president
THE WAR ON THOSE WHO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT ISRAEL
2023 saw a number of highly qualified individuals nominated for prestigious positions in higher education and government – only to be passed up because of their stance on Israel, as part of an ongoing war to silence or punish allies of the Palestinian cause. A few that If Americans Knew covered:
- Jan. 13: I once ran Human Rights Watch. Harvard blocked my fellowship over Israel
- Jan. 22: Israel’s conduct fosters antisemitism in the U.S., says Ken Roth
- Jan. 26: Sarah Margon can’t get confirmed for State Dept job because…Israel
- Feb. 16: Another qualified human rights expert snubbed in DC for Israel comments
- Feb. 26: Gazan children’s artwork traumatizes ‘UK Lawyers For Israel’
- Sep 28 Anti-Defamation League (ADL) again sides with human rights abusers over free speech on campus
- And in 2022: How Israel loyalists keep US officials in line: Ambassador nominee is taken down
Since October 7th, Israel has tried to keep its narrative front and center in mainstream media, including through blatant disinformation campaigns that included Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and duped even US President Biden. When the fabrications were exposed, we reported that many news orgs, and the White House itself, were forced to retract statements, though some still peddle them. Here are a few other pieces in which IAK provided facts that mainstream news outlets failed to mention:
- Oct 18 Palestinian-American child killed in Illinois: this is what media reports left out
- Oct 19 What we know about the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital blast
- Oct 21 The Israeli strike on Al Ahli Hospital days BEFORE the famous blast
- Oct 30 Media bias in Western coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza
- Nov 19 Israel has lost control of the narrative – October 7 truths coming out
- Oct 25 WATCH: What was happening in Gaza BEFORE the Hamas attack
MISCELLANEOUS STORIES THAT DESERVE MENTION
The stories of Israel’s criminality – and America’s collusion – never seem to end. Here is a sampling of the various other issues that we addressed in 2023:
- Mar 14 Israel extends solitary confinement of Ahmad Manasra in spite of mental illness
- Mar 20 Joel Osteen’s startling interview with Bibi Netanyahu
- Apr 26 New poll: 44% of Dems say Israel is a ‘similar to apartheid,’ 41% support BDS
- May 15 NYT downplays Palestinian civilian deaths, political motivation for Gaza attack
- Sep. 7: In record-breaking heat, Israel intentionally impedes Palestinian families’ access to water
- Sep. 19: 60 Minutes: Israeli pilots who kill Palestinian kids are ‘moral’ defenders of ‘democracy’
BOTTOM LINE
Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories this year have been bold and shameless. The prime minister has told the world blatant lies. Israeli politicians and spokespeople have used racist and genocidal language for all to hear. The Israeli military has paraded its war crimes across the global stage, ordering millions of Palestinians around Gaza like pawns on a chessboard, killing tens of thousands in their homes, places of worship, and “safe zones.” Israeli leaders are now discussing “voluntary” (forced) transfer of Gazans to the Sinai desert as a humanitarian response to the devastation they themselves have created.
In 2022, “apartheid” was a buzzword in conversations about Israel. This year, “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing” have been widely used in describing Israel’s actions. That is quite a tribute to the country America supports unquestioningly.
But in the last 3 months or so, more and more of us, here and around the world, have learned the truth about Israel’s occupation, apartheid, and blockade. Millions have marched and rallied for Palestinian liberation. The inherently racist nature of Zionism is beginning to become clear.
Bottom line: If Americans Knew is committed to providing Americans facts on this crucial issue that mainstream media omit. We hope you will join us. Please share our posts, talk about the Palestinian situation, contact your Congress members, and support us financially if you possibly can.
* “Attacks” is used in the plural here because both Palestinians from Gaza and Israeli forces struck various locations in Israel on October 7th. A total of about 1,139 Israeli soldiers and civilians were killed that day, but it is currently unknown how many were killed by Palestinians. Israeli forces also carried out airstrikes in Gaza that day, killing over 230.
For a complete list of Palestinians and Israelis killed since 2000, please visit Israel-Palestine Timeline
Kathryn Shihadah is an editor and staff writer for If Americans Knew. She also blogs occasionally at Palestine Home.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE:
- Israeli communities near Gaza are on stolen land, former owners consigned to the Gaza ghetto
- Netanyahu purveyed a fictional history of Israel to Jordan Peterson
- No, the UN did not create Israel – its war of ethnic cleansing did it
- Ilan Pappé on Israel’s Relentless War against Palestinian Children
- Flashback: Israel offered to sell South Africa nuclear warheads
PREVIOUS YEARS’ WRAP-UPS:
- 2022: 12 months of Israeli violence against Palestinians
- A chronicle of Israeli actions against Palestinians in 2021
PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ROUND-UP: