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Thom Yorke and the New Trap of Liberal Zionism
How Thom Yorke’s recent statement falls into the trap (and sets it for others) of supporting Zionist violence.
He tried to save face and failed — he only revealed himself as a liberal zionist and supporter of Neo-Imperialism.
Feeling the larger cultural shift away from unquestioning support for Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people, the world leaders, the network newscasters, the Piers Morgans, and the Thom Yorkes of the world are all coming out with a new wave of rhetoric, aimed at disarming resistance to apartheid and genocide.
Supporters of Zionism and neocolonialism are setting a trap — to water down and contain the movement that connects the genocidal Israeli occupation to the genocidal American Empire to each and every one of us caught in the systems of exploitation and domination.
The trap is this: To quell and contain the anger and outrage at the genocide, the apartheid state, and the entire project of Indigenous erasure that “Israel” represents; to redirect the anger towards one man (scapegoating Netanyahu), so that he can be criticized without admitting the truth that genocide is the only outcome of any ethno-supremacist project, especially one driven by and backed by European colonialism; to make us talk about humanitarian crisis rather than genocide; to stop short of condemning the entire genocidal project that Israel is.
Here’s the new liberal Zionist playbook, exemplified by Thom Yorke’s statement:
- Call the “Israel/Palestine” situation a “humanitarian catastrophe”, not a deliberate and almost 100 year genocide.
Make a show of criticizing the “current government”, not the Zionist supremacist ideology
- Make sure the only real moral indignation is about the “truly horrific acts of Oct 7” — not the genocide, not the scores of babies murdered and schools bombed, not the sniping of children, not the medieval-style siege and forced starvation of over 2 million people, and definitely not the underlying violent displacement of 750,000 people, who make up the majority of the people in Gaza
- Pretend to care about the suffering of Palestinians without any blame or acknowledgement of who is making them suffer (the Israeli military occupation)
- Better yet, don’t mention Palestinian people at all, just say “all those who are suffering and who have died”, as if it’s possible to lump 1200 people living as oppressors in a brutal apartheid regime, many killed by the very military they served in, in with the somewhere between 50,000 and 250,000 people, the majority woman and children, all of whom have lived in a concentration camp for most or all of their lives
- Center yourself as a victim of “witch hunts” or “being cancelled”
Appeal to “coming together” and blame the masses of people who understand the underlying injustice and want to stop the genocide for “deliberate polarization”
- Vilify “the extremists” and say “send them back to the darkness” — easily read as a genocidal call given the rhetoric of “human animals” and Netanyahu’s claim “We are the people of light, they are the people of darkness”
- Overall make it a “both sides” thing, criticizing the manners and decorum of anyone horrified by actual live-streamed genocide
- Bring back the age-old “it’s complicated” talking point to shut down further discussion or ethical clarity of supporting Palestine
We can’t let this new wave of rhetoric scapegoat “one bad man”, Mileikowsky (Netanyahu), as rogue extremist. The truth is that every zionist leader from Theodor Herzl and Chaim Weiss to Jabotinsky to David Grün (Ben-Gurion) to Golda Mabovitch (Meir) have all clearly stated their goal of an ethno-state that excludes “Arabs” (Palestinians).
Because the heart of this matter is very simple: the war crime of annexation and settlements. And this trap is a new push to move the collective awakening that is happening about Palestine away from this fundamental truth.
It is simply about zionists violently stealing the land. It is about “Israel” stealing and erasing Palestinian culture, food, music, agriculture, industry, and land. It is about Euro-Russian invaders driving “the Arabs” out of their homes with violence and erasing the stories of their long connection to the land. It is about settlers planting invasive pines on top of Palestinian villages.
So even though Thom Yorke says he does now see Netanyahu’s “transparent desire to take control of Gaza and the West Bank permanently” — but that is literally the stated goal of Zionism. “Israel” has always had this as its endgame. Every zionist leader from Theodor Herzl and Chaim Weiss to Jabotinsky to David Grün (Ben-Gurion) to Golda Mabovitch (Meir) to Yitzhak Rubitzov (Rabin) have all clearly stated this goal. Every Western leader who nodded and winked as they said “two-state solution” for decades have clearly supported the war crimes of settlements and land annexation.
We must be clear and strong that it’s not “stop Netanyahu”.
It’s end the genocide.
It’s end the apartheid state.
It’s end the occupation.
It’s Free Palestine.
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"title" : "Thom Yorke and the New Trap of Liberal Zionism",
"author" : "Collis Browne",
"category" : "essays",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/thom-yorke-and-the-new-trap-of-liberal-zionism",
"date" : "2025-05-30 19:18:00 -0400",
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"excerpt" : " How Thom Yorke’s recent statement falls into the trap (and sets it for others) of supporting Zionist violence.",
"content" : " How Thom Yorke’s recent statement falls into the trap (and sets it for others) of supporting Zionist violence.He tried to save face and failed — he only revealed himself as a liberal zionist and supporter of Neo-Imperialism.Feeling the larger cultural shift away from unquestioning support for Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people, the world leaders, the network newscasters, the Piers Morgans, and the Thom Yorkes of the world are all coming out with a new wave of rhetoric, aimed at disarming resistance to apartheid and genocide. Supporters of Zionism and neocolonialism are setting a trap — to water down and contain the movement that connects the genocidal Israeli occupation to the genocidal American Empire to each and every one of us caught in the systems of exploitation and domination.The trap is this: To quell and contain the anger and outrage at the genocide, the apartheid state, and the entire project of Indigenous erasure that “Israel” represents; to redirect the anger towards one man (scapegoating Netanyahu), so that he can be criticized without admitting the truth that genocide is the only outcome of any ethno-supremacist project, especially one driven by and backed by European colonialism; to make us talk about humanitarian crisis rather than genocide; to stop short of condemning the entire genocidal project that Israel is.Here’s the new liberal Zionist playbook, exemplified by Thom Yorke’s statement: Call the “Israel/Palestine” situation a “humanitarian catastrophe”, not a deliberate and almost 100 year genocide.Make a show of criticizing the “current government”, not the Zionist supremacist ideology Make sure the only real moral indignation is about the “truly horrific acts of Oct 7” — not the genocide, not the scores of babies murdered and schools bombed, not the sniping of children, not the medieval-style siege and forced starvation of over 2 million people, and definitely not the underlying violent displacement of 750,000 people, who make up the majority of the people in Gaza Pretend to care about the suffering of Palestinians without any blame or acknowledgement of who is making them suffer (the Israeli military occupation) Better yet, don’t mention Palestinian people at all, just say “all those who are suffering and who have died”, as if it’s possible to lump 1200 people living as oppressors in a brutal apartheid regime, many killed by the very military they served in, in with the somewhere between 50,000 and 250,000 people, the majority woman and children, all of whom have lived in a concentration camp for most or all of their lives Center yourself as a victim of “witch hunts” or “being cancelled”Appeal to “coming together” and blame the masses of people who understand the underlying injustice and want to stop the genocide for “deliberate polarization” Vilify “the extremists” and say “send them back to the darkness” — easily read as a genocidal call given the rhetoric of “human animals” and Netanyahu’s claim “We are the people of light, they are the people of darkness” Overall make it a “both sides” thing, criticizing the manners and decorum of anyone horrified by actual live-streamed genocide Bring back the age-old “it’s complicated” talking point to shut down further discussion or ethical clarity of supporting PalestineWe can’t let this new wave of rhetoric scapegoat “one bad man”, Mileikowsky (Netanyahu), as rogue extremist. The truth is that every zionist leader from Theodor Herzl and Chaim Weiss to Jabotinsky to David Grün (Ben-Gurion) to Golda Mabovitch (Meir) have all clearly stated their goal of an ethno-state that excludes “Arabs” (Palestinians).Because the heart of this matter is very simple: the war crime of annexation and settlements. And this trap is a new push to move the collective awakening that is happening about Palestine away from this fundamental truth.It is simply about zionists violently stealing the land. It is about “Israel” stealing and erasing Palestinian culture, food, music, agriculture, industry, and land. It is about Euro-Russian invaders driving “the Arabs” out of their homes with violence and erasing the stories of their long connection to the land. It is about settlers planting invasive pines on top of Palestinian villages.So even though Thom Yorke says he does now see Netanyahu’s “transparent desire to take control of Gaza and the West Bank permanently” — but that is literally the stated goal of Zionism. “Israel” has always had this as its endgame. Every zionist leader from Theodor Herzl and Chaim Weiss to Jabotinsky to David Grün (Ben-Gurion) to Golda Mabovitch (Meir) to Yitzhak Rubitzov (Rabin) have all clearly stated this goal. Every Western leader who nodded and winked as they said “two-state solution” for decades have clearly supported the war crimes of settlements and land annexation.We must be clear and strong that it’s not “stop Netanyahu”.It’s end the genocide.It’s end the apartheid state.It’s end the occupation.It’s Free Palestine."
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"title" : "100+ Years of Genocidal Intent in Palestine",
"author" : "Collis Browne",
"category" : "essays",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/100-years-of-genocidal-intent",
"date" : "2025-10-07 18:01:00 -0400",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/1920-jerusalem.jpg",
"excerpt" : "Every single Israeli prime minister, president, and major Zionist leader has voiced clear intent to erase the Palestinian people from their lands, either by forced expulsion, or military violence. From Herzl and Chaim Weizmann to Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu, the record is not ambiguous:",
"content" : "Every single Israeli prime minister, president, and major Zionist leader has voiced clear intent to erase the Palestinian people from their lands, either by forced expulsion, or military violence. From Herzl and Chaim Weizmann to Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu, the record is not ambiguous:{% for person in site.data.genocidalquotes %}{{ person.name }}{% if person.title %}<p class=\"title-xs\">{{ person.title }}</p>{% endif %}{% for quote in person.quotes %}“{{ quote.text }}”{% if quote.source %}— {{ quote.source }}{% endif %}{% endfor %}{% endfor %}"
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{
"title" : "Dignity Before Stadiums:: Morocco’s Digital Uprising",
"author" : "Cheb Gado",
"category" : "",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/dignity-before-stadiums",
"date" : "2025-10-02 09:08:00 -0400",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/EIP_Cover_Morocco_GenZ.jpg",
"excerpt" : "No one expected a generation raised on smartphones and TikTok clips to ignite a spark of protest shaking Morocco’s streets. But Gen Z, the children of the internet and speed, have stepped forward to write a new chapter in the history of uprisings, in their own style.The wave of anger began with everyday struggles that cut deep into young people’s lives: soaring prices, lack of social justice, and the silencing of their voices in politics. They didn’t need traditional leaders or party manifestos; the movement was born out of a single hashtag that spread like wildfire, transforming individual frustration into collective momentum.",
"content" : "No one expected a generation raised on smartphones and TikTok clips to ignite a spark of protest shaking Morocco’s streets. But Gen Z, the children of the internet and speed, have stepped forward to write a new chapter in the history of uprisings, in their own style.The wave of anger began with everyday struggles that cut deep into young people’s lives: soaring prices, lack of social justice, and the silencing of their voices in politics. They didn’t need traditional leaders or party manifestos; the movement was born out of a single hashtag that spread like wildfire, transforming individual frustration into collective momentum.One of the sharpest contradictions fueling the protests was the billions poured into World Cup-related preparations, while ordinary citizens remained marginalized when it came to healthcare and education.This awareness quickly turned into chants and slogans echoing through the streets: “Dignity begins with schools and hospitals, not with putting on a show for the world.”What set this movement apart was not only its presence on the streets, but also the way it reinvented protest itself:Live filming: Phone cameras revealed events moment by moment, exposing abuses instantly.Memes and satire: A powerful weapon to dismantle authority’s aura, turning complex political discourse into viral, shareable content.Decentralized networks: No leader, no party, just small, fast-moving groups connected online, able to appear and disappear with agility.This generation doesn’t believe in grand speeches or delayed promises. They demand change here and now. Moving seamlessly between the physical and digital realms, they turn the street into a stage of revolt, and Instagram Live into an alternative media outlet.What’s happening in Morocco strongly recalls the Arab Spring of 2011, when young people flooded the streets with the same passion and spontaneity, armed only with belief in their power to spark change. But Gen Z added their own twist, digital tools, meme culture, and the pace of a hyper-connected world.Morocco’s Gen Z uprising is not just another protest, but a living experiment in how a digital generation can redefine politics itself. The spark may fade, but the mark it leaves on young people’s collective consciousness cannot be erased.Photo credits: Mosa’ab Elshamy, Zacaria Garcia, Abdel Majid Bizouat, Marouane Beslem"
}
,
{
"title" : "A Shutdown Exposes How Fragile U.S. Governance Really Is",
"author" : "EIP Editors",
"category" : "",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/a-shutdown-exposes-how-fragile-us-governance-really-is",
"date" : "2025-10-01 22:13:00 -0400",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/EIP_Cover_Gov_ShutDown.jpg",
"excerpt" : "Each time the federal government shutters its doors, we hear the same reassurances: essential services will continue, Social Security checks will still arrive, planes won’t fall from the sky. This isn’t the first Governmental shutdown, they’ve happened 22 times since 1976, and their toll is real.",
"content" : "Each time the federal government shutters its doors, we hear the same reassurances: essential services will continue, Social Security checks will still arrive, planes won’t fall from the sky. This isn’t the first Governmental shutdown, they’ve happened 22 times since 1976, and their toll is real.Shutdowns don’t mean the government stops functioning. They mean millions of federal workers are asked to keep the system running without pay. Air traffic controllers, border patrol agents, food inspectors — people whose jobs underpin both public safety and economic life — are told their labor matters, but their livelihoods don’t. People have to pay the price of bad bureaucracy in the world’s most powerful country, if governance is stalled, workers must pay with their salaries and their groceries.In 1995 and 1996, clashes between President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich triggered two shutdowns totaling 27 days. In 2013, a 16-day standoff over the Affordable Care Act furloughed 850,000 workers. And in 2018–2019, the longest shutdown in U.S. history stretched 35 days, as President Trump refused to reopen the government without funding for a border wall. That impasse left 800,000 federal employees without paychecks and cost the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion — $3 billion of it permanently lost.More troubling is what happens when crises strike during shutdowns. The United States is living in an age of accelerating climate disasters: historic floods in Vermont, wildfire smoke choking New York, hurricanes pounding Florida. These emergencies do not pause while Congress fights over budgets. Yet a shutdown means furloughed NOAA meteorologists, suspended EPA enforcement, and delayed FEMA programs. In the most climate-vulnerable decade of our lifetimes, we are choosing paralysis over preparedness.This vulnerability didn’t emerge overnight. For decades, the American state has been hollowed out under the logic of austerity and privatization, while military spending has remained sacrosanct. That imbalance is why budgets collapse under the weight of endless resources for war abroad, too few for resilience at home.Shutdowns send a dangerous message. They normalize instability. They tell workers they are disposable. They make clear that in our system, climate resilience and public health aren’t pillars of our democracy but rather insignificant in the face of power and greed. And each time the government closes, it becomes easier to imagine a future where this isn’t the exception but the rule.The United States cannot afford to keep running on shutdown politics. The climate crisis, economic inequality, and the challenges of sustaining democracy itself demand continuity, not collapse. We need a politics that treats stability and resilience not as partisan victories, but as basic commitments to one another. Otherwise, the real shutdown isn’t just of the government — it’s of democracy itself."
}
]
}
