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Source: https://www.jns.org/the-most-dangerous-lie-about-israel-is-occupation/
The Most Dangerous Lie about Israel Is "Occupation"
(JNS) Sharon Altshul - Few words have done more damage to Israel's legitimacy than "occupation." Speaking at an international parliamentary session on antisemitism at the Knesset in Jerusalem, Judge Alan Clemmons from South Carolina argued that modern antisemitism is sustained by language that is repeated until it becomes accepted as fact. "Once Israel is labeled an occupier, violence against its civilians can be rationalized as justified," he said. Clemmons told JNS that the legal case is clear, but Israel has failed to counter the narrative aggressively enough. "It is clear that Israel has the simple title to the Land of Israel and is not an occupier of Judea or Samaria under international law, yet Israel allows herself to be branded as such. This lays the foundation for calling Israel a thief." "When children are taught that murderers are heroes, and the world is taught that Israel is an illegitimate occupier, antisemitism becomes morally acceptable. At that point, violence no longer looks like hate. It looks like justice." "Israel must reject the 'occupation' label outright, not hedge around it, not accommodate it. And we must push back at scale....If we don't contest those ideas early and aggressively, they harden. And once they harden, they are very difficult to undo."