Zionist Talking PointsArgument
Supporters point to Israel’s 2005 unilateral disengagement from Gaza, removal of settlers and troops, as proof that withdrawing prompted Hamas to respond with rockets. The narrative suggests that despite pulling out, Israel was met with hostility, making its military responses justified as defensive and inevitable.
Counterpoint
While rocket fire from Gaza did escalate after the 2005 withdrawal, almost 2,700 rockets were launched between 2005 and 2007, these attacks must be contextualized. Israel maintained control over Gaza’s airspace, coastline, and borders, imposed a strict blockade, and conducted repeated military incursions. Gaza was never a sovereign state left entirely to self-governance.
Moreover, the lack of economic development, freedom of movement, and political progress, including the blockade’s devastating impact, contributed to radicalization. Palestinians inside Gaza repeatedly launched rockets out of desperation, frustration, and as symbolic resistance. Portraying the rocket fire as unprovoked ignores Israel’s continued structural domination and responsibility.
Spin
- Victim‑invocation: Claims of “we withdrew and got rockets” reframe Israel as the victim, deflecting scrutiny from ongoing control and coercion.
- Causality reversal: Suggests rocket fire emerges spontaneously from withdrawal, erasing the effects of blockade, occupation, and military pressure.
- Securitization narrative: Uses rocket attacks to justify permanent military oversight and siege, rather than exploring mutual accountability or political resolution.
- Chronological oversimplification: Ignoring the 2007 Hamas takeover, internal Palestinian violence, and the deeper causes of militarization in Gaza.