Al Jazeera opinion piece calls for economic isolation as Israel’s ‘shooting and crying’ era ends
A 26 May 2026 opinion piece published by Al Jazeera contends that Israeli society has moved beyond the pretence of mourning its violence, now displaying glee in acts of torture and destruction against Palestinians.
An opinion piece published by Al Jazeera on 26 May 2026 argues that Israeli society has shifted from a posture of mourning its violence to displaying "glee" in acts of torture and destruction against Palestinians. The article, authored by a sociology professor at Mount Royal University, attributes this shift to settler colonialism, which it claims has led to the dehumanisation of Palestinians and the celebration of violence within Israel.
The author contends that this societal change is rewarded by international support and economic ties, calling for the "full and total economic isolation" of Israel to end this behaviour. The piece cites specific testimonies from Palestinian detainees alleging that Israeli guards laugh while inflicting torture, including rape and sexual violence. It also references a video allegedly created by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit featuring a French-Israeli soldier boasting about torturing a detainee.
The article frames the current conflict as an "ongoing genocide" and describes the situation as "unending Israeli settler colonial occupation." It references documented worsening of conditions in Israeli prisons for Palestinians since the 2010s, prior to October 2023. The text argues that settler colonialism requires the dehumanisation of indigenous inhabitants and the "supra-humanisation" of the settler, leading to a reward system for violence.
The phrase "shooting and crying" is described as a catchphrase originating from Israeli propaganda, exemplified by a quote attributed to former Prime Minister Golda Meir about forgiving Arabs for killing Israeli sons but not forcing Israelis to kill Arab sons. The author claims that mainstream Israeli media is saturated with celebrations of the conflict and calls for its intensification.
The piece references a 2004 quote by demographer Arnon Soffer regarding the necessity of killing to ensure survival, noting his concern for the psychological toll on soldiers at that time. The author argues that the killing and body counts have become so important for Israeli society that such news is now welcomed as joyful.
The opinion piece concludes that a society that celebrates such violence is incapable of reforming from within. It asserts that the only solution is to remove the rewards of violence through material isolation, forcing Israel to accept that genocidal violence should be considered taboo. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
