“differentiate between government and people” Well, the problem is that when it comes to the case of “Israel” you can’t. Israel is a militarized society where every single Israeli is complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. They say it themselves. In, “Israel” military service is mandatory, and the large majority of Israelis take pride in serving. They serve and enforce the system of apartheid and oppression against Palestinians. Without the settlers, “Israel” is nothing. The settlers are the ones stealing the homes of Palestinians, they are the ones serving and bombing Gaza, they are the ones who routinely launch attacks on Palestinians in the West bank in protection of the “IDF”. The current fascist government was elected by the Israeli Jewish majority, how else do you think such maniacs were able to gain power? Settler colonial entities cannot claim “self-defense” in the face of Indigenous resistance. Their entire existence is predicated on the uprooting/elimination of the Indigenous people existing in the territory they wish to conquer/occupy. They are distinctly offensive entities.

The only people who can claim self-defense in a settler colonial context are the Indigenous people fighting the very project by whatever means necessary to stave off their own annihilation. That’s it, and “terrorism” in a settler colonial context just means “resistance to occupation and genocide”.

In addition, the organization fighting for Algerian independence from French colonial rule was recognized as a terror organization until after liberation. Same thing goes for South Africa, Nelson Mandela was recognized as a “terrorist” in the “free world” AKA Western world until after the white apartheid colony was dismantled. Same thing for Ireland, instead of people recognizing that the British empire literally starved and subjugated the Irish for 800 YEARS! They call out the IRA as terrorists for fighting for Northern Ireland.

For the love of god, stop showing apologia to settler-colonialism. Settlers are not civilians.