• raccoona_nongrata@beehaw.org
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    9 months ago

    Yes, the killing of civilians is never acceptable, which is why we should stand with Israel while they bomb kids.

    Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 wasn’t an “empty political gesture”. Far from it. So far from it.

    Gaza is blockaded, the people cannot leave. It is a prison.

    Don’t believe me, take it from the Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant:

    “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we will act accordingly.” (Source)

    Is it any wonder the median age in Gaza is 18 years old when this is the attitude of Israeli’s towards the whole strip? Israel has the power in this situation, this is clear from the fact that they can literally cut off these critical supplies to the entire region at will. And this is how they use that power; to indiscriminately punish the people of Gaza.

    • emma@beehaw.org
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      9 months ago

      So you don’t grasp WHY the blockades are in place then? How graphic do I need to get in explaining that they are there to reduce terrorist incursions into Israel and to reduce militants’ missile capability. You have seen what militants do when they breach that border, and yet you want that border open?!?!?

      Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 wasn’t an empty gesture. It was a unilateral move towards peace which was violently rejected by Gazans. That part of it doesn’t fit your IsraelBad narrative but it’s vital to understanding the full picture. You have the luxury of ignoring it. You will still be safe. Israelis don’t have that luxury. Palestinian terrorists make sure they can’t forget.

      Do you honestly think Hamas and the other militant groups have no power in this at all? Ok, so maybe you aren’t aware of how shitty Hamas is in running Gaza, how much aid money Hamas’ leadership skims off for their own wealth, how they keep some Gazans in poverty so they can be exploited in anti-Israel PR, their whole cult of martyrdom and jihad.

      But now you’ve seen how little Hamas cares for human lives. You cannot deny the immense ruthless barbarity of their actions Saturday. They will sacrifice Gazan lives too, because, until the slaughtering rampage last weekend, that is and always has been their most effective weapon against Israel. Hamas, PIJ, Muslim Brotherhood, they will sacrifice civilian Gazans, celebrate them as martyrs and keep on doing it.

      How the eff do you counter that peacefully? Please tell me, cause I would love to know.

      • raccoona_nongrata@beehaw.org
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        9 months ago

        So Israel is justified in punishing civilians indiscriminately, en mass, but the same brutality from Hamas is unacceptable to you. Think that over to yourself.

        If what you’re arguing for Israel is true, that they have a right to starve and kill children because of an attack, then why have Palestinians no earned that right? What makes them lesser of human rights in your mind?

        Jenin: Palestinian boy killed during Israeli assault was unarmed

        Israeli military admits killing Palestinian toddler by mistake, closes initial investigation

        Israeli military admits shooting 16-year-old Palestinian girl, calls it ‘unintentional’

        Perhaps Hamas should call all their brutality “unintentional” and that will make it ok in your eyes? “Whoopsie, precisely headshot a kid. It’s the terrorists fault.” If you’re willing to hold all of Gaza accountable for Hamas, why would all Israeli’s not be held accountable for their own brutal military? Israel is even supposedly a democracy.

        These examples are from the last year, but this is not some new phenomenon. Israel has a long history of brutalizing the Palestinian people and assassinating any leaders that appear.

        Imagine if Hamas went into a Jewish synagogue and treated people like this: [1], [2], [3], [4] But these are Israeli police heros fighting a brave battle against unarmed women and old men human animals, right?

        How quickly was the murder of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh swept under the rug? An unarmed journalist, shot in the back of the head by IDF. No one gives a shit.

        So as Gazans and Palestinians get starved and bombed out of existence over the course of decades, tell me why they have less human rights than what you afford Israelis? You cannot argue from a humanitarian perspective for Israel and then completely flip your script when it comes to the human rights of Palestinians. You cannot hold Palestinian children to account for the actions of Hamas and then not do the same for Israeli civilians and the IDF. And if that’s unpalatable to you, perhaps consider revising your blind support for Israel’s brutal apartheid tactics.

        I don’t know why this topic breaks people’s brains so hard, people will just give Israel a complete blank check to literally do whatever they want for 60 years but as soon as their chickens come home to roost it’s the Palestinian civilians fault. Suddenly they simply won’t draw any kind of distinction between Hamas and literal children when it comes to who is justifiable to punish.

        And then the only way anyone can address me raising these criticisms is to assert that I’m arguing Israel doesn’t have a right to exist. But who is actually at more of risk of being wiped off the face of the earth? The Israelis with their unlimited global support, wealth and Iron Dome? Or the Gazans who are trapped in Gaza and can literally have their vital resources cut off at a moments notice?

        • emma@beehaw.org
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          9 months ago

          You’ve made up a whole hell of a lot that I DIDN’T SAY.

          So you’re way to counter an impossible situation peacefully is to make up crap about me, list things Israel’s done and hasn’t done (cause some of what you’re citing is jihadi propaganda and make up complete shite about genocide. Yes Israel could wipe Gaza out entirely. They haven’t.

          They haven’t.

          Israel is in an impossible situation. They contribute to it, but they didn’t create it. ISRAEL CANNOT SOLVE IT ALONE. Any attempt to do so is considered by Palestinian militants a sign of weakness to be exploited. That’s the reality. Deal with it.

          But oh no, put all the fucking blame on Israel for not managing to walk an impossible line in an impossible situation.

          • raccoona_nongrata@beehaw.org
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            9 months ago

            I’m simply asking you to apply the same standards you apply to Palestine to Israel. You talk about an “impossible line” for Israel, how much more impossible is the situation for Palestinians? Israel has been demolishing homes, bombing entire apartment blocks and news stations, destroying crops, shooting women, children and unarmed reporters, raiding holy sites etc. they have been doing for decades exactly what Hamas has done but on an even larger scale with more money, support and military options and with far less humanitarian cost. And yet because it’s done under the “respectable” flag of a nation state it’s all excusable, all “bad apples”.

            These stories I linked, how many have you honestly even heard of from the past year? They’re a blip on the radar. By contrast, every morning for the past week the attack in Israel has been the headline from NPR to Fox, all of them reporting western governments vowing support for Israel’s campaign to cut off aid and supplies to Gazans and invade to wipe the “human animals” out. There’s been a mobilization of hundreds of thousands of Israeli military personnel, Israeli airstrikes have killed 1,200 Gazans this week. That’s NPR this morning, not “jihadist propaganda”. You can’t just handwave away the reality of profound suffering in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli regime because it’s inconvenient when it comes to trying to justify Israel’s actions.

            Israel has ten times the power here, and yet you’re willing to justify their brutality and apartheid as them having no choice, instead you act like Palestine has the power to resolve this while having no assumed right to retaliate themselves or even ability to move, negotiate or govern autonomously. It’s been close to a decade since Israel refused to negotiate with even the legitimate Palestinian leadership itself. How are you suppose to believe Israel has a genuine interest in peace?

            Netanyahu is the one who funded Hamas, so Israel is literally the one that created this situation. And now as they bomb the already-bombed-out rubble of Gaza, how do you see that changing the hearts and minds of Palestinians? Peace has never been the goal for Israel, it’s about colonization and genocide. They have no interest in ever living alongside Palestinians (who have just as much a right to their homeland as anyone) or creating a unified state in which Palestinians and Israelis have equal rights. They’re never going to draw any distinction between Hamas and the people of Palestine, these recent events have proved that beyond any doubt.

            Do they have the power to pursue peace? Yep. Will they ever? Nope. Israel either needs to leave occupied territory and remove all their settlers from Gaza and Palestine, or agree to grant Palestinians a true seat at the table as equals, not as a subclass relegated to an open air prison, not as “Hamas collaboraters” and collateral damage. This is Israel’s responsibility because, as we see, they have all the true territorial and military power here. Palestinians have none.

            I’d challenge you to honestly ask yourself how would see this situation if the tables were turned, if it were a Hamas government oppressing a blockaded, starving Israeli population.

            • emma@beehaw.org
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              9 months ago

              Peace has never been the goal for Israel, it’s about colonization and genocide. They have no interest in ever living alongside Palestinians<

              WRONG.

              They’re never going to draw any distinction between Hamas and the people of Palestine<

              WRONG.

              Israel either needs to leave occupied territory and remove all their settlers from Gaza<

              ALL Israeli settlers WERE removed from Gaza in 2005. That’s a really big mistake to make. Can’t say I’m surprised though given how many other errors you’re making here.

              This is Israel’s responsibility because, as we see, they have all the true territorial and military power here. Palestinians have none.<

              WRONG. Palestinian extremists hold the most important card. And before them Arab extremists and the armies of Arab nations which refused to recognise the state of Israel. Unilateral withdrawal from Gaza didn’t bring peace. Nothing has. This crap that it’s entirely within Israel’s power ignores this reality. You have the luxury and safety to remain in that ignorance. Israelis don’t.