Josh, you have been so prolific lately, and your writing is so well reasoned, and shows an amazing understanding of the ways antisemitism is so ingrained in all aspects of dealing and referring to Israel and the Jews.
Although Durban is an obvious precursor, we cannot forget the Dreyfus trial, the Doctors trial, and the German judges who integrated nazism into the legal system.
The highly recommended film “conspiracy” is a dramatisation of the Wannsee Conference. In shows how antisemitism is enacted in meeting rooms, by “respectable” statesman, clouded in legal, political terminology. In particular, Colin Firth’s performance as state secretary SS-Brigadeführer Dr Wilhelm Stuckart, continuously reasserts his support for the “final solution” as long as it is done “by the letter of the law”. It seems the UN has not only not learned from this, but is in fact emulating that conference.
The difference between Israel and actual human rights abusers is that those countries are scary to start up with. Israel is an extremely humane democracy. The perfect target for cowards. They want to yell a lot and bear no repercussions. Bring Putin or Xi to court? No. They’re totalitarian dictators. No one is doing that.
Interesting. No one international court has banned Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis or other terrorists from attacking Israel. It didn't even intend to ban it. But they want to prohibit Israel from defending itself.
Has the world run out of lawyers? Or are they now made from shit?
Thanks for this great piece. I'm looking for a source on the World Food Programme stating that 12 of 13 bottlenecks are on them, not Israel. I would love to verify and use that statistic in further arguments.
"There’s a word for blaming your own problems on the Jews: antisemitism."
Jungian psychology calls this pathology "narcissism": blaming the victim for the damage done by the predator (ie spousal abuse- the victim is psychologically made to feel responsible or deserving of the abuse, thus, finds it difficult to fight back or get out).
The narcissistic profile is: selfish and self-centered and incapable of feeling compassion for others (ie psychological profile of cold blooded murderers).
What narcissists seek is attention. They are most concerned about their image and social acceptance. Emotionally immature, the narcissistic personality is a master manipulator and pathological liar.
I do not think that engaging with those - above - who are interested in any accusations that are clearly lacking any substance and are nothing but fruits of one’s hatred, is worth of your time, Joshua! Keep doing your great job - you are inspirational! Thank you for your generosity!
That documented criticism of Israel in any form, from multiple sources (not just the UN) are all antisemitic. You take that as an indisputable tenet which is the wrong place to start from. You also concentrate on South Africa and call other nations “nothings”. The point here is ANY signatory of the convention could have brought Israel to the court , and you’d rubbish them equally. The mighty Gambia has brought Myanmar to the court. Yet defaming of any accuser and antisemitism calls remain the common theme.
Criticism of Israel’s policies and politicians is not antisemitic — unless these criticisms are grossly unfounded and are fair criticisms of the group that actually is genocidal (Hamas) yet has not received the same amount of scrutiny as Israel, both historically and present-day.
I agree re Hamas - the ICC should prosecute those Hamas murderers from 7th. But Hamas isn’t a State - and States have state responsibilities. I hope the Palestinians give Hamas short shrift and remove them after the hostilities cease (and let’s agree to differ how they cease).
The Palestinians declared statehood in 1988 but didn’t follow through on it, perhaps because they realized that actually being a state meant real responsibility, accepting a neighboring Jewish state, and renouncing their historic use of terrorism against Jews in the region dating back to as early as 1834, more than a century before Zionism came to fruition. Enough of treating the Palestinians in a forever-state of victimhood, or of holding them harmless and separate from the terror groups that have emanated from the “Palestinian cause.”
Palestinians cannot remove Hamas because there is no such people as “Palestinians.” Saying "Palestinians" is like saying "nobody." It is necessary to clarify what ethnic group, what clan, in what area, what beliefs and religious orientation. They are all very different, and most of them do not want and will not deal with Hamas.
As soon as the fighting stops, no one will touch Hamas. All Arab countries, the UN and the International Criminal Court will take care of this
And what "facts" do you engage in? Demonstrable, impartial facts. None I'll bet, beginning with the ludicrous numbers of Palestinian civilians that Israel allegedly murdered. Last I read, those numbers were coming from Hamas. Wow. How "accurate". lol
During WW2, were the Allies held accountable for civilian deaths in Berlin and other German cities they bombed - or for the civilian deaths by the nukes dropped on Japan? No. Because like the Palestinians, German and Japanese civilians supported the militaristic goals of their leaders who started the war. Unlike the Allies, Israel has taken pains to minimize the collateral damage in Gaza but there is no way to stop the Hamas monsters from repeating their acts of Oct 7 - on an even wider scale - if they are not eliminated totally. If that means the civilians who support them must die too, so be it. Instead of trolling this forum, why not protest the massive killings conducted by Islamic countries on their co-religionists and Christians? Or how about getting Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon to take in Palestinian civilians? Because you know they won't. The Arabs who call themselves Palestinians are there for a reason. As cannon fodder for the Islamic countries who want Israel gone and haven't been able to destroy Israel using conventional military strategies. I must say that using their own people as pawns was devilishly clever. But don't get me to feel one ounce of pity for those pawns who rant about killing Jews from the time they are potty-trained to the time they become grandparents. Oh - and by the way, those numbers of civilian deaths are minimal compared to the baby boom the Palestinians have experienced for decades. Israelis committing genocide? Not in this universe.
WW2 was terrible - hence the drawing up of the conventions after the war to which Israel is a signatory to avoid such outcomes. Susan, I honestly feel sorry for you. Did you really just try to justify a the deaths (lets not be picky in numbers) v a birthrate? Is it all numbers. I think you've just demonstrated the value placed on a human life, if it's a Palestinian, clear in your views on pawns. Let others judge on genocide, and the final judgement may go Israel's way, in which case we are in a bad place with international law.
Sleekit Scotsman (guess you're only able to speak your mind from behind a pseudonym) save your pity and try some compassion and loyalty for those who need it: the Israeli victims of Hamas-perpetrated murders, rapes and other atrocities; their families; the Israeli hostages and their friends and families. Many of whom were peace-loving kibbutzniks who reached out to Gazans in friendship only to have some of those Gazan CIVILIANS participate in the atrocities. Check around. There are videos about this which name names. As for my placing a value on a human life, try preaching to those who place no value on Jewish lives: the Gazans, their Hamas leaders and their Muslim puppet-masters. Our Torah, which is a testament to the high value Jews place on human life - also obliges us to kill those who would come to kill us first. I am not an Orthodox Jew but my values and morals are based on Torah. As for where "we" are in terms of international law (I'm assuming you are Israeli and/or at least Jewish despite your fetish for calling yourself a "Scotsman"), I gave up on that when it was co-opted by Muslim money and power.
I am genuinely curious, no sarcasm intended- what would you have Israel do? There is no genocide taking place. The costs of war are atrocious and do result in the loss of civilians. Nobody, absolutely nobody is ok with palestinians paying the price for hamas' actions. But as Israelis and Jews we know who we're dealing with. There is no diplomatizing here, there is no reason because a reasonable partner is lacking, in fact, it never existed. Israel is likely the only state that's ever been expected to make peace with terrorists, or to compromise its security, to give up territories it won for wars it didn't start. I would just like to know how you would have Israel conduct this war while ensuring no repeats of October 7 and without having to constantly sacrifice their operational advantage.
Hi Jenny - no probs and understand no sarcasm! Love discourse and a hopefully respectful exchange of ideas. I (publicly - article) admit when I’m wrong and my beliefs do not sit with many in pro-Palestinian camp.
I would like Israel to cease conducting the war and withdraw. I would like Hamas to release all hostages (and bloody well give them medical NGO access... horrific what they are doing just now).
I would like a UNSC binding resolution to REMOVE Hamas and for a multi-national force to enter Gaza to do so (equally as important as humanitarian aid, making the place safe, rebuilding). This will be a different more diplomatic approach with lots of behind-the-scenes work to ensure whatever authority is in place does not have that operating model (and not Abbas).
I also think that there are a lot of liberal forward thinking Israeli people and politicians - and I would like to see Bibi and the right wing replaced (I have no idea how that would happen) so negotiating with new people on both sides.
In terms of opening dialogues between civilians - it's not perfect but there's a few Israeli NGOs that seem to have the right idea;
The UK made peace with the IRA who murdered thousands of civilians in the most brutal ways over decades who disarmed and their political wing continue. It's not perfect but the fighting has stopped (and I get territorially it can be done).
Look - I get the above idealistic and I'm sure dose of reality opinions on some - but it's a start; the fighting just has to stop.
Now watch the manipulator’s hands. The IDF only gave a figure of 5,000 fighters, while the figure of 15,000 was taken from Hamas health. Divide the fake Hamas number (15,000) by the real IDF number (5,000) and get your 2:1.
Once again, so that you understand where the manipulation is. When you said that 2:1 is what the IDF gave, it was manipulation.
Oh God, how tired I am of exposing your manipulations...
Sorry mate - I'm quoting directly from this article, it's not my manipulation. What you are saying is that the Times of Israel and this IDF person have been fooled into accepting Hamas figures.
let's stop googling back and forth. Point being A LOT of Palestinians have been killed. If the ICC can start a different case in 2021 based off the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza killing 2000 people in 2014, regardless of the numbers, there's a large disparity.
"let's stop googling back and forth. Point being A LOT of Palestinians have been killed."
No, Scotty, that's not the point. That's a point aimed directly at people who only scan headlines and already harbor a certain antipathy toward the Jews. The real point that gets obscured by the numbers game is that there wouldn't be a war going on if Hamas hadn't kicked off the match with an early morning attack where they tortured and butchered more than a thousand of their friendly, unsuspecting neighbors. And, to top it off, the butchers have the bloody nerve to hold on to innocent people that they've kidnapped while complaining that the folks attacking them are not playing by the Queen's Rules.
I just showed where the manipulation is. It is there and I pointed it out. And it doesn’t matter who is to blame for this. It is important that you bought it very cheap.
It seems to me that all your posts are very biased. So just to follow protocol.
Your ideas about Israel and what it does are a mixture of narratives, headlines and arguments from illiterate professors about what Israel is.
From a political point of view, Israel is a democratic state that acts in accordance with all international laws, even to the detriment of the safety of its citizens.
On the military side, this is unprecedented selectivity in combat operations. (I am a former military man, I have studied the actions of all modern armies and I cannot even come close to comparing at least one of them with the IDF). Wherever you hear about indiscriminate bombing, this is a clear lie (mistakes are possible, but this is war. IDF mistakes usually work against the IDF)
Socially, this is a population that is maximally non-hostile to its enemies, which from preschool age is taught that one must be friends with Arabs, that the life of any person is important (surprising, right?), that constantly makes sure that Arabs have rights, and holds demonstrations when their rights are violated.
This is difficult for many to accept and believe, but this is what I have been observing for 25 years. There is not a single conflict that is not provoked by a security threat; on the contrary, Israel leaves many shellings and attacks unanswered, lest a new round of violence begin (which gives the enemy the feeling that they can safely continue).
Against this background, any trial of Israel looks like a malicious slander and is possible only in a fictional reality.
One of our most difficult challenges is to figure out how to respond effectively to libel and slander when they are presented as "news reporting" by captured media. The same applies to responding to lawfare that is motivated by antisemitic hatred while posing as concern for human rights. They know what they're doing, we know what they're doing, but "the public" winds up drawing the conclusions that they are being led to draw by the paid performers posing as journalists and human rights advocates.
Once the story gets reported as "indiscriminate bombing," no amount of detailed evidence to the contrary seems capable of changing "the public's" perception of events. The malicious slander succeeds in establishing a fictional reality and everything is interpreted within that framework. Tell someone that Israel is doing its utmost to minimize civilian casualties—and they roll their eyes. "Yeah, sure."
I wish I knew what to do about this, but it's clearly something that we need to figure out. And the sooner the better.
Oh my God, mate. I just showed you one manipulation and you immediately gave me another. Sky News talks about the accuracy of Hamas's data, comparing it to that of the United Nations. Realy? It's the same source, because the U.N. representatives in Gaza are taking advantage of what Hamas gives them. You've bought it again
That hatred has always been there and will continue to be there no matter what Israel does. Otherwise, why does Iran want to destroy Israel? It has nothing to do with their love of Palestinians or any other muslims. And I think all the possibilities you’re raising are rooted in reason and logic and the sincere want for harmony. That simply doesn’t exist on the other end, not even with Farrah, which is supposed to be less radical and is led by a kleptomaniac holocaust denier. think that’s where the West gets it wrong. Not everyone thinks like we do, about prospering and the future and building for the sake of strong social foundations. I honestly don’t know how else to explain and or why so many refuse to believe that. It’s Israel and Jews today, then they’re coming for everyone else.
I wish you well. Thanks for remaining respectful, but I will respectfully bow out of this thread. Thanks again.
He's a satirical comedian - the main point is valid - all Palestinians are not Hamas, and even if they were, indiscriminate bombing is a war crime. The rest of the Hamas electoral points are interesting, in particular the video of that Hamas b*stard that talked October 7th over and over pretending to be moderate in 2006.
Many Palestinians are either Hamas or sympathetic of its cause. Enough to the point where it’s now a serious problem and Gaza is paying the price for it. “Not all” is an irrelevant argument since the world doesn’t work in absolutes. In works in majorities and minorities. Multiple polls have shown a majority of Palestinians support Hamas.
Appreciate point - is there an official Israeli number somewhere (that is not quoting Hamas directly as the IDF official in The Times of Israel article did apparently) ? Genuinely interested what official Israeli count is and where maintained, thx
Josh, you have been so prolific lately, and your writing is so well reasoned, and shows an amazing understanding of the ways antisemitism is so ingrained in all aspects of dealing and referring to Israel and the Jews.
Although Durban is an obvious precursor, we cannot forget the Dreyfus trial, the Doctors trial, and the German judges who integrated nazism into the legal system.
The highly recommended film “conspiracy” is a dramatisation of the Wannsee Conference. In shows how antisemitism is enacted in meeting rooms, by “respectable” statesman, clouded in legal, political terminology. In particular, Colin Firth’s performance as state secretary SS-Brigadeführer Dr Wilhelm Stuckart, continuously reasserts his support for the “final solution” as long as it is done “by the letter of the law”. It seems the UN has not only not learned from this, but is in fact emulating that conference.
The difference between Israel and actual human rights abusers is that those countries are scary to start up with. Israel is an extremely humane democracy. The perfect target for cowards. They want to yell a lot and bear no repercussions. Bring Putin or Xi to court? No. They’re totalitarian dictators. No one is doing that.
Interesting. No one international court has banned Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis or other terrorists from attacking Israel. It didn't even intend to ban it. But they want to prohibit Israel from defending itself.
Has the world run out of lawyers? Or are they now made from shit?
Someone follow the money!
Essential reading. Thank you.
Hi Joshua,
Thanks for this great piece. I'm looking for a source on the World Food Programme stating that 12 of 13 bottlenecks are on them, not Israel. I would love to verify and use that statistic in further arguments.
Thanks,
Sam
Hi Sam! Here you are: https://twitter.com/cogatonline/status/1741056770405965840
"There’s a word for blaming your own problems on the Jews: antisemitism."
Jungian psychology calls this pathology "narcissism": blaming the victim for the damage done by the predator (ie spousal abuse- the victim is psychologically made to feel responsible or deserving of the abuse, thus, finds it difficult to fight back or get out).
The narcissistic profile is: selfish and self-centered and incapable of feeling compassion for others (ie psychological profile of cold blooded murderers).
What narcissists seek is attention. They are most concerned about their image and social acceptance. Emotionally immature, the narcissistic personality is a master manipulator and pathological liar.
Sound familiar?
I honestly think just reading the headline demonstrates your unwillingness to engage with the facts.
Which facts?
I do not think that engaging with those - above - who are interested in any accusations that are clearly lacking any substance and are nothing but fruits of one’s hatred, is worth of your time, Joshua! Keep doing your great job - you are inspirational! Thank you for your generosity!
That documented criticism of Israel in any form, from multiple sources (not just the UN) are all antisemitic. You take that as an indisputable tenet which is the wrong place to start from. You also concentrate on South Africa and call other nations “nothings”. The point here is ANY signatory of the convention could have brought Israel to the court , and you’d rubbish them equally. The mighty Gambia has brought Myanmar to the court. Yet defaming of any accuser and antisemitism calls remain the common theme.
Criticism of Israel’s policies and politicians is not antisemitic — unless these criticisms are grossly unfounded and are fair criticisms of the group that actually is genocidal (Hamas) yet has not received the same amount of scrutiny as Israel, both historically and present-day.
I agree re Hamas - the ICC should prosecute those Hamas murderers from 7th. But Hamas isn’t a State - and States have state responsibilities. I hope the Palestinians give Hamas short shrift and remove them after the hostilities cease (and let’s agree to differ how they cease).
Your statement on antisemitism doesn’t make sense - you are saying criticising Israel’s state actions without criticising Hamas is antisemitic. That’s not the case. IHRA and Nexus definitions are clearer on to collectivisation’ https://israelandantisemitism.com/guide-to-identifying-antisemitism-in-debates-about-israel/
The Palestinians declared statehood in 1988 but didn’t follow through on it, perhaps because they realized that actually being a state meant real responsibility, accepting a neighboring Jewish state, and renouncing their historic use of terrorism against Jews in the region dating back to as early as 1834, more than a century before Zionism came to fruition. Enough of treating the Palestinians in a forever-state of victimhood, or of holding them harmless and separate from the terror groups that have emanated from the “Palestinian cause.”
Palestinians cannot remove Hamas because there is no such people as “Palestinians.” Saying "Palestinians" is like saying "nobody." It is necessary to clarify what ethnic group, what clan, in what area, what beliefs and religious orientation. They are all very different, and most of them do not want and will not deal with Hamas.
As soon as the fighting stops, no one will touch Hamas. All Arab countries, the UN and the International Criminal Court will take care of this
From your post it can be understood that you know the right decision, or at least how to react correctly to the situation.
I am intrigued.
And what "facts" do you engage in? Demonstrable, impartial facts. None I'll bet, beginning with the ludicrous numbers of Palestinian civilians that Israel allegedly murdered. Last I read, those numbers were coming from Hamas. Wow. How "accurate". lol
According to an IDF official from the Times of Israel, a 2:1 ratio civilians to Hamas, confirming the 5 Dec numbers correct - numbers not from Hamas; so you can extrapolate the figure of 15000 in total from 5 Dec to today to consider accuracy, not that the accusation is about numbers , but you did ask - https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-officials-2-civilian-deaths-for-every-1-hamas-fighter-killed-in-gaza/
During WW2, were the Allies held accountable for civilian deaths in Berlin and other German cities they bombed - or for the civilian deaths by the nukes dropped on Japan? No. Because like the Palestinians, German and Japanese civilians supported the militaristic goals of their leaders who started the war. Unlike the Allies, Israel has taken pains to minimize the collateral damage in Gaza but there is no way to stop the Hamas monsters from repeating their acts of Oct 7 - on an even wider scale - if they are not eliminated totally. If that means the civilians who support them must die too, so be it. Instead of trolling this forum, why not protest the massive killings conducted by Islamic countries on their co-religionists and Christians? Or how about getting Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon to take in Palestinian civilians? Because you know they won't. The Arabs who call themselves Palestinians are there for a reason. As cannon fodder for the Islamic countries who want Israel gone and haven't been able to destroy Israel using conventional military strategies. I must say that using their own people as pawns was devilishly clever. But don't get me to feel one ounce of pity for those pawns who rant about killing Jews from the time they are potty-trained to the time they become grandparents. Oh - and by the way, those numbers of civilian deaths are minimal compared to the baby boom the Palestinians have experienced for decades. Israelis committing genocide? Not in this universe.
WW2 was terrible - hence the drawing up of the conventions after the war to which Israel is a signatory to avoid such outcomes. Susan, I honestly feel sorry for you. Did you really just try to justify a the deaths (lets not be picky in numbers) v a birthrate? Is it all numbers. I think you've just demonstrated the value placed on a human life, if it's a Palestinian, clear in your views on pawns. Let others judge on genocide, and the final judgement may go Israel's way, in which case we are in a bad place with international law.
Sleekit Scotsman (guess you're only able to speak your mind from behind a pseudonym) save your pity and try some compassion and loyalty for those who need it: the Israeli victims of Hamas-perpetrated murders, rapes and other atrocities; their families; the Israeli hostages and their friends and families. Many of whom were peace-loving kibbutzniks who reached out to Gazans in friendship only to have some of those Gazan CIVILIANS participate in the atrocities. Check around. There are videos about this which name names. As for my placing a value on a human life, try preaching to those who place no value on Jewish lives: the Gazans, their Hamas leaders and their Muslim puppet-masters. Our Torah, which is a testament to the high value Jews place on human life - also obliges us to kill those who would come to kill us first. I am not an Orthodox Jew but my values and morals are based on Torah. As for where "we" are in terms of international law (I'm assuming you are Israeli and/or at least Jewish despite your fetish for calling yourself a "Scotsman"), I gave up on that when it was co-opted by Muslim money and power.
I am genuinely curious, no sarcasm intended- what would you have Israel do? There is no genocide taking place. The costs of war are atrocious and do result in the loss of civilians. Nobody, absolutely nobody is ok with palestinians paying the price for hamas' actions. But as Israelis and Jews we know who we're dealing with. There is no diplomatizing here, there is no reason because a reasonable partner is lacking, in fact, it never existed. Israel is likely the only state that's ever been expected to make peace with terrorists, or to compromise its security, to give up territories it won for wars it didn't start. I would just like to know how you would have Israel conduct this war while ensuring no repeats of October 7 and without having to constantly sacrifice their operational advantage.
Hi Jenny - no probs and understand no sarcasm! Love discourse and a hopefully respectful exchange of ideas. I (publicly - article) admit when I’m wrong and my beliefs do not sit with many in pro-Palestinian camp.
I would like Israel to cease conducting the war and withdraw. I would like Hamas to release all hostages (and bloody well give them medical NGO access... horrific what they are doing just now).
I would like a UNSC binding resolution to REMOVE Hamas and for a multi-national force to enter Gaza to do so (equally as important as humanitarian aid, making the place safe, rebuilding). This will be a different more diplomatic approach with lots of behind-the-scenes work to ensure whatever authority is in place does not have that operating model (and not Abbas).
I also think that there are a lot of liberal forward thinking Israeli people and politicians - and I would like to see Bibi and the right wing replaced (I have no idea how that would happen) so negotiating with new people on both sides.
In terms of opening dialogues between civilians - it's not perfect but there's a few Israeli NGOs that seem to have the right idea;
- Combatants for Peace: https://cfpeace.org (ex-fighters both sides)
- Parents Circle: https://www.theparentscircle.org (parents from both sides who have lost children in the war)
The UK made peace with the IRA who murdered thousands of civilians in the most brutal ways over decades who disarmed and their political wing continue. It's not perfect but the fighting has stopped (and I get territorially it can be done).
Look - I get the above idealistic and I'm sure dose of reality opinions on some - but it's a start; the fighting just has to stop.
Thanks for asking and listening.
Now watch the manipulator’s hands. The IDF only gave a figure of 5,000 fighters, while the figure of 15,000 was taken from Hamas health. Divide the fake Hamas number (15,000) by the real IDF number (5,000) and get your 2:1.
Once again, so that you understand where the manipulation is. When you said that 2:1 is what the IDF gave, it was manipulation.
Oh God, how tired I am of exposing your manipulations...
Sorry mate - I'm quoting directly from this article, it's not my manipulation. What you are saying is that the Times of Israel and this IDF person have been fooled into accepting Hamas figures.
Sky News is very pro-Israel - and looks at Hamas past calculations which have been correct; - https://news.sky.com/story/what-do-we-know-about-the-number-of-palestinians-killed-in-gaza-13006290
let's stop googling back and forth. Point being A LOT of Palestinians have been killed. If the ICC can start a different case in 2021 based off the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza killing 2000 people in 2014, regardless of the numbers, there's a large disparity.
"let's stop googling back and forth. Point being A LOT of Palestinians have been killed."
No, Scotty, that's not the point. That's a point aimed directly at people who only scan headlines and already harbor a certain antipathy toward the Jews. The real point that gets obscured by the numbers game is that there wouldn't be a war going on if Hamas hadn't kicked off the match with an early morning attack where they tortured and butchered more than a thousand of their friendly, unsuspecting neighbors. And, to top it off, the butchers have the bloody nerve to hold on to innocent people that they've kidnapped while complaining that the folks attacking them are not playing by the Queen's Rules.
I just showed where the manipulation is. It is there and I pointed it out. And it doesn’t matter who is to blame for this. It is important that you bought it very cheap.
It seems to me that all your posts are very biased. So just to follow protocol.
Your ideas about Israel and what it does are a mixture of narratives, headlines and arguments from illiterate professors about what Israel is.
From a political point of view, Israel is a democratic state that acts in accordance with all international laws, even to the detriment of the safety of its citizens.
On the military side, this is unprecedented selectivity in combat operations. (I am a former military man, I have studied the actions of all modern armies and I cannot even come close to comparing at least one of them with the IDF). Wherever you hear about indiscriminate bombing, this is a clear lie (mistakes are possible, but this is war. IDF mistakes usually work against the IDF)
Socially, this is a population that is maximally non-hostile to its enemies, which from preschool age is taught that one must be friends with Arabs, that the life of any person is important (surprising, right?), that constantly makes sure that Arabs have rights, and holds demonstrations when their rights are violated.
This is difficult for many to accept and believe, but this is what I have been observing for 25 years. There is not a single conflict that is not provoked by a security threat; on the contrary, Israel leaves many shellings and attacks unanswered, lest a new round of violence begin (which gives the enemy the feeling that they can safely continue).
Against this background, any trial of Israel looks like a malicious slander and is possible only in a fictional reality.
It's up to you whether you participate or not.
One of our most difficult challenges is to figure out how to respond effectively to libel and slander when they are presented as "news reporting" by captured media. The same applies to responding to lawfare that is motivated by antisemitic hatred while posing as concern for human rights. They know what they're doing, we know what they're doing, but "the public" winds up drawing the conclusions that they are being led to draw by the paid performers posing as journalists and human rights advocates.
Once the story gets reported as "indiscriminate bombing," no amount of detailed evidence to the contrary seems capable of changing "the public's" perception of events. The malicious slander succeeds in establishing a fictional reality and everything is interpreted within that framework. Tell someone that Israel is doing its utmost to minimize civilian casualties—and they roll their eyes. "Yeah, sure."
I wish I knew what to do about this, but it's clearly something that we need to figure out. And the sooner the better.
Very well explained, sir.
Oh my God, mate. I just showed you one manipulation and you immediately gave me another. Sky News talks about the accuracy of Hamas's data, comparing it to that of the United Nations. Realy? It's the same source, because the U.N. representatives in Gaza are taking advantage of what Hamas gives them. You've bought it again
That hatred has always been there and will continue to be there no matter what Israel does. Otherwise, why does Iran want to destroy Israel? It has nothing to do with their love of Palestinians or any other muslims. And I think all the possibilities you’re raising are rooted in reason and logic and the sincere want for harmony. That simply doesn’t exist on the other end, not even with Farrah, which is supposed to be less radical and is led by a kleptomaniac holocaust denier. think that’s where the West gets it wrong. Not everyone thinks like we do, about prospering and the future and building for the sake of strong social foundations. I honestly don’t know how else to explain and or why so many refuse to believe that. It’s Israel and Jews today, then they’re coming for everyone else.
I wish you well. Thanks for remaining respectful, but I will respectfully bow out of this thread. Thanks again.
see above source, if it’s just numbers - but that’s no the point;John Oliver summarizes - https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1t_SMLx8I4/
John Oliver should not be used as a reliable source.
He is a SEETHING antisemite. F'k him.
He's a satirical comedian - the main point is valid - all Palestinians are not Hamas, and even if they were, indiscriminate bombing is a war crime. The rest of the Hamas electoral points are interesting, in particular the video of that Hamas b*stard that talked October 7th over and over pretending to be moderate in 2006.
Many Palestinians are either Hamas or sympathetic of its cause. Enough to the point where it’s now a serious problem and Gaza is paying the price for it. “Not all” is an irrelevant argument since the world doesn’t work in absolutes. In works in majorities and minorities. Multiple polls have shown a majority of Palestinians support Hamas.
The number of Palestinian civilians you tossed around - 23,000 - I believe, was not verified; it comes from Hamas. If you don't believe me, believe the Israeli spokesperson at the ludicrous hearing which accuses Israel of genocide. It's on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drtrkulja/status/1745898393073762547?s=46&t=cqNp48Lte77FaTQeHRRihQ&fbclid=IwAR0nojV6dc62v04Kazf2yUgXXXNY4P-4gPtXS7SUQspVHBeyjD18TsHJnco
Appreciate point - is there an official Israeli number somewhere (that is not quoting Hamas directly as the IDF official in The Times of Israel article did apparently) ? Genuinely interested what official Israeli count is and where maintained, thx
Do your own homework. BTW, I do not give you permission to quote me on anything in this forum.