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Sylvan Changuion's avatar

Great article. Thank you Joshua. I agree 💯. It is a nasty job so do it quickly and ruthlessly. There must relentless pursuit until the depraved scumbags are totally crushed. The cure must be so devastating that no-one dare repeat or think about harming a Jew or an Israeli. No pauses, no temporary ceasefire. Hammer and hammer them. They must not have a chance to breathe. Quick victory will save civilian lives. Am Yisrael Chai

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jerry kleiner's avatar

Frankly, after a year of this, we surely have beaten this lie to death. Actually, we've beaten all the ugly lies to death .... the genocide, starvation, stealing of land and all the others you had listed Joshua in one of your wonderful essays. At this point, the accuser does not care or has done no research whatsoever. The accuser may not care for a multitude of reasons. Kamala Harris says the death toll is too high but she knows very well that the statement is a lie. She doesn't care cuz she wants the votes. The media loves the sensationalism and of course a great many are just Jew haters. Spending time writing about it to an audience that is fairly savvy on what is going on is IMHO a waste of precious time that should be devoted to other perhaps better areas. Personally, I would like to see more investigative journalism, possible solutions to these lies, essays that elicit a call to action. the evolution of the Marxist Islamist marriage and possible ways to fight it, Getting our Schools and Universities back from DEI, Woke and the rest which all have brought a rise in antisemitism and is very much connected to our problems, If there is a Islamist Marxist marriage then who can Jews try to marry to fight this. The list is endless. I just want us to stop whining and complaining and justifying everything and start being proactive on the many fronts. Our PR campaign sucks because we place our talents on regurgitation and that IMHO accomplishes very little.

ahimsa, papa j

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Daniel Clarke-Serret's avatar

Great article , brilliantly articulated. Indeed I'd love to feature it on Guerre and Shalom as a guest post.

1 thing though. The fact that the other side doesn't keep the rules doesn’t mean Israel should exempt itself from them. 100% not. What is does mean is that the UN and other nations must unequivocally and daily wage diplomatic war on the terrorists for not complying. And if the UN and the nations don't , then the nations should be criticised and the UN defunded. That is the way to square the moral circle.

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ryan's avatar

The blatant hypocrisy. NO demonstrations for Sudan's suffering millions. OR for Myanmar's as reported in NY Times. And I could give other examples. The NY Times had a long, long piece on the war and how it affects one separated family. Hamas is mentioned only one time. As if to purposely portray Israel as waging a war on Gazan civilians. now with Sinwar's death...some are saying it will help bring about the end of the war while a Palestinian spokesperson on I 24 says that without "leadership" this somehow will further endanger the hostages. Every Israeli action is "targeted assassination" so somehow illegitimate. The West takes away no 'Lessons" from Israel's "ferocious response to its civilians targeted and butchered." Okay to say the right things about the dead of the Holocaust but not for those murdered a year ago.

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Doug Israel's avatar

By and large the West DOES understand what you write here. That is the ordinary people of the US, Europe, Australia etc understand that Israel is the good guy operating ethically and the jihadists are monsters. But the unholy alliance of the leftists and the Islamists couldn't care less about the rules of war. Their only rule is anything to hurt Israel is good and just and any defense at all by Israel is wrong and evil. Unfortunately the governments of the West have been captured by the unholy alliance and either openly agree with them or are too frightened to do what's right.

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Freedom To Offend's avatar

Good job. The saddest thing is that Qatar and Iran (Hamas and Hezbollah) want Palestinian casualties to create Western sympathy, which they think will increase their power and increase the chances of a Judenfrei Middle East; they planned Oct. 7 for many years; they took money for hospitals, schools and sanitation and spent it on weapons and tunnels. Palestinian non-combatants knew what was going on; the dream of killing Jews and the stubborn century-old fixation of refusing to have Jewish neighbours (hurting worse when those neighbours made the desert bloom and built a prosperous society - all next to their squalor) still matters more to them than their children, their future, their prosperity. And let us not forget that regular Palestinians joined the slaughter; this idea that there is some deep ideological divide between Hamas and non-combatants is not true.

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Mark Akst's avatar

I did not know where you were going at the beginning of your article. I thought you were going to over think the current military situation. However you finally got to a conclusion that I wholeheartedly agree with.

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V3's avatar

Excellent…clarity

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Alfred Harder's avatar

So-called "civilians" that fail to resist terrorists are actually complicit "enemy combatants", as is anyone allowing terrorists to use their home as a terrorist base, or even those that allow themselves being used as Human shields! The very moment someone becomes complesente in terrorism. they cease to be civilians and become enemy combatants, and therefore fair targets!

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Richard Hacker's avatar

A most excellent article. Too bad that the current U.S. admin has no intention of acting like the French in 1781 outside of Yorktown. They have more invested in securing the Arab-American vote over the next 20 days than in helping Israel towards a solid victory. And that, my friend, is just a fact of life right now.

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Susan Hirshorn's avatar

The Palestinian "civilians" in Gaza, Judea and Samaria hate Jews openly, call for our destruction, elect terrorists like Arafat and Hamas to accomplish these desires, celebrate horrors like Oct 7 and teach their kids to hate Jews, too. Israel should follow international law when it comes to warning them to evacuate when we are about to strike but that's all. Don't bend over backward to save them. Finish Hamas in these regions once and for all and deport the civilians. Other Arab countries had no problems deporting Palestinians when they caused trouble for them. Why should Israel continue to let these hate-mongers fester in our midst? Let the world pity them. Who cares? If other countries won't take them, deport them into the desert. The only thing Israel need concern herself with is having enough military leverage to tell the world to f....k itself. Kahane was right years ago. If he'd lived and gained power, Israel would be in good shape today and Oct 7 would never have happened.

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Puck's avatar

In the main, arguments well presented. However, the article raises a couple of issues that need to be considered.

Firstly, there is a flaw in comparing Jihadism with ideologies like Naziism which is based on uber nationalism. One can be patriotic without demanding the subjugation of all other nations and elimination of those it considered untermenschlich. Jihadism, on the other hand is rooted in religious supremacism which calls for conversion of all kufrs, that is non-believers. For religious adherents, its pious, its devout, to reject this fundamental religious imperative, according to the Koran, is to condemn one's soul to eternal damnation. The only resolution is to separate "church" from state, as was done with Christianity (especially the Roman Catholic Church). Possible, but it will take lots of time — much longer than the de-Nazification program — will, and reeducation.

The second problem lies with the Jews themselves. Many persistently use Arab terms to describe themselves the way the Arabs describe them. Case in point: in this very article we read "The other option is more war and more suffering for the people of Gaza, the West Bank . . ." The very act of referring to Judea and Samaria as the West Bank, refuses to acknowledge that the so-called West Bank historically has for thousands of years been called Judea-Samaria but only renamed the West Bank by Jordan in 1950 to efface any Jewish connection to its heartland. By doing so one cedes legal, sovereign Israeli territory to the Arabs by. Consequently, while "The Arabs are utterly incapable of defeating Israel militarily," we will do it for them by paving the way for the looming imposed Pax Americana so-called two state solution, that is, the establishment of not one but two "Palestinian" states on its borders.

Note this second one has a charter explicitly calling for the elimination of the sovereign state of Israel — thus by definition making it a terror state, something no country in the world would allow, but Jews are expected to meekly put their necks on the block.

The charter also calls for the killing of Jews not only in Israel but wherever they can be found. According to the Geneva Convention on Genocide, this charter and Hamas' actions, such as Oct 7th, fulfill the very definition of Genocidal Acts.

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ryan's avatar

nazism , communism are religions....look at N Korea today which regards the Kims as deities.

Bernard Lewis , the late historian, has written of communism as a religion.

I see a direct link between jihadi fanatic Islam and these other totalitarian ideologies.

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Daisy Moses Chief Crackpot's avatar

Eloquently stated but won't fly with the "haters" out there... which now are the MAJORITY. Ignorin' public opinion is a baaaad idea. Someone needs to conduct a well-publicized effort, concrete PROOF of:

1. IDF instructions--heard from both soldiers & commanders--forbiddin' torture, brutality, an' wanton killin' (which "they" all accuse Israel of perpetratin' on the world)

2. examples (MANY!) of humanitarian efforts on the part of Israel--medical treatment for Palestinian children wounded for example, I dunno what else but SOMETHING to counter the narrative that joos (not just Israelis) are not bloodthirsty murderers... the "art" of war is imbuin' yer enemies with yer own worst traits--consider that a "done deal" but the Quatarian PR dept...

3. Arab voices denouncin' their own oppressive gubbamints & leaders... (genuinely) AND sayin' something nice 'bout Israel... too little of this (folks are mockin' the "we'll sing again" viddos fwiw)

Re yer great essay--yes... but...

1. "they" say Israel is no democracy an' has never been (I'd argue to some degree ditto fer the USA) so it's not worth defending -- duz not help that Israel made it illegal to critter-cize the gubbamint in the battle against Hamas, duz not help that we heard both RT & Al-Jazz-Ear-ah got banned there... Everyone sez Israel is fascist/socialist an' however a blatant exaggeration that may be--sayin' Israel is a democracy is met with cries of "bullshart" today... even tho, sure, it ain't sharia law there... GOTTA do better than just sayin' it (IMHO) -- I'm all for Israel improvin' on it's democratic aims--it's yet a young country!--but fer it to survive... this statement needs backup which is sorely lackin' (for those outsiders)

2. if I have ya right, Group B is Israel--what kind of world? the kind we have now--Sadly we joos do not matter and to most out there--ANY life is more valuable than a jooish one. We now have such a horrific reputation--an' I mean all joos with few carve outs fer the "noble" anti-zionists--have to build a brand new rep. Nobuddy out there cares what Israel invents. I'm sorry ta say this but I read the comments DAILY... We have to prove ourselves (joos the world over) all over again which is a tough challenge--AND that proof cannot be in military/spying/AI etc... it has to be in some other way--humanitarian, preferably. This doesn't mean that "we" cannot excel in those other areas but we need some good PR an' real "mitzvot" that help "all people" or else I fear we are sunk (actually this is how I was raised anyway--gotta be doubly good at all you do to get past the haters & the doubters!) No restin' on past laurels as other nations / peoples do...

3. MUST must must show Israel is really an ally of the USA an' not just a terrorist money-sucker. That BROWN STUDY is all over the innertubes like white on rice an' taxpayers are hoppin' mad that from post WWII to the present more of their hard-earned money has gone to (the now-hated) Israel than to any other nation. Israel must show that WHY the US should support it an' BB is way too pompous in his rhetoric to help--he harms, sorry ta say. (fergit the standin' ovations--I read the comments). To justify Israel's gettin' US $$$ something other than spyin', assasination, AI, an' brutal trainin' of US cops to treat citizens as military targets needs ta be stated. (I know that Mossad is a double-edged sword, we got the CIA ourselfs here--but if Israel is ONLY an ally in black ops NOBODY in the USA will support that). Gotta do Waaaay better

4. gotta show the people (if true) that Mossad didn't take out JFK & RFK--these are American heroes an' there are jooish fingerprints on this stuff--up to US to prove otherwise ('specially with Ruby etc bein' a chew...) I LOOK at what others say... THIS is why many say Israel is the USA's worst enemy not a friend or ally--again, if Israel took out two US heroes... there's gotta be some proof to the contrary or reckonin'... folks are not that dumb..

Last but not least--EVERYONE is now blabbin' 'bout GREATER ISRAEL:

https://www.infowars.com/posts/greater-israel-and-americas-holy-war/

I don't know what to believe but this is HORRIBLY BAD PR... It defeats the idea of one tiny nation just wantin' peace--now it's a huge globalist acquisitive expansive effort to... dare I say it... "rule the world nazi style"

Sorry ta be so frank (oh we also gotta stop 'em tellin' us we're all frankists too--oy)

Yer doin' great work--get more voices an' then we gotta git Melanie Phillips, Douglas Murray, Brendon O'Neill ta help shout it out (nobuddy in the USA wants to help..) Just a few thoughts sincerely put out--Am Israel Chai an' G-d help us!

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Frau Katze's avatar

There’s some crazy people out there who believe weird things like Mossad killed JFK and RFK. I’ve even argued with this type. They are irrational and beyond reach.

It can’t hurt to try of course. If there’s a comment section enter something indicating how fringe this belief is.

It’s like Holocaust deniers. I’ve never been able to reach them.

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Daisy Moses Chief Crackpot's avatar

yup CRAZY is right! sigh... but then RATIONAL folks take this up seein' it promulgated...

Yup, an' I DO comment too! but I'm just a little minnow in the big pond, I barely create bubbles!--

Apart from much better PR, we all need someone with a bigger profile an' eggcellent research chops ta make a prominent public debate an' debunk this kinda stuff so it gets out--

IMO when the haters accuse joos of killin' their sacred heroes JFK & RFK it's not unlike "you killed our Lord" (which...allow me ta say it--Joe Kennedy might've agreed with!) We got work ta do an' all that fightin' the good fight ain't diddly without people ADDRESSIN' the lies an' not avoidin' 'em...

See IMHO if Israel an' even American joos with an audience (a real foller'in) feel that to address such topics are "beneath 'em" the dis-ease festers--and becomes no longer "fringe" but popularly accepted "belief"... Even the DENIERS are back! (I fight off more've 'em too!--the "comment wars")

(an' I wuz so happy ta find this site--lotta good writin' like an oasis in a huge desert--filled with scorpions! I tend ta read it AFTER I take in the bad stuff lol)

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Onappeal's avatar

Unfortunately, the “philosophical” debate, is not about a search for truth or enlightenment. Rather, it’s powered by antisemitism pure and simple. The world will always mourn dead Jews, but deplores fighting Jews. They object to Israel because, how dare Jews defend themselves aggressively and successfully. עם ישראל חי!

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Steven Brizel's avatar

No war has ever been won without a civilian population being starved and rendered incapable of supporting its armed forces

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Robin Alexander's avatar

"On October 7th, Hamas exacted an overwhelmingly heavy price on Israel, but we did not buckle. We roared back and have reminded those Arabs who declare themselves to be our enemies that they have zero chance of destroying Israel by military force or terrorism." I love this. The minute I read it, I realized it is true. And that makes gives me a lot more peace of mind.

Also, in regard to civilian casualties and the world's obsession with calling out Israel for its "horrible immoral behavior," let's not forget that Hamas soldiers often dress like civilians, that so-called Palestinian journalists are often Hamas, as well as UNWRA workers. They have a great PR structure, but . . . they will lose and I feel like now is the time.

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