And who would be responsible for cutting this Gordian knot? The writer lays out carefully what the consequences of not taking the tough action would be. The person or persons in Israel responsible for taking the tough action will have to recognize at the outset that they will feel the wrath of however many Israelis who think this was the utterly wrong and heartless thing to do.
Though not equivalent by any means, please understand, I have to say this reminds me of war clips of General Eisenhower, speaking to the US troops prior to D-day. Prior to the invasion, he met with some of the troops. He was smiling, the men in turn were seemingly light-hearted. I remember thinking how could General Eisenhower greet those men in that fashion, knowing that soon he would be ordering an invasion where many of them would die? It helped to read later accounts of the hours before he had to make the decision. It was said that he paced from one end to the other of the large room in his quarters , chain smoking, for hours. Clearly this decision weighed very heavily on him.
And thusly it would be terrible and heartwrenchingly difficult for the Israeli decision makers.
Yes, I believe Israel is suffering greatly with that moral dilemma. They are suffering individually and as a nation. I hate watching it.
The clip I posted reports finally that a concerted effort is being made by Arab states and the west to force Hamas' hand. I think Israel should stay the course until Hamas is broken.
I think the slanders on Israel are discursive strategies widely used by the architects of Palestine 'resistance' to grab the moral high ground influence perceptions and weaken Israel's spirit.
I am more a Foucault fan than a Chomsky fan. I studied and learned from experience/ relationships about colonization and decolonizing methodologies.
I know I'm not looking at decolonization I'm looking at ubiquitous cultural appropriation and genocidal activities against Israel.
Oct 7th must be understood as reflecting both Islamic religious culture and the particular social culture of 'Palestine'. It was a maniacal , genocidal attack that only disturbed minds could accomplish. It was repeated in Syria against Druze, another minority. It has been repeated in Islamic history to the present day.
So if Palestine sympathizers are going to use narrative weapons like genocide and apartheid, they better explain a few things- more convincingly.
I appreciate that. Is it correct that the entire Arab League is calling for Hamas to lay down arms and release the hostages? I am sure you know more about this than I do but I have reached the conclusion that Hamas will “fight to the death”, never make concessions. Have they not worked on their “project” for 20 years and it is their total identity? And they have no real concern for their own wives and children that they don’t care if they all died? As you wrote, “disturbed” and “maniacal minds”.
That's what I read and posted the link. The Arab League and the EU. It's about time. I don't know …what's the latest in Gaza ..I think our news is about a day or two behind what's happening on the ground.
There will be an occupation in Gaza. I hope a joint provisional government. The PA wants to assume all government responsibilities but they are not trustworthy imo.
It's easy for the UN to say ok let's do this then walk away. But they are not trustworthy either. Not at all.
Actually, people who belong to a cult like Islamism and embrace an ideology that glorifies martyrdom and death are not all "disturbed". They inhabit a belief system that gives meaning to their lives. On some level they do care about their own wives and children, but that is overridden by their belief that Allah calls on them to make such sacrifices.
Exactly. You remember how it was undone? Israel will stay the course and should. Recognizing Palestine as a full member in the UN is rash and premature. I don't know if they are trying to head off Israeli annexation or to thwart Israeli victory in the war.
Did the Knesset actually vote to annex Judea and Samaria?
If so, there is your answer.
If Israel had stronger western Allies I think it would be easier for them to formulate post war plans.
Joshua seems we’ve been here before. I remember in the early 1970’s constantly hearing “we don’t negotiate with terrorists”. Looking back I now believe we were lied to. At this point as tough as it may be we must annihilate Hamas we also must expose Qatar for the trouble makers that they are. They, Qatar are evil. It’s unfortunate that there are hostages but this should not ever dictate military strategy, as brutal as this sounds 50 or 15 million wtf. It doesn’t take an Einstein to do this math.
I don’t have anything else. Treaties and deals are western ideas and hijadis play us because we don’t understand that it’s fine to say one thing and do the opposite.
An example being how Hamas broke every ceasefire agreement with Israel it entered into. There was a ceasefire agreement in effect when Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Exactly. Scenario 3! It's not that difficult to figure out. Of course the world would go crazy, but they go crazy anyway. If you really want to "play a game" you claim they broke some part of the treaty, thereby nullifying it. But who cares? Once it's done, it's done. The world can yell and scream all they want.
The ignored component to this never answered is why was anyone ever dancing near the Gaza border without a gun or without protection? The incentive to take more hostages is already realized because Israel fought not to win. We have already traded thousands of funerals and IDF lives at the price of a few tears. We have been played. Cell phone service should have been eliminated and the tunnels flooded on 10/8. Join me on Facebook in the group Jews for Jews to discuss these failures. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/12MhghArx8d/?mibextid=wwXIfr
They will never surrender. If they do, they will never take power again. Israel won't allow it. And Israel will over time destroy every tunnel. It will set them back to where they were in 1990 and they will never willingly do that. They would rather die. That much is clear.
It is heartbreaking, but you are correct, Joshua. However, you write, "If Hamas wins, the cycle never ends," as if defeating Hamas does end the cycle. Actually, if any of the terror groups survive, the cycle will never end, even when Hamas is defeated. The enemy's zealotry means they will kidnap, kill, torture just because any death/chaos still contributes to their cause. The ideology must be confronted (the moderate Arab countries are already taking steps toward suppressing the ideology).
Yes, just war won't end the Jihadist death cult ideology. There has to be a concerted educational reprogramming after Hamas is disarmed. Bring in Sufi teachers (peaceful muslims). Implement economic incentives to give Palestinians self respect and something to live for besides Jew hatred. Move them to villages in the Sinai and have Israeli Kibbutsniks help them farm and dance Debkas. A cultural reboot is necessary, similar to what happened in Japan, but more radical. Unlike the ethnic reboot that happened to Native Americans, going from a sustainable culture to a culture of greed and disconnection from land, it will be a reboot from a culture of death to a culture of life.
A blunt and sobering but undeniably true article, Joshua! This was always the case but no one wanted to admit it. At the end of the day, Israel must focus on defeating Hamas over rescuing the hostages. This is just the sad reality of the situation. If Israel does rescue the hostages at any cost but leave Hamas in tact even weakened, they will rebuild, rearm and come back and do another October 7th. Israel isn’t truly safe until Hamas is 100% gone. People will never return to Southern Israel and rebuild. The moderate Arab regimes will see Israel as a pushover. There will be no more progress with the Abraham Accords. Peace through strength is what works in the Middle East. Nothing more. Nothing less. Israel I hope can bring as many of the hostages home alive as possible after the war is over. But a decisive victory over the Fourth Reich must be the goal. As Joshua makes clear here, the implications of saving Jewish lives at any price would be horrific.
We should pray for the hostages and their families and hope that they will survive the war. But that is all we can do. I think sadly, as many of the hostages have been rescued as is possible. Hamas are demons in human form. They aren’t rational actors and won’t surrender for any reason. Like Imperialist Japan in WWII they intend to fight on to victory or death. Surrender to Israel is unacceptable to them. Israel must finish the job whatever the cost. If Israel is to be free from fear and the Gazan people are to be free from tyranny and oppression this is what must be done!
No more hostage taking! Hamas must learn that such monstrous actions don’t pay! There will be the swiftest and most terrible retaliation if they kidnap Israeli citizens. Israel can’t and shouldn’t negotiate with these savages. They shouldn’t be rewarded for what they did. No more Palestinian prisoners should be released. No more humanitarian aid sent in. No more good faith gestures. No more peace talks. Israel should ignore the corrupt UN and the ignorant and gullible international community. The United States will be with them all the way! President Trump made it clear, there will be NO recognition of a Palestinian state! He’s not Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron or Mark Carney after all. He’s a real leader who’s got guts and a spine.
Israel needs to go for a decisive victory in Gaza. The United States needs to give them whatever war materials they might need to get the job done. As to the people of Gaza, I feel great compassion and sympathy for them. I pray God will watch over them and keep them safe. I really applaud the invaluable work of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation who’s delivering millions of meals Hamas can’t touch everyday. I also pray for God to watch over and protect the brave men and women of the IDF as they fight the remnants of Hamas that are still out there. Hamas at this point, are on their last legs. Yasser Abu Shabab and his Popular Forces are no angels but I’m rooting for their success against Hamas.
After almost two years of fighting Israel needs a break from this constant fighting and soldiers dying in combat, suffering life altering injuries, suicide rates spiking, and the effect this prolonged war is having on Israeli society and reservists. Lessons can be learned from October 7th and defensive positions strengthened. I'm concerned with the toll fighting is taking on Israelis, not on gazans. I'm not concerned about the gazans. Whatever form this lull in fighting takes is up to Israel and it would be presumptuous of an American to suggest to Israel how to proceed, and whether the lull should be in the form of a short or long term ceasefire. hamas has failed to make everyday an October 7th for Israel, so in that sense Israel has won.
As soon as the nonsensical obsession with the hostages, largely worthless peaceniks too stupid to arm themselves while living next to a terrorist camp, the sooner the troops can pull out and the bombs can begin cleaning out the area.
I am going to speak coldly here as an outside analyst discussing options logically. I am going to sound callous. Here goes. 1,200 people were murdered on October 7. There were a couple of hundred hostages, around 100 or so of whom have been returned at enormous cost. This was mishandled from day one. Netnayahu should have made the hard cold decsion in October 23 to go in and quickly destroy Hamas and all the tunnels and done so within a very short period of time no matter the cost in "innocent" Palestinian lives and without regard to the hostages who should have been treated as more casualties, murdered by Hamas. Instead he pretended he could do both and seemed to think that he could keep this going for years without long term cost to Israel. Israeli society is coming apart, the entire world has gone insane and is openly on the side of Hamas to regain power and do it again and will gladly provide the aid to do so if Israel ends the war with Hamas the governing entity. If Israel ends the war but holds a buffer zone we have Lebanon again. The world will demand Israel vacate it and at some point some stupid Israeli PM will do it again. Now Netanyahu will be finished if he gives up the hostages and wins the war on Israel's terms. He will be attacked and his career destroyed both by well meaning people who truly believe that Hamas can be allowed to rearm and recover to save 20 people and those who will use any excuse to destroy him. But this is the right choice and the right thing to do as much as Truman firing McArthur was the right thing to do and as much as Begin dissolving the Irgum and giving up weaponry after the Altaleana . But I don't think Bibi has it in him to choose the right thing over his career. And I don't think he will ever do it. Israel is in a fix and so are Jews and Zionists around the Western World. Had this been finished in say 6 months the world would have moved on by now and we would mourn the lost hostages as we mourn the murdered on October 7.
I am sorry but I think there is an inherent and fatal contradiction in Joshua's argument in regard to 'destroying' Hamas. Nobody, including Joshua, has ever been able to convincing articulate how Hamas can be destroyed. In fact, Joshua seems to explicitly contradict himself when talking about this 'destroy-Hamas' path when he writes these chilling words:
" But this theory rests on one fatal misunderstanding: that Hamas is a rational actor. They are not. They are jihadists — messianic fundamentalists who thrive on death. The more death, the merrier. They worship destruction more than they value their own people. Hamas does not respond to pressure the way nation-states or even militant insurgencies do. Its leadership does not fear death, nor care about infrastructure, nor seek compromise. It seeks martyrdom. The more Gaza burns, the more they believe they are winning."
In the last few months, the IDF has taken over about 75% of Gaza, while way too many IDF soldiers have fallen. Despite Netanyahu's talk of applying all this pressure to get hostages and defeat Hamas, this has not moved the needle as would be expected by those very words above stated by Joshua himself. Israel is a very bad place now being at the mercy of the Hamas terrorists who can simply stay put in their tunnels while Israeli society languishes in misery with fallen soldiers and desperate hostages in this endless war that our leaders have no clue how to 'win'.
Unfortunately this article does provide any real answers...unless I am missing something?
Yeah. That other 25 percent which the IDF stays away from because that is where the hostages are. If there were no hostages the IDF would have long ago had total control of Gaza and would have destroyed all the tunnels and forced out all the Hamas fighters and would have likely killed essentially all. They also would have killed a lot more Palestinian
"civilians" but had this been done by say March 24, it would already be ancient histroy. Dragging it our played exactly into the hands of the Jew haters throughout the West and in the Middle East.
Thanks for your comment BUT Israel has to deal with the 'war' they have (which includes the hostages) and not the one they would prefer (no hostages) so I am not sure what you are saying here with regard to 'destroying' Hamas and 'winning' ? You seem to confirm my sentiments about 'not-winning'.
It's not necessary to destroy the last supporter, as it was not necessary to destroy the last Nazi to incapacitate the Nazi ideology (sure it still exists, but it has no fangs). However it IS necessary to provide an alternative ideology (after Hamas is incapaciated) that is pro peace and life. That was what the Marshall plan did both in Germany and Japan. Otherwise you chop off one head and 2 grow in its stead. They Hydra problem...
Talmudic law, states that “captives should not be ransomed for more than their value for the benefit of society,” in part to prevent bankrupting the community and to deter further kidnappings. There is nothing really new about hostages.
Has anyone read Norman Finkelstein's book The Holocaust Industry or Omer Bartov's book Genocide, the Holocaust and Israel/Palestine?
To me, they put a new spin on Holocaust denial.
There is only one point they make which is that the magnitude the of the Nazi Holocaust has to be anulled so that Palestine claims the higher moral ground and so that 'genocide' of Palestinians doesn't sound so comparatively small and ridiculous. Holocaust history is troublesome for their cause especially in Germany where they say it inhibits criticism of de facto 'oppression'.
Why not? Agree to anything; get the hostages, then go in and do what you gotta do. Simple. They lie all the time, have been lying for years about negotiating for a state, etc. etc. It's time Israel does the same.
A very hard choice to make. But the choice must be made for the greater good. If the choice is to go in and try and free the rest of the hostages and destroy Hamas, then do it as quickly as possible. This long war is turning into a public relations nightmare for Israel.
And who would be responsible for cutting this Gordian knot? The writer lays out carefully what the consequences of not taking the tough action would be. The person or persons in Israel responsible for taking the tough action will have to recognize at the outset that they will feel the wrath of however many Israelis who think this was the utterly wrong and heartless thing to do.
Though not equivalent by any means, please understand, I have to say this reminds me of war clips of General Eisenhower, speaking to the US troops prior to D-day. Prior to the invasion, he met with some of the troops. He was smiling, the men in turn were seemingly light-hearted. I remember thinking how could General Eisenhower greet those men in that fashion, knowing that soon he would be ordering an invasion where many of them would die? It helped to read later accounts of the hours before he had to make the decision. It was said that he paced from one end to the other of the large room in his quarters , chain smoking, for hours. Clearly this decision weighed very heavily on him.
And thusly it would be terrible and heartwrenchingly difficult for the Israeli decision makers.
Yes, I believe Israel is suffering greatly with that moral dilemma. They are suffering individually and as a nation. I hate watching it.
The clip I posted reports finally that a concerted effort is being made by Arab states and the west to force Hamas' hand. I think Israel should stay the course until Hamas is broken.
I think the slanders on Israel are discursive strategies widely used by the architects of Palestine 'resistance' to grab the moral high ground influence perceptions and weaken Israel's spirit.
I am more a Foucault fan than a Chomsky fan. I studied and learned from experience/ relationships about colonization and decolonizing methodologies.
I know I'm not looking at decolonization I'm looking at ubiquitous cultural appropriation and genocidal activities against Israel.
Oct 7th must be understood as reflecting both Islamic religious culture and the particular social culture of 'Palestine'. It was a maniacal , genocidal attack that only disturbed minds could accomplish. It was repeated in Syria against Druze, another minority. It has been repeated in Islamic history to the present day.
So if Palestine sympathizers are going to use narrative weapons like genocide and apartheid, they better explain a few things- more convincingly.
I appreciate that. Is it correct that the entire Arab League is calling for Hamas to lay down arms and release the hostages? I am sure you know more about this than I do but I have reached the conclusion that Hamas will “fight to the death”, never make concessions. Have they not worked on their “project” for 20 years and it is their total identity? And they have no real concern for their own wives and children that they don’t care if they all died? As you wrote, “disturbed” and “maniacal minds”.
That's what I read and posted the link. The Arab League and the EU. It's about time. I don't know …what's the latest in Gaza ..I think our news is about a day or two behind what's happening on the ground.
There will be an occupation in Gaza. I hope a joint provisional government. The PA wants to assume all government responsibilities but they are not trustworthy imo.
It's easy for the UN to say ok let's do this then walk away. But they are not trustworthy either. Not at all.
Actually, people who belong to a cult like Islamism and embrace an ideology that glorifies martyrdom and death are not all "disturbed". They inhabit a belief system that gives meaning to their lives. On some level they do care about their own wives and children, but that is overridden by their belief that Allah calls on them to make such sacrifices.
Exactly. You remember how it was undone? Israel will stay the course and should. Recognizing Palestine as a full member in the UN is rash and premature. I don't know if they are trying to head off Israeli annexation or to thwart Israeli victory in the war.
Did the Knesset actually vote to annex Judea and Samaria?
If so, there is your answer.
If Israel had stronger western Allies I think it would be easier for them to formulate post war plans.
And yet as I note above, they should make it. They need to make it. But they won't.
Joshua seems we’ve been here before. I remember in the early 1970’s constantly hearing “we don’t negotiate with terrorists”. Looking back I now believe we were lied to. At this point as tough as it may be we must annihilate Hamas we also must expose Qatar for the trouble makers that they are. They, Qatar are evil. It’s unfortunate that there are hostages but this should not ever dictate military strategy, as brutal as this sounds 50 or 15 million wtf. It doesn’t take an Einstein to do this math.
This just in:
Hamas says Palestinian resistance will not stop until 'occupation' ends https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-862914?utm_source=jpost.app.apple&utm_medium=share
If Israel left the West Bank, then exactly the same thing would happen as happened in Gaza.
The solution is to do it the Iranian way. Make a promise. Get the hostages. Ignore the promise. Neutralize Hamas.
Won’t work sorry I reread their current charter yesterday a death cult that won’t be appeased until all 15 million of us are dead DED dead.
I don’t have anything else. Treaties and deals are western ideas and hijadis play us because we don’t understand that it’s fine to say one thing and do the opposite.
An example being how Hamas broke every ceasefire agreement with Israel it entered into. There was a ceasefire agreement in effect when Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Exactly. Scenario 3! It's not that difficult to figure out. Of course the world would go crazy, but they go crazy anyway. If you really want to "play a game" you claim they broke some part of the treaty, thereby nullifying it. But who cares? Once it's done, it's done. The world can yell and scream all they want.
That assuredly won't happen.
It is utterly heartbreaking!
The ignored component to this never answered is why was anyone ever dancing near the Gaza border without a gun or without protection? The incentive to take more hostages is already realized because Israel fought not to win. We have already traded thousands of funerals and IDF lives at the price of a few tears. We have been played. Cell phone service should have been eliminated and the tunnels flooded on 10/8. Join me on Facebook in the group Jews for Jews to discuss these failures. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/12MhghArx8d/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Thanks for mentioning Jews for Jews on the FB. I just joined!
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/12MhghArx8d/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Of course they would attack Kafrs.
The only way for the release of the hostages is the unconditional surrender of Hamas
They will never surrender. If they do, they will never take power again. Israel won't allow it. And Israel will over time destroy every tunnel. It will set them back to where they were in 1990 and they will never willingly do that. They would rather die. That much is clear.
Good. Let them die for Allah. It is their most coveted desire, according to their motto.
That was a nasty thing for me to say and it's out of anger. But also I have no sympathy.
you are right
It is heartbreaking, but you are correct, Joshua. However, you write, "If Hamas wins, the cycle never ends," as if defeating Hamas does end the cycle. Actually, if any of the terror groups survive, the cycle will never end, even when Hamas is defeated. The enemy's zealotry means they will kidnap, kill, torture just because any death/chaos still contributes to their cause. The ideology must be confronted (the moderate Arab countries are already taking steps toward suppressing the ideology).
Yes, just war won't end the Jihadist death cult ideology. There has to be a concerted educational reprogramming after Hamas is disarmed. Bring in Sufi teachers (peaceful muslims). Implement economic incentives to give Palestinians self respect and something to live for besides Jew hatred. Move them to villages in the Sinai and have Israeli Kibbutsniks help them farm and dance Debkas. A cultural reboot is necessary, similar to what happened in Japan, but more radical. Unlike the ethnic reboot that happened to Native Americans, going from a sustainable culture to a culture of greed and disconnection from land, it will be a reboot from a culture of death to a culture of life.
Have you heard of the Muslim Reform Movement? They're trying: https://muslimreformmovement.org/
No, I'll check it out, thanks.
Absolute. Spread the word!
A blunt and sobering but undeniably true article, Joshua! This was always the case but no one wanted to admit it. At the end of the day, Israel must focus on defeating Hamas over rescuing the hostages. This is just the sad reality of the situation. If Israel does rescue the hostages at any cost but leave Hamas in tact even weakened, they will rebuild, rearm and come back and do another October 7th. Israel isn’t truly safe until Hamas is 100% gone. People will never return to Southern Israel and rebuild. The moderate Arab regimes will see Israel as a pushover. There will be no more progress with the Abraham Accords. Peace through strength is what works in the Middle East. Nothing more. Nothing less. Israel I hope can bring as many of the hostages home alive as possible after the war is over. But a decisive victory over the Fourth Reich must be the goal. As Joshua makes clear here, the implications of saving Jewish lives at any price would be horrific.
We should pray for the hostages and their families and hope that they will survive the war. But that is all we can do. I think sadly, as many of the hostages have been rescued as is possible. Hamas are demons in human form. They aren’t rational actors and won’t surrender for any reason. Like Imperialist Japan in WWII they intend to fight on to victory or death. Surrender to Israel is unacceptable to them. Israel must finish the job whatever the cost. If Israel is to be free from fear and the Gazan people are to be free from tyranny and oppression this is what must be done!
No more hostage taking! Hamas must learn that such monstrous actions don’t pay! There will be the swiftest and most terrible retaliation if they kidnap Israeli citizens. Israel can’t and shouldn’t negotiate with these savages. They shouldn’t be rewarded for what they did. No more Palestinian prisoners should be released. No more humanitarian aid sent in. No more good faith gestures. No more peace talks. Israel should ignore the corrupt UN and the ignorant and gullible international community. The United States will be with them all the way! President Trump made it clear, there will be NO recognition of a Palestinian state! He’s not Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron or Mark Carney after all. He’s a real leader who’s got guts and a spine.
Israel needs to go for a decisive victory in Gaza. The United States needs to give them whatever war materials they might need to get the job done. As to the people of Gaza, I feel great compassion and sympathy for them. I pray God will watch over them and keep them safe. I really applaud the invaluable work of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation who’s delivering millions of meals Hamas can’t touch everyday. I also pray for God to watch over and protect the brave men and women of the IDF as they fight the remnants of Hamas that are still out there. Hamas at this point, are on their last legs. Yasser Abu Shabab and his Popular Forces are no angels but I’m rooting for their success against Hamas.
There was a (much loathed) member of the Knesset who did say that at the outset.
After almost two years of fighting Israel needs a break from this constant fighting and soldiers dying in combat, suffering life altering injuries, suicide rates spiking, and the effect this prolonged war is having on Israeli society and reservists. Lessons can be learned from October 7th and defensive positions strengthened. I'm concerned with the toll fighting is taking on Israelis, not on gazans. I'm not concerned about the gazans. Whatever form this lull in fighting takes is up to Israel and it would be presumptuous of an American to suggest to Israel how to proceed, and whether the lull should be in the form of a short or long term ceasefire. hamas has failed to make everyday an October 7th for Israel, so in that sense Israel has won.
As soon as the nonsensical obsession with the hostages, largely worthless peaceniks too stupid to arm themselves while living next to a terrorist camp, the sooner the troops can pull out and the bombs can begin cleaning out the area.
I am going to speak coldly here as an outside analyst discussing options logically. I am going to sound callous. Here goes. 1,200 people were murdered on October 7. There were a couple of hundred hostages, around 100 or so of whom have been returned at enormous cost. This was mishandled from day one. Netnayahu should have made the hard cold decsion in October 23 to go in and quickly destroy Hamas and all the tunnels and done so within a very short period of time no matter the cost in "innocent" Palestinian lives and without regard to the hostages who should have been treated as more casualties, murdered by Hamas. Instead he pretended he could do both and seemed to think that he could keep this going for years without long term cost to Israel. Israeli society is coming apart, the entire world has gone insane and is openly on the side of Hamas to regain power and do it again and will gladly provide the aid to do so if Israel ends the war with Hamas the governing entity. If Israel ends the war but holds a buffer zone we have Lebanon again. The world will demand Israel vacate it and at some point some stupid Israeli PM will do it again. Now Netanyahu will be finished if he gives up the hostages and wins the war on Israel's terms. He will be attacked and his career destroyed both by well meaning people who truly believe that Hamas can be allowed to rearm and recover to save 20 people and those who will use any excuse to destroy him. But this is the right choice and the right thing to do as much as Truman firing McArthur was the right thing to do and as much as Begin dissolving the Irgum and giving up weaponry after the Altaleana . But I don't think Bibi has it in him to choose the right thing over his career. And I don't think he will ever do it. Israel is in a fix and so are Jews and Zionists around the Western World. Had this been finished in say 6 months the world would have moved on by now and we would mourn the lost hostages as we mourn the murdered on October 7.
I am sorry but I think there is an inherent and fatal contradiction in Joshua's argument in regard to 'destroying' Hamas. Nobody, including Joshua, has ever been able to convincing articulate how Hamas can be destroyed. In fact, Joshua seems to explicitly contradict himself when talking about this 'destroy-Hamas' path when he writes these chilling words:
" But this theory rests on one fatal misunderstanding: that Hamas is a rational actor. They are not. They are jihadists — messianic fundamentalists who thrive on death. The more death, the merrier. They worship destruction more than they value their own people. Hamas does not respond to pressure the way nation-states or even militant insurgencies do. Its leadership does not fear death, nor care about infrastructure, nor seek compromise. It seeks martyrdom. The more Gaza burns, the more they believe they are winning."
In the last few months, the IDF has taken over about 75% of Gaza, while way too many IDF soldiers have fallen. Despite Netanyahu's talk of applying all this pressure to get hostages and defeat Hamas, this has not moved the needle as would be expected by those very words above stated by Joshua himself. Israel is a very bad place now being at the mercy of the Hamas terrorists who can simply stay put in their tunnels while Israeli society languishes in misery with fallen soldiers and desperate hostages in this endless war that our leaders have no clue how to 'win'.
Unfortunately this article does provide any real answers...unless I am missing something?
Yeah. That other 25 percent which the IDF stays away from because that is where the hostages are. If there were no hostages the IDF would have long ago had total control of Gaza and would have destroyed all the tunnels and forced out all the Hamas fighters and would have likely killed essentially all. They also would have killed a lot more Palestinian
"civilians" but had this been done by say March 24, it would already be ancient histroy. Dragging it our played exactly into the hands of the Jew haters throughout the West and in the Middle East.
Thanks for your comment BUT Israel has to deal with the 'war' they have (which includes the hostages) and not the one they would prefer (no hostages) so I am not sure what you are saying here with regard to 'destroying' Hamas and 'winning' ? You seem to confirm my sentiments about 'not-winning'.
I am saying there's no choice but to forget about the hostages. Of course Hamas can be destroyed. At the least the tunnels all have to be destroyed.
Hamas will be destroyed when the last supporter is destroyed. Whether that last supporter is the last Palestinian is the question.
It's not necessary to destroy the last supporter, as it was not necessary to destroy the last Nazi to incapacitate the Nazi ideology (sure it still exists, but it has no fangs). However it IS necessary to provide an alternative ideology (after Hamas is incapaciated) that is pro peace and life. That was what the Marshall plan did both in Germany and Japan. Otherwise you chop off one head and 2 grow in its stead. They Hydra problem...
Talmudic law, states that “captives should not be ransomed for more than their value for the benefit of society,” in part to prevent bankrupting the community and to deter further kidnappings. There is nothing really new about hostages.
AMEN 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱
Has anyone read Norman Finkelstein's book The Holocaust Industry or Omer Bartov's book Genocide, the Holocaust and Israel/Palestine?
To me, they put a new spin on Holocaust denial.
There is only one point they make which is that the magnitude the of the Nazi Holocaust has to be anulled so that Palestine claims the higher moral ground and so that 'genocide' of Palestinians doesn't sound so comparatively small and ridiculous. Holocaust history is troublesome for their cause especially in Germany where they say it inhibits criticism of de facto 'oppression'.
Any thoughts ?
Why not? Agree to anything; get the hostages, then go in and do what you gotta do. Simple. They lie all the time, have been lying for years about negotiating for a state, etc. etc. It's time Israel does the same.
A very hard choice to make. But the choice must be made for the greater good. If the choice is to go in and try and free the rest of the hostages and destroy Hamas, then do it as quickly as possible. This long war is turning into a public relations nightmare for Israel.