Israel

[yellowstone123]

In today's email news brief Haaratz, a newspaper in Israel reports:

"Blinken said Israel has not shown the U.S. a "credible plan" to prevent Hamas from re-establishing its presence in areas of Gaza the IDF has left, warning Israel could face an "enduring insurgency." The Biden administration has reportedly offered Israel intelligence on the location of Hamas leaders in exchange for avoiding a major Rafah offensive. Israeli officials said negotiations for a hostage release deal have not halted. Egypt announced it is joining South Africa's petition against Israel at the ICJ due its military operation in Rafah. Hezbollah is reportedly planning to gradually withdraw most of its combatants from the border with Israel."

Further:

" The Netanyahu government has, almost from the very beginning of the current war with Gaza, pitted itself not just against Hamas but against Biden. The president has revealed time and again [the government's] defects by showing his much clearer understanding of what should be done to advance Israel's long-term interests" - David Rothkopf

and further more:

WEST BANK: An empty house in the West Bank Palestinian village of Duma was set on fire overnight into Sunday by unknown perpetrators who graffitied on the walls the phrase "price tag," used by extremist settlers, as well as referenced 30 days since the murder of 14-year-old Israeli Binyamin Ahimeir, who lived in a nearby settlement.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah said that one Palestinian was shot and killed during an IDF raid on the Balata refugee camp near Nablus overnight into Sunday. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, another Palestinian was wounded and transported to a hospital.

Finally:

'Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 on October 7. In Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 35,034 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 129 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to legislation promoted by the Netanyahu government aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

But will this ever end:

A review of the past:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%8 ... tra_affair

[Vēritās]

There is no getting rid of Hamas and Israel is being disingenuous by pretending that is even a possible goal. They want us to believe they have absolutely no idea how Hamas is created. Hamas is a product of decades of oppression, occupation, rape and murder by the Israelis, whether it be from the IDF or from the settlers themselves. The media wants us to believe this "war" started October 7th but that's because the media has been ignoring all of the killings of Palestinians in the subsequent months and years.

The media also wants us to take for granted all "reporting" that comes from Israel, no matter how many times they have been exposed as lying propagandists. Instead, we're supposed to believe that our lying eyes and ears are nothing more than Hamas propaganda. If you want to protest the fact that Israel is slaughtering children with impunity using our tax dollars, then this means you're an antisemite.

The way this country bends over backwards for Israel makes me embarrassed as an American. We pretend to be this great and powerful nation and yet all we do it seems is kiss Israel's ass and let them get away with crimes we'd never dare attempt. Why? Because we don't want to be shamed as antisemites.

[Dr Exiled]

There is no getting rid of Hamas and Israel is being disingenuous by pretending that is even a possible goal. They want us to believe they have absolutely no idea how Hamas is created. Hamas is a product of decades of oppression, occupation, rape and murder by the Israelis, whether it be from the IDF or from the settlers themselves. The media wants us to believe this "war" started October 7th but that's because the media has been ignoring all of the killings of Palestinians in the subsequent months and years.

The media also wants us to take for granted all "reporting" that comes from Israel, no matter how many times they have been exposed as lying propagandists. Instead, we're supposed to believe that our lying eyes and ears are nothing more than Hamas propaganda. If you want to protest the fact that Israel is slaughtering children with impunity using our tax dollars, then this means you're an antisemite.

The way this country bends over backwards for Israel makes me embarrassed as an American. We pretend to be this great and powerful nation and yet all we do it seems is kiss Israel's ass and let them get away with crimes we'd never dare attempt. Why? Because we don't want to be shamed as antisemites.

Yup. Time to take a close look at AIPAC and what they do. In this video, Cynthia McKinney says that all of Congress at the time she was there was pressured to take a loyalty oath to Israel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImFMcbF2MYY That is unacceptable. We aren't the United States of Israel. Time to seriously review our exorbitant aid to the State of Israel each and every year and perhaps lower it to zero. We also need to get rid of this guy and the others in Congress that hold the same views: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politi ... rcna151828

[yellowstone123]

There is no getting rid of Hamas or Israel although Israel has taken the Gaza many times since 1948 and given it back. Hamas and company will never take any land occupied now by Israel unless Israel gives it to them, or some may say, gives it back to them. If the United States defunds Israel then they will go to other places in the world to get what they need. They are experts at taking something and then tweaking it into their own design like the F-16. Do you want a pact between China and Israel in 2025 and on? Actually if one favors a strong Israel I think it would be in their best interest to work with China over the United States because of the instability and craziness presently occurring in this country.

[Vēritās]

There is no getting rid of Hamas or Israel although Israel has taken the Gaza many times since 1948 and given it back. Hamas and company will never take any land occupied now by Israel unless Israel gives it to them, or some may say, gives it back to them. If the United States defunds Israel then they will go to other places in the world to get what they need. They are experts at taking something and then tweaking it into their own design like the F-16. Do you want a pact between China and Israel in 2025 and on? Actually if one favors a strong Israel I think it would be in their best interest to work with China over the United States because of the instability and craziness presently occurring in this country.

I don't give a flying fuq what Israel does so long as we stop funding their slaughtering of women and children under the pretense of "right to self defense." The Israelis aren't stupid. They want to basically kill all of the Palestinians because they know that every time they kill a father, the 5 year old son is just a decade away from being recruited by Hamas. And why wouldn't he join? His entire life has been living in an open air prison, or a concentration camp, where he has watched his family suffer at the hands of Israel. They took away his Mom, his Father and his sisters. What other purpose in life could he possibly have? And while I do not condone killing of any kind, I can at least try to empathize with what these people suffer through all their lives under the iron fist of Israel and I cannot say with certainty that if I were in their position I wouldn't do the same thing. They are subdued, mocked, ridiculed, shot at for sport, reported to the local military police by settlers for imagined crimes, arrested only never to be seen again, children as young as 5 have been harassed over nothing more than rumors started by settlers, like this one accused of owning a knife, they've been abducted, adolescent boys have been raped in Israeli prisons, their snipers are plucking off women for sport, their snipers are so brazen they even record their killing for sport and post to social media, etc. The human can only respond to these things in one of two ways. You can lay down and just keep watching your family and friends gradually being annihilated, or you can stand up and resist any way you can. The latter is only successful in baby steps by bringing these atrocities to the attention of the West in hopes that someone would stand up to Israel and stop the slaughters. Unfortunately, the right wing "freedom of speech" overs are making sure any kind of voiced protests are shut down as some kind of hate crime.

Israel knows that this kid is likely going to be a future Hamas "terrorist."

This kid is also a future "terrorist" thanks to Israel's actions in killing his only brother he mourns over.

This little girl lost her entire family, so it is back to the rubble of Gaza in hopes that she isn't killed next. If by some miracle she is alive at age 20, expect her to be laser focused on killing as many Jews as she can.

After this 2 year old toddler was shot and killed by IDF, I wouldn't be shocked to find out his father joined Hamas.

If this 7 year old had any family left they're likely Hamas now given that is the only means for them to get any sense of justice.

At this point, I believe this is why they're trying to slaughter as many innocent civilians that they can. It is why they have no interest in saving the hostages because they already consider them dead, some of them likely already killed by Israeli bombing.

My views of Israel began to shift dramatically after this news story years ago about an Israeli warship targeting Palestinian children playing soccer on the beach. It gunned them down from more than a mile away using technology we gave them. Of course, all Israel has to do is send some lying piece of crap to Piers Morgan or CNN and claim it was just an accident in mistaken identity because they thought they were targeting Hamas.

And don't for a second think Israel is united in their love and appreciation of America. In fact, hate crimes against Christians in Israel are on the rise.

Right now Israel is a apartheid state by every definition and the thousands of innocents who die instantly are blessed in a sense because those who don't die instantly have to suffer even more as medical supplies are blocked thanks to Israel and those mangled bodies have to undergo amputations with zero anesthesia. They're literally cutting off limbs of children with dull saws like this doctor had to do to his own daughter: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240 ... g-in-gaza/

Meanwhile the pro-Israel Trump faction is 6000 miles away whining about the tyranny of having to buy a more efficient gas stove.

[Res Ipsa]

There is no getting rid of Hamas and Israel is being disingenuous by pretending that is even a possible goal. They want us to believe they have absolutely no idea how Hamas is created. Hamas is a product of decades of oppression, occupation, rape and murder by the Israelis, whether it be from the IDF or from the settlers themselves. The media wants us to believe this "war" started October 7th but that's because the media has been ignoring all of the killings of Palestinians in the subsequent months and years.

The media also wants us to take for granted all "reporting" that comes from Israel, no matter how many times they have been exposed as lying propagandists. Instead, we're supposed to believe that our lying eyes and ears are nothing more than Hamas propaganda. If you want to protest the fact that Israel is slaughtering children with impunity using our tax dollars, then this means you're an antisemite.

The way this country bends over backwards for Israel makes me embarrassed as an American. We pretend to be this great and powerful nation and yet all we do it seems is kiss Israel's ass and let them get away with crimes we'd never dare attempt. Why? Because we don't want to be shamed as antisemites.

Yup. Time to take a close look at AIPAC and what they do. In this video, Cynthia McKinney says that all of Congress at the time she was there was pressured to take a loyalty oath to Israel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImFMcbF2MYY That is unacceptable. We aren't the United States of Israel. Time to seriously review our exorbitant aid to the State of Israel each and every year and perhaps lower it to zero. We also need to get rid of this guy and the others in Congress that hold the same views: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politi ... rcna151828

Is there any evidence of this "pledge" other than McKinney?

[Dr Exiled]

Yup. Time to take a close look at AIPAC and what they do. In this video, Cynthia McKinney says that all of Congress at the time she was there was pressured to take a loyalty oath to Israel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImFMcbF2MYY That is unacceptable. We aren't the United States of Israel. Time to seriously review our exorbitant aid to the State of Israel each and every year and perhaps lower it to zero. We also need to get rid of this guy and the others in Congress that hold the same views: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politi ... rcna151828

Is there any evidence of this "pledge" other than McKinney?

She seems credible to me, especially given how one party worships Israel and the other supports Israel as well, but maybe with a little token resistance. I could only find her testimony online and couldn't find anyone rebutting it. States around the Country are continually trying to outlaw criticism of Israel and recently this: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-ne ... ts-clashes https://tamhunt.medium.com/house-votes- ... db41ddea23 There's a genocide going on we aren't doing anything to stop it.

If you want to dispute what she said, go for it.

[Res Ipsa]

What testimony? It was an interview, right? When was she in Congress and when was the interview? Did she ever provide a shred of evidence to support her claim?

It’s a pretty extraordinary claim — that Congress violates its oath by signing a secret loyalty pledge to a foreign country. Surely healthy skepticism would require some corroboration and not just credulous acceptance.

Dollars to doughnuts she’s talking about the Democratic platform and not some Jews running around with pledge cards.

[Jersey Girl]

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to legislation promoted by the Netanyahu government aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

Sound like anyone we know stateside?

[yellowstone123]

The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades, due to legislation promoted by the Netanyahu government aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever.

Sound like anyone we know stateside?

Thanks for the response Jersey Girl.