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#281 |
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 60,126
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Hatred of Israel has ,sadly, become dogma for the "Hard Left".
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#282 |
Philosophile
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Osaka, Japan
Posts: 35,278
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In fact, people from numerous countries have been killed, injured and abducted.
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Слава Україні! **** Putin! |
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#283 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,487
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The vast majority of Israeli residents of Judea&Samaria are suburbanites living in nice, manicured, tract housing and apartments in and around Jerusalem city, and in some well-established 'bedroom communities' (like Ariel). The idea that Ma'ale Adumim, Alfe Menashe, or Modi'in Illit should be dismantled and the Jews therein forcibly removed, is not realistic. At all.
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#284 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,591
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Ariel - I couldn't remember the name of that one. I already excepted East Jerusalem. I was meaning that in reference to those communities in and around Jerusalem.
**** the rest. Really. I don't care how nice they are, they never should have been settled and built. The existence of settlements in the West Bank will eventually result in the end of Israel as a Jewish majority nation unless the citizens are either removed back to Israel or are forced to live under Palestinian law. |
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#285 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 35,043
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NYTimes is sharing this chart which visualizes the lopsided nature of the deaths in this conflict over time. Presumably Palestinian deaths will rapidly outpace Israeli deaths that occurred during the weekend raids over the border, but it helps explain why Israel was so shaken by the attacks. Generally speaking, Israel does the lion's share of the killing and is not used to being on the losing side of things.
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Previously known as SuburbanTurkey |
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#286 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 35,043
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I didn't think I needed to spell it out to you like a child. They blow up apartment blocks that are frequently occupied by noncombatants. They are doing so as we speak. They are intentionally killing civilians. The leaders of the Israeli state are gloating about it. They end up no less dead than those shot with a rifle.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu is bragging on his Twitter account with a video of a residential neighborhood in Gaza being bombed and an apartment tower collapsing. Does this not offend your sensibilities as much as seeing dead festival attendees simply because you do not see the bodies? Surely you understand what it means to bomb residential buildings, even if the gore is not presented to you directly. https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status...01659190886556 |
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Previously known as SuburbanTurkey |
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#287 |
Graduate Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,066
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#288 |
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 60,126
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#289 |
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 60,126
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When the first videos of Hostages being executed are aired, a lot of these people making apologies for HAMAS are going to be shocked at just how unpopular they are going to be.
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#290 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,208
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The problem is that relative military power skews the results. Hamas is doing exactly what it's always said it wants to do to Israeli civilians, it just lacked the military capacity to do so. If they had sufficient military power to do so they would literally seek kill every single Israeli, civilians, men, women children, all of them. Israel, by comparison has significant military power but general doesn't target civilians at all. While they don't target civilians they do little or nothing to avoid civilian collateral damage. The difference is that they have much more firepower, and that means more civilian casualties. There is no moral comparison between the sides, Hamas is much much much worse and always will be, regardless of the civilian body count. If the relative military power were revered there would be millions of dead Israeli civilians and few dead Palestinian civilians. We can hate Israels disregard for collateral civilian deaths but make no mistake they are still the only side any civilized country should be supporting. |
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"Anything's possible, but only a few things actually happen" |
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#291 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,487
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Palestinian leaders of all stripes have said they want ZERO Jews in their future State.
When you hear the chants of "From the River to the Sea" the implication is that entire area will be an exclusively Arab Palestine State, and the Jews therein be damned. By the way, how many Jews are citizens of Jordan? (A little feudal monarchy to our east that provides the death penalty to anyone selling land to a Jew). I am not taking your suggestions seriously, simply because your comment about "**** the rest" is obnoxious, especially as we're currently at war with people who expressly say "**** 'em all" and want to execute that exact plan. According to some personal sources of mine in Israel, the IDF is poised to enter Gaza within the next 24 hours. The ground forces will be composed of paratroopers landing by parachute and on board Yasur transport choppers; a naval contingent (including commandos); and an armored infantry push. The objective will be to literally clear out entire sectors of the strip, depopulating and squeezing everyone down towards Rafiah and the Egyptian border, and possibly removing the border barrier at that zone (with or without Egyptian agreement) so that northern Sinai becomes reunited with Gaza, reversing the division of Rafiah that occurred in 1982. P.S. - The Jerusalem Post news website is still offline, having been crashed with a cyber attack. |
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#292 |
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 60,126
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And the conspiracies theories are going full balst. see the treread I started in COnspiracies for details.
A lot of , I swear, is recycled 9/11 Truther crap, like all the footage of Hamas taking Hostages has been faked. |
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#293 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,591
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That's true. But...
There are also Israeli leaders of all stripes who have said that they want zero Palestinians in "Judea and Samaria": Israeli lawmaker wishes to ‘press button’ and expel Palestinians. Could Israel Carry Out Another Nakba? Pox on all of them, seriously. Neither side wants peace. You are all just going to keep killing each other forever and refusing to take real steps to reach a compromise solution. Israel has the better human rights record and better civil rights for its citizens. Israel will never commit terrorism even remotely similar to the soul-killing brutality that Hamas is currently implementing. But Israel also keeps implementing policies that close more and more doors to a long term stability. Eventually the two state solution will become irrevocably impractical due to the number of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the apartheid will become ever more apparent. And ever more politically unpopular on the world stage. And when that apartheid ends, it will be with Jews and Muslims living together in a united country - a one state solution. Of which Jewish people will not be the majority population. Unless Israel acts soon to get the hell out of the West Bank to secure the potential for a Palestinian state. We know that Israel won't do that, even though it dooms itself through that refusal. |
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#294 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 10,299
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"To me, Hitler is the greatest man who ever lived. He truly is without fault, so simple and at the same time possessed of masculine strength" -Leni Riefenstahl Wollen owns the stage
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#295 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 55,297
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"As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose -- that it may violate property instead of protecting it -- then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder. Political questions will always be prejudicial, dominant, and all-absorbing. There will be fighting at the door of the Legislative Palace, and the struggle within will be no less furious." - Bastiat, The Law |
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#296 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,591
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I am aware that settlers were removed. Discussion of settlers in West Bank made it very clear that I was discussing the West Bank as a potential model for Palestinian governance in both West Bank and Gaza that did not include Hamas, the viability of the two-state solution, and what happens if the two state solution becomes irretrievably infeasible.
Even if you get rid of Hamas entirely, Gaza will still be there. Who will run it? What is the alternative to Hamas? Is grovelling subservience to Israel the only possible alternative? |
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#297 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 55,297
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You tried to blame the current violence on settlers. There may be other arguments against them, but this one is wrong. And this thread isn't about Israeli/Palestinian issues in general, it's specifically about the current violence.
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"As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose -- that it may violate property instead of protecting it -- then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder. Political questions will always be prejudicial, dominant, and all-absorbing. There will be fighting at the door of the Legislative Palace, and the struggle within will be no less furious." - Bastiat, The Law |
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#298 |
Critical Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2023
Posts: 458
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Like in Iran, it might be that a plurality or most Gazans would like to be rid of Hamas but are scared to openly say so. Eradicating Hamas seems a necessity before the lives of Gazans can improve.
New Poll Shows Gazans Pragmatic Now, But Not Long-Term
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#299 |
Maledictorian
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 21,601
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Why is the bar for Israel that it only needs to be somewhat less savage than HAMAS to be above reproach?
And why is it impossible to criticize Israel without being accused of supporting HAMAS? I think we can think bigger than just "your team my team" here - and we have to if we want actual solutions. What Israel is currently doing is making sure that the same attacks will happen in 10 years |
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#300 |
Critical Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2023
Posts: 458
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#301 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 10,299
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"To me, Hitler is the greatest man who ever lived. He truly is without fault, so simple and at the same time possessed of masculine strength" -Leni Riefenstahl Wollen owns the stage
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#302 |
Maledictorian
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 21,601
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law of wars - you need to grow a new crop of fighters.
But Hamas has already won by causing a bigger blow to Israel than the Arab armies in the 5-day war managed to do. Their place in history is assured. The only question now is how many more people they will be able to recruit because of IDF brutality in its retaliation. This is not a war, and Israel claiming that it is is just elevating HAMASs profile. |
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#303 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,591
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This directly relates to the current violence because Hamas is causing it. Get rid of Hamas, the violence might end. Getting rid of Hamas might be problematic if there is no plan for what comes next. I feel like I have been clear that the current violence is caused by Hamas. The settlers don't help and try to make things worse - but they clearly are not the ones murdering people at music festivals and kibbutzes. The idea is that to prevent an attempt to repeat the current violence it is necessary to get Hamas out of Gaza and replace it with something. That something could be a thing entirely propped up by Israel - a groveling subservient Vichy. But that would never be accepted by Palestinians in Gaza. It would be inherently unstable. Or, it could be a third path acceptable to Palestinians. But Palestinians will not accept a third path if it doesn't have the ability to actually have enough real functionality to be real to them. The model for that could be the PA in West Bank if West Bank had enough freedom and contiguity to be one part of one of the states in a two state solution (the other part eventually being Gaza). But if the PA can never be more than the ruler of a Bantustan in an apartheid state, a Bantustan that keeps getting whittled away at bit by bit, then they can never be a model for better governance and survival of Gaza. To get rid of Hamas they need an alternative. A good alternative. Israel can help set that up, starting with West Bank, showing that it can work, and then letting it export itself to Gaza. |
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#304 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 10,299
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"To me, Hitler is the greatest man who ever lived. He truly is without fault, so simple and at the same time possessed of masculine strength" -Leni Riefenstahl Wollen owns the stage
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#305 |
Maledictorian
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 21,601
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“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.” |
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#306 |
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#307 |
Suspended
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#308 |
Maledictorian
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 21,601
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__________________
“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.” |
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#309 |
Maledictorian
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 21,601
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__________________
“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.” |
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#310 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 55,297
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__________________
"As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose -- that it may violate property instead of protecting it -- then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder. Political questions will always be prejudicial, dominant, and all-absorbing. There will be fighting at the door of the Legislative Palace, and the struggle within will be no less furious." - Bastiat, The Law |
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#311 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: 49 North
Posts: 6,539
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New? The US are already an enemy of Hamas. The US supplies weapons and money to help oppress and kill Palestinians.
When Hamas were elected as the government of Gaza, the US and Israel refused to deal with the elected government. You can not be a true supporter of democracy if you support it until you disagree with the outcome. Hamas are both de facto and the government in Gaza and the elected government. As the Good Friday agreement showed if you want peace it means being prepared to deal with enemies and terrorists. Excluding Hamas is not a realistic way to make peace. |
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#312 |
Maledictorian
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 21,601
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can you kill Hamas? What % would you need to kill before you succeed? And what about the next organization just like it with a new name? It takes a big stretch of definitions to call this a war. Also: how many hostages do you think will survive if Israel decides to kill every member of Hamas? Would Israel be "winning" if they all get executed ? This is more complicated than just "good guys on this side, bad guys on that side, now FIGHT!" |
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“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.” |
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#313 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: 49 North
Posts: 6,539
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How familiar are you with the extent of settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied territories. The continual war crimes day after day, year after year, that the Palestinians are subject to.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-sp...ian-terrorism/ Shin Bet describe the actions of the settlers as Jewish terrorism and that it will drive more Palestinians to extremism. https://www.btselem.org/publications...eady_happening https://www.972mag.com/area-c-ethnic...tler-violence/ https://www.gov.uk/government/news/d...ool-demolition |
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#314 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 10,299
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Possibly. But I don't think it's worth trying.
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"To me, Hitler is the greatest man who ever lived. He truly is without fault, so simple and at the same time possessed of masculine strength" -Leni Riefenstahl Wollen owns the stage
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#315 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: 49 North
Posts: 6,539
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Remind me what happens when Israel kills a US journalist?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiree...enin%20Refugee Or eighty year olds. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/...ly-with-israel Or student. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-...rael-bulldozer |
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#316 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 35,043
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To drag this somewhat back to thread topic,
Israel has promised a ground invasion of Gaza as a response, and all available indicators are that they are massing troops for exactly that purpose. Invading heavily built up urban environments is a tactical nightmare and it's almost always a high casualty campaign for the attackers. Presumably Hamas would have anticipated such a move and has made arrangements to make an invasion an incredibly costly for the IDF. You have to assume lots of IED attacks and ambushes, brutal block by block, building to building, or even room to room firefights. That's not to say there's much doubt that the IDF can take and hold territory in Gaza, but it will be extremely costly for them to do so. Even leveling buildings does little to improve the situation for the attackers. Bombing out apartment buildings is a good way to engage in collective punishment against the civilian population of Gaza, but ruins function just as well, if not better, as cover and concealment for defenders. Putting IDF troops on the ground will also result in more visually unpleasant atrocities. Israel leveling buildings and killing civilians seems more aloof than videos of IDF soldiers machine gunning down civilians in a cross fire, which will almost certainly happen in such a densely settled place, and there's a very good chance there's an outright massacre from IDF soldiers. Real risk of morale and discipline issues from IDF soldiers, and if the rhetoric from leadership is any guide, rules of engagement are basically going to be nonexistent. It's the perfect conditions for a little bit of revenge killing that will almost certainly be captured on someone's smartphone and broadcast to the world. The Vietnamese had an adage for dealing with the overwhelming firepower of the American invaders, which was "grab them by the belt" to fight them. That is, close quarters infantry tactics that make it harder for overwhelmingly artillery and air superiority to be deployed without incurring friendly fire. Driving APCs into Gaza seems like giving Hamas militias exactly the kind of combat situations that will help negate the comparative advantages of the Israeli war machine. |
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#317 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 55,297
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__________________
"As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose -- that it may violate property instead of protecting it -- then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder. Political questions will always be prejudicial, dominant, and all-absorbing. There will be fighting at the door of the Legislative Palace, and the struggle within will be no less furious." - Bastiat, The Law |
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#318 |
Lackey
Administrator
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I wish I knew how to quit you |
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#319 |
Maledictorian
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 21,601
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Luckily, the USS Gerald R. Ford is on its way to help with fighting in densely populated areas.
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“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.” |
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#320 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,487
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In flux, hard to keep track of events as they occur, media reports are difficult to evaluate as the situation keeps evolving and this morning's news has been superceded by this afternoon's news.
I posted a few pages back about the 'squeeze' happening in Gaza as the population is being encouraged/forced to vacate entire areas. Yesterday, the IDF recommended that Palestinians head towards the Egyptian border crossing at Rafiah and go into N.Sinai. However, today, the Egyptian infrastructure at that crossing no longer exists. IAF took aim and demolished the gate. What remains is a gaping hole. https://www.reuters.com/world/israel...pt-2023-10-10/ |
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