If I don’t clickbait the title people don’t click.
With the recent events happening in Gaza, I decided to first tackle this line of argument in my essay Zionism is antisemitism, and Palestine.
People were quick to say “yes Israel is bad, but Hamas…” (kidnapped 200 people, killed 1000, take your pick).
When you’re saying this, you’re actually saying that one israeli is worth 7 Palestinians. Read that again if you need to; it’s an ethnosupremacist position.
What is the logical conclusion of this argument? What is it supposed to achieve except convey empty platitudes and declaring to the world that you just don’t care enough to have any valuable input?
It’s fine not to care. I’m not your dad, I’m not going to try and change you.
But don’t declare it publicly. Don’t proudly say “well actually both sides are bad”. You don’t look smarter or wiser than anyone else who is taking a clear stance. You’re not taking the “middle ground”. Everyone who has taken sides and is trying to be productive about this (and not just the Gaza genocide, but really any situation where you can apply “both sides”) really doesn’t have time for this holier-than-thou bullshit.
Gaza “kidnapped” 200 settlers and that’s a war crime apparently. It’s not really, but whatever. Let’s say it is. Israel has killed 7000+ Palestinians in retaliation, now likely more than 10k as they cut off communications in Gaza last night.
Both sidesers: what’s your solution to this. If you say anything other than “I should not get involved” then you don’t actually believe both sides are bad and you are picking a side. It’s time you realize where you stand.
Removed by mod
Sources?
I’ve provided mine elsewhere in this thread — Hamas has explicitly stated their target is not civilians, but the Zionist state.
Israel also state they’re not targeting civilians. Your sources before were official statements, just like Israel’s, as well as a survivor eye witness account that said the people they met were nice and reasonable. There are other witness accounts that weren’t so friendly.
Frankly, I’m reluctant to go digging for sources, because then it becomes a game of you discrediting whatever I present and me trying to find something else, without having a productive discussion. Forums are for discussions, links and citations are ancillary. Let’s discuss.
Hamas have not exclusively targeted military targets. Neither have Israel, but I’m trying to point out that flipping the coin doesn’t really make things any better. You, yourself, said that you “don’t think that a one-state solution should involve expelling all the Jews”, but that implies that there are people who do, and many of those people will kill any Israeli that doesn’t leave before they meet them. Many Israelis would do the same.
Both are generally in the wrong. It is perhaps less likely for a Palestinian to be in the wrong, because they’re the underdog defending, but just because you’re defending doesn’t mean nothing you do is wrong.
The wider issue is that no one is enforcing what is right and wrong. Israel is allowed to get away with atrocities, and Hamas is encouraged to comit atrocities of their own. None of this serves the general population living in the region, it only serves warmongers who don’t have to deal with the fallout.
Edit: lol, first you make your comment, then a little later my comment gets downvoted, then a little later your comment gets upvoted. It’s pretty clear that the two votes weren’t the same 3rd party account, even if it might be intended to be presented as such.
Edit2: Do you really think more votes on a comment thread completely buried in a sea of other comments, where the latest comment can only be found after digging through the rest, yet with no other comments or interactions in the thread, would be seen as legitimate? Come on.
Lmao you get one downvote and you’re pissed off enough you make two edits to cry foul? 😂
I’m just commentating - but thank you for identifying yourself.
Do you want to have a discussion? I’m game.