Has The Israeli Goverment BecomeThe Monster?

[GoblinCampFollower]

I can't stand Maher and he contradicts himself a lot, as the video host pointed out. In particular, as I've stated several times on this thread, you just can't use bombs and heavy weapons in a populated area without killing A LOT of civilians. Bombs don't discriminate. If you bombed one of my neighbors who was a terrorist I am likely dead too...

That said, I do think some of the counter points against Maher were wrong. In particular, a lot of the commentary against Israel are drastically underestimating the strength and funding of the paramilitary groups fighting Israel. [EDIT: Correcting a factual error, couldn't find good data on Israel's casualties]. I do think Netanyahu is indifferent to the civilians killed along the way, but the conflict is a lot less one sided than many think. It's also a damn shame that Iran's leadership seems to be completely escaping blame for the gas they are dumping on this fire.

One other good point made against Maher is how he danced around the fact that killing an "idea" is impossible and requires COMPLETE genocide. It's not that you can't kill an idea, it's that it's impossible to justify actually doing so, even when the idea is horrible. Netanyahu's core mistake (if he even cares) is that he's acting like he'll destroy the enemy with no consideration for de-escalation.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Israel has lost at least 10,000 soldiers which is close to how many combatants they've killed if numbers I looked up can be trusted.

I wondered where this figure came from, but it seems to be legit, to the extent that 10,000 Israeli troops have been treated by the Israeli Defense Ministry Rehabilitation Department (not sure "lost" is the term I'd use, since to me that suggests they've been killed or are MIA).

The Defense Ministry Rehabilitation Department said Wednesday that it had received 10,056 soldiers since the beginning of the war on October 7.

According to the Defense Ministry, 35 percent, or some 3,500, were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental disorders caused by trauma.

Another 37% were suffering physical trauma to their limbs, the ministry said. It did not detail the conditions of the other 28%.


Of the 10,056 soldiers, around 68% are reservists.

Each month, the department receives around 1,000 new veterans, the ministry said.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/over-10000-israeli-troops-treated-since-oct-7-says-ministry-rehab-department/

 

[Ellie]

The Israeli PM remains scheduled to speak on Friday at the UN general assembly in an appearance that is sure to lead to walkouts and protests on the streets of midtown Manhattan. The ICC judges are regularly rumoured to be close to approving a warrant that could accuse Netanyahu of war crimes.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/21/could-this-be-the-week-netanyahu-goes-from-pariah-to-international-fugitive

The 200 UN humanitarian aid workers murdered to date, and all the other non-combatants killed on his watch, under his policies, may convince the ICC to accuse Netanyahu of war crimes. Not holding my breath.

N. appears to be able to escape consequences as easily as the so-called Teflon Don, both are supported by those who give as few fucks about the suffering they cause to others as they themselves do.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Israel raids and shuts down Al Jazeera's bureau in Ramallah in the West Bank

Israeli troops entered the office and told a reporter live on air it would be shut for 45 days, saying that staff needed to leave immediately.

apnews.com

 

[CronoCloud Creeggan]

Israel raids and shuts down Al Jazeera's bureau in Ramallah in the West Bank

Israeli troops entered the office and told a reporter live on air it would be shut for 45 days, saying that staff needed to leave immediately.

apnews.com

WHAAAT? Ramallah is definitely Palestinian Territory. The Israeli army has absolutely ZERO right to do ANYTHING to ANY reporter in Ramallah.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

UK's prime minister Keir Stamer had a little slip of tongue during a recent speech and called for the "return of sausages" from Gaza.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/sep/24/keir-starmer-makes-gaza-sausages-gaffe-in-labour-conference-speech

 

[Argent Stonecutter]

Democracy Hostages!

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Israel's top general Maj Gen Herzi Halev has said the IDF is currently preparing a ground invasion of Lebanon. The current air strikes are made to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure upfront.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/25/israel-hezbollah-beirut-tel-aviv-lebanon-cross-border-conflict-expands

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

Israel's top general Maj Gen Herzi Halev has said the IDF is currently preparing a ground invasion of Lebanon. The current air strikes are made to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure upfront.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/25/israel-hezbollah-beirut-tel-aviv-lebanon-cross-border-conflict-expands

...WTF??? I don't claim to be a middle eastern policy expert but it seems like this would escalate the conflict beyond repair if it hasn't been already. I can't see this ending well.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

UK's prime minister Keir Stamer had a little slip of tongue during a recent speech and called for the "return of sausages" from Gaza.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/sep/24/keir-starmer-makes-gaza-sausages-gaffe-in-labour-conference-speech

Prepare for the wurst!

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

The escalation cycle continues: according to the IDF Hezbollah's long time leader Hassan Nasrallah has been killed in the latest air strike to Lebanon. So far Hezbollah has not confirmed or denied this.

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-09-28/ty-article/.premium/hassan-nasrallah-longtime-hezbollah-leader-killed-in-israeli-strike-in-beirut/00000192-3799-d2b7-a1bb-bfbd02c80000

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Confirmed.

Hezbollah confirms its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike

Nasrallah led the militant group for more than three decades. His death could dramatically reshape conflicts across the Middle East.

apnews.com

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Joe Biden's statement about it: Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.

The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas’s massacre on October 7, 2023. Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a “northern front” against Israel.

The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups. Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.

Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means. In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon. It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability.

Statement from President Joe Biden on the Death of Hassan Nasrallah | The White House

Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror.

www.whitehouse.gov

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Israel seems to be not busy enough yet, so they've launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

Israel launched strikes at Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday after the Houthi militants fired missiles at Israel over the past two days, marking a fresh exchange in another front of the regional conflict.

The Israeli military said in a statement that dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets, attacked power plants and a sea port at the Ras Issa and Hodeidah ports.
The strikes caused power outages in most parts of the port city of Hodeidah, residents said.

"Over the past year, the Houthis have been operating under the direction and funding of Iran, and in cooperation with Iraqi militias in order to attack the State of Israel, undermine regional stability, and disrupt global freedom of navigation," the statement said.

Yemen's Houthi militants have fired missiles and drones at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians, since the Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-launches-strikes-yemeni-houthi-targets-2024-09-29/

 

[Cindy Claveau]

Iran launches hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel

Israelis were instructed to immediately seek shelter as Iran launched an extensive missile strike at Israel. At the same time, Hezbollah fired rockets at vast areas of Israel. All flights at Ben Gurion Airport have been suspended.

They warned it was coming. The question now is how many warheads can Israel stop?

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Hoo boy.

Iran fires at least 180 missiles into Israel as regionwide conflict grows

Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel, the latest in a series of escalating attacks in a conflict between Israel and Iran and its Arab allies.

apnews.com

Edit: When I posted that, the headline read something to the effect of Netanyahu declaring that "Iran will pay dearly" for the missile attack.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Israel's charming offensive has reached its top...

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Three (more) reasons to worry about the Middle East

Iranian missiles over Jerusalem

nickcohen.substack.com

I think this is free to read.

In short, the three worries are

1. Increased oil prices will help Trump's election campaign
2. A closer alliance between Russia and Iran
3. A massive influx of refugees from Lebanon and nearby countries into Europe will increase support for the far-right

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Well the US could have avoided increasing domestic gas prices by refitting their own refineries for fracking oil, which they didn't because its cheaper to import some from middle east instead.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

Israel's charming offensive has reached its top...

Is Israeli leadership genuinely oblivious to how badly they are fucking up public relations with most of the world or are they playing some game? I know it feels powerful to act like you don't care what other people think, but in reality public perception does matter...