Hamas strike on Israel - mod warning in OP updated 19/10/23

Why did Israel and it's politicians elect a nutcase PM? They must have heard all the crazy talk for decades. Why is he the longest serving Israeli PM ever?

Why did the nutcase PM only suspend the nuke Gaza minister from his cabinet?

Why did the PM invoke biblical texts to kill every man, woman and child when it's contrary to international law?

Those are all valid questions. Perhaps better to focus on those rather than spend efforts disputing casualty numbers in Gaza which is bombed on a daily basis.

More? What was the first one? Please, do indulge me.

There are plenty who say that Israel is not an Occupying Power. There are plenty who say that it is.

Ruth can have her view, but I and many others can have ours.

The problem Ruth and others have is that a "territory is considered occupied when it falls under “effective control of hostile foreign armed forces.” Traditionally, effective control requires three main components: the physical presence of a foreign military without consent; the inability of a local sovereign to exercise control because of foreign forces’ presence; and the imposition of occupying forces’ authority."

Now you might consider me a little stupid, and you have the right to that opinion, but how the fu8k was Israel an occupying power given that Hamas was chucking rockets at it every night and had the freedom to conduct 7/10?  Now, Israel was an Occupying Power prior to 2005, and may become one again, depending on the course of this war, but you can't be telling Israel not to invade while simultaneously holding the view that it has already invaded and has control.

By the way, I am not saying that I know more than a senior counsel on international law, but you can buy any legal opinion you want.

For 2 years in the daylight at training camps and paraglide facilities all under the watchful eye of Bibi, Israeli intelligence, and Israeli satellites. 👁️

• Target Hamas leadership through the use of Mossad.
• Target supporters of Hamas through the use of sanctions (with the aid of other countries and the UN)
• Show the Palestinians that they don't need Hamas through supporting a two state solution.

Don't come on here and lie that I didn't suggest something when I most definitely did. It is completely disingenuous to be offered some proposed solutions and to dismiss them as waffling without any counter point.

You should be ashamed of yourself to suggest that I (and I presume you mean anyone else) cannot understand this war because I wasn't persecuted for centuries. It takes some gall to come on an Irish discussion platform and to suggest that. The Jewish people do not have the monopoly on suffering that they think is owed to them because of one particular period in time. They were horrendously persecuted and you are belittling the suffering of those who literally lived that and are calling what Israel is doing now genocide with such a post. A disgusting dismissal of the suffering of others. For shame.

It is noteworthy that the international media does not express any sceptisicism whatsoever regarding the casualty figures emitted by Hamas.

A good case in point is the strike on the hospital which turned out to be an errant Hamas rocket as acknolwdged by most western intelligence and news agencies. Even Putin walked back his comments. The international media immediately and wrecklessley broadcast Hamas' figures sparking street protests across the world. In the end, a rocket fuel fire burned out some cars in the car park. Most media outlets have taken back the original estimates.

So why is everyone so quick to gladly accept the Hamas cricket tallies every time there is a puff of smoke?

Again, for at least the 2nd time to you directly, there's over a thousand Palestinian people in Israeli prisons who are there without having been charged.

It is highlighting in Bold the unequal treatment the Palestinian people feel they experience without any mention of the people Israel is holding.

Do you think that when people say that all hostages should be released, that these 1000 people should be included (it was 1000 before Oct 7th, God only knows what it is now)?

Are you actually defending the war crimes committed by Hamas? Your list of actions didn't include the release of the hostages by Hamas. I thought that was an oversight, because surely anyone who has put any thought into this knows that the release of the hostages is key to getting a solution.

Is that different for the POTUS or Bibi? Can only travel to Allies? 🫠

Yes, there are Israeli ground forces occupying part of Gaza today, but they weren't occupying it on 7 October. It isn't retrospective you know, the fact that Israel are considered an occupying power today because they sent in ground troops a few days ago, only buttresses the argument that prior to the ground invasion they weren't an occupying power.

I literally said in my post that what the Jewish people suffered in the holocaust was horrific so you should most definitely edit your post to remove your determining me to be a holocaust denier. Its completely unfounded.

But it is horrific to watch people selectively apply the 'Never Again' statement we all thought as a society we were on the same page with.

And if you want Hollywood solutions, you couldn't find more obvious examples than the belief that you can bomb your way out of the conflict By using more bombs in a 4 week period than probably has been used at any point since WW2. Do you even read what it is you are posting. Trite dismissal of possible solutions, insulting the person making those solutions, discounting the suffering of others, and thinking one group has the right to butcher another because of what happened to them in the past.

Occupation IS war.

Has Biden been indicted for war crimes at the ICC? Haven't seen it myself. He has been to Ireland recently and we are not an ally.

Despite the pandemic Biden has managed to travel to 24 countries, including the West Bank.

Since he was indicted, Putin has only managed China and Kyrgystan.

The release of the hostages is top of the list of actions needed to get peace. That remains true.