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

No, it is not. It is your prejudice on full display that makes you think I am not Irish.

Iran, a major power in the region , who's nearest border point is 1000km from Israel are funding multiple proxies in the on going conflict.

Their reason isn't for a love of Sunni Muslims in Palestine; is entirely based on a messianic Twelver creed of the Shia islamic state. This calls for the destruction of Israel.

You cannot have any reasonable discussion of conflict without discussing Iran.

Things weren't good for Palestinians prior to 1979, but as I stated all the belligerents Egypt Jordan etc are no longer at war with Israel. It's the emergence of Iran which was poured flames on conflict and left far right groups in both nations calling the shots.

That's the way it'll be as long as Iran with no territorial interest in Palestine keep stirring things.

If they never got involved there would be a good chance of a two state solution being up and running at this stage.

As for the USA, who's international role since WW2 has led to the most prosperous period in human history. Are you really asking why the world's biggest economy is active in the area with the world's biggest energy resources. If they weren't active there do you think the Chinese/Indians/ Russians etc wouldn't be more active there and the Arabs would be leaving in peace amongst themselves. (Yemen would suggest otherwise)

If there wasn't resources under the ground the whole region would be a starving desert with the exception of the Jewish state.

It was a question which you took as an allegation

Many of the harshest comments I've seen about Gazans come from former Israeli hostages. As for why Israel chose to go to an all-out war state, I'd imagine that has a lot to do with the events of the 7th of October, clearly Israel misunderstood the situation along its Gaza border prior to that date. And while the history of Israel and Palestine is debatable in many respects, the fact that Lebanese militants attacked Israel - totally unprovoked - meant that Israel had to act on its Northern border as well.

Again, when a people are given casus belli for all-out war, it's usually accepted that there will be collateral damage. Nobody for example condemned the Americans for Operation Meetinghouse during WWII, but Israel is being held to a different standard. Why? It makes no sense to me.

Sure 6 million was less than 10% of what one would expect from an "all-out war". We know this, because it was.

Better dig out the history textbooks to update them according to SeanW!

What's going on in Palestine is a one-sided shooting-fish-in-a-barrel operation.

Ah yes, the group labelling. Should I wear a green sticker to prove to you that I am Irish?

Lot of those.

I appreciate the effort of your reply - it is refreshing to see a knowledgeable poster who at least backs up their pov rather than simply throwing around nonsensical and factually incorrect narratives.

As to the strawman comment, I was asked to defend the pov of another poster - I couldn't care who is in Biden's cabinet or what religion they are. I was merely stating Jews, like anyone, can be both the best of humanity (as you allude to), and in the case of those inciting genocide against Palestinians, some of the worst.

When you mention Iran, perhaps they are an existential threat to Israel, I honestly don't know. I do find it odd though that such a potent threat would be arming Israel's closest neighbors with mere automatic rifles and rocket launchers - dangerous weapons for sure, but not much compared to tanks, drones, battleships, and air force, 200ib bombs, and quite possibly nuclear weapons.

I like America though, I lived there in the early- mid 2000's, am extremely ignorant of Iran outside of the nasty things I hear about it - but the USA has been a far more destructive force in the ME than Iran (for all the flak it gets), as has Israel I would argue

The US policy of backing Israel to the hilt has been an absolute disaster, both for Americans whose country has pumped well over a trillion dollars into middle eastern wars (much of this at Israel's behest) and for the people in the Middle east who have died in their millions as a direct result of US military actions and interference. And where are we now - religious dictatorships in place all around - the anathema to what should be American and western values. And I would argue that Israel is in a far more dangerous place going into the future than any point on it's history. And what is the endgame, USA to keep pumping billions and billions into perpetual war?

Thanks for answering my question on Zionism. Given what happened to the Jews in WW2 - I fully understand their need for a homeland. I would be fine (as would many) with the definition of Zionism as a homeland that stuck to it's defined borders.

I am not fine with that homeland expanding ever larger, at the cost of thousands or what would probably be millions of Palestinian lives. That is violent conquest - that version of Zionism can not be justified. And it gets my back up the dishonest posters on here who have the gall to call this antisemitism, and slur Ireland with that claim as they are calling this out?

It is pathetic and stupid, and in itself is antisemetic as conflating colonialist version of Zionism with Judaism lessens Jewish people to bloodthirsty marauders.

I declined an offer for a very good job making parts for military drones and ballistic missiles. It affected me financially.

I guess some people are happy to be complicit in murder but I'm not.

I'm not sure why Irish people have to live in poverty. Such a strange question. "Are you willing to see...."

My neighbor was being threatened by her housemate with violence. I called over and tried to deescalate. Willing or unwilling I couldn't help but see what was going on.

Anyway, I won't waste any more of my time tonight as nothing seems to alter your outlook, no doubt you're keen to see more children get turned into mush, I guess you really hate people from Gaza.

Just wondering, how did Iran make Israel build settlements?

I put the welfare of the Irish people first.

Quite clearly, you don't.

What's your position as regards the colonisation of the occupied territories?

Whatever.

Do you condemn the rape of Palestinian prisoners with dogs?

I have answered that question about half a dozen times now. But the sea-lioning continues..

So you are comparing the skeletal, emaciated in rags victims freed from the nazi concentration camps to the not at all starving hamas soldiers, well dressed in their uniforms and well armed with assault rifles, threatening and jeering at the hostages and basically chomping at the bit to get at them? Christ. Those aren't the same things ffs. Hamas certainly weren't facing genocide or starvation anyway hiding in their well stocked tunnels. Such brave 'freedom fighters'.