Senior ministers concerned about effects of Occupied Territories Bill.

Covers all occupied lands.

Thank fcuk, would have only damaged the country. It's laughable that people think we, a country with the most laughable army in the EU and a country who's entire economy depends on Israels biggest friend could bring any kind of pressure on them, our government are delusional about our importance In the world, nobody is following us with this stupid virtue signalling crusade. I also think they vastly overestimate how much the average Irish person cares. Wouldn't be in the top 10 issues for the vast majority

A few crumbs? Our current wealth and substandard public services are wholly dependent on those crumbs. Although all the easy money as come at a cost as we now have a lazy and corrupt government just content to squander it.

Plenty of brigades in the IDF could have that genocide brigade moniker you like to use - in Ireland, not so much...

your edited reply here has nothing to do with what I posted.

My post was in reply to a poster implying that the thread showed a type of majority support for OTB. It does not.

And it can be shown to not support by the number of posts not in support as well as the amount of thanks for these posts, compared to number of posts in support and thanks for these posts

Simple stuff, Cluedo

So now because it's quite clear that the majority of people on here don't actually consider the OTB all that much as a priority in the overall scheme of things the 12 page thread is "a circle jerk" and the supporters have moved on.

I wonder are these the same 3 or 4 people posting multiple times daily on the Israel/Hamas thread rabidly attacking people who don't agree with their opinion? I asked someone to stop downplaying the Holocaust as an historical event there a day or two ago with zero reference to anything outside of the Holocaust and WW2.

The post is here actually for complete transparency.

I was immediately accused of "lapping up and parroting Hasbara" by one poster and of "crawling out of the woodwork to justify genocide" by another.

Even though I literally didn't mention anything outside of The Holocaust or WW2.

In a more general sense, god forbid if you post an opinion that even hints at the idea that the situation is complex or that Israel is maybe not entirely, 100% to blame for everything since 1948, you're jumped on as a paid Zionist who passionately cheers on genocide and supports land grabbing.

Multiple times I've been accused on that thread of being an Israeli shill/genocide supporter for statements like asking people to stop rewriting history ala downplaying the holocaust, or posting factually completely incorrect information like the USA supplied Israel with weapons in 1948, the Iron Dome system is a "sham and never worked" etc.

Those 2 or 3 posters (and those posters specifically not everyone on the thread) make it difficult to have any sort of rational discussion on the matter because the moment your opinion does not align with theirs they start hurling accusations like the ones I've mentioned above.

There will always be posters like that on either side of any debate who will post nonsensical, absurd, or blatantly pro one side or another.

The issue though isn't holding any opinion but how it's a) conveyed and b) responded to.

For example, if someone says "The situation there is complicated, Israel holds a huge degree of blame but there are many other actors at fault" that's expressing an opinion.

"I think you're completely 100% wrong and here's why…." is a completely acceptable response and to be welcomed as part of a rational discussion.

However "Why are you parroting Hasbara? Why do you support the genocide of children? I guess you're upset that the killing of children has stopped?" is not an acceptable response and is resorting to abuse and insults to try and shout down those who don't agree with your viewpoint.

Equally, if someone says "I think Israel is committing genocide and here's why" that's a completely fine and valid opinion I have no issue with, and a response that refutes that with a reasoned argument is equally fine.

But a response saying "why are you a headband wearing terror supporter" for holding that valid opinion would absolutely not be acceptable either.

At one point I responded to someone who said Israel only survived in 1948 due to huge arms transfers from the US, and corrected them by pointing out that the US did not arm Israel in 1948 and the weaponry was sourced from Europe.

One or two posters immediately attacked me with crazy accusations, literally for just pointing out factual history.

As I said, this is just 2 or 3 specific posters, but they are doing it regularly. It drives many people away from posting, myself included, because almost everything I post gets met with accusations of being a Zionist, a paid shill, someone who supports genocide, someone passionate about the murder of kids, etc.

And I can assure you I don't support genocide, killing, or land-grabbing, nor do I vocally support the Israeli Government.

Because their governments are acting in the best interests of their own citizens.

actually no it's not.

it's for the same reasons countries backed apartheid south africa and others, simple self-interest to full on agreement.

if they were acting in the best interests of their citizens or even cared about them, then they would not be backing a state that is ultimately a threat to us all, a state that holds way to much power and sway because it has the world over a barrel because it has been pandered to while giving little to nothing back in return.