How did Israel get so much influence? How can this be changed or overcome?

There's been several examples of the likes of this over the last 18 months

**** me… there have been examples on this site over the last 15 years. Those that know, know. Israeli embassy and staff have demanded that boards.ie take down posts that I made which simply mentioned stuff from their own Twitter at the time.

Yeah I think we are well past that now. And I was on the fence after Hamas attack. But we are well past that.

Hamas really misread the mood. It's has backfired horrifically. That said Israel has been damaged. Might take them years to realise how badly.

I think it's shows both sides are playing the media.

Exactly.

Too high a price IMO. Apart from the cost in human life. They've pretty much lost their country.

Attacking a music festival and subsequently strangling babies isn’t the best way to achieve this, this just plays into existing stereotypes for people who already don’t like them.
I know it sounds sappy and idealistic, but the Palestinian people need someone like a Gandhi or Martin Luther King, or Israel will always have groups like Hamas to fall back on for justification.

If their aim was to focus the world's attention on what Israel is doing in Palestine and alter the mood with regards to that

Their aim was to murder Isrealis.

Carney should have had to give up his Irish citizenship if he wanted to serve in high level politics in Canada.

It's not anti-Semitic to point out that people who have citizenship of 2 countries may have divided loyalties when delivering policy, it's just common sense. How can you 100% trust a politician to put the country he/she is elected to serve first and foremost if he has his/her feet in 2 camps? answer is you can't.

If you read my post I said: "It should be a rule in every single country that you cannot serve in national government if you have dual citizenship."

That means if someone in Ireland has French citizenship and they want to serve in the Dáil they should have to give up their French citizenship, if they don't want to do that they don't care about Ireland enough and can just stay out of national politics.

The only thing that Hamas wanted to do was kill as many Israelis as possible, then take some hostages as a human shield against the inevitable backlash to use as a negotiating tactic in the belief Israel wouldn't level the place when the hostages were there.

That's in the immediate. But what was the long term goal.

What I still can't fathom is how Hamas still manages to hide the remaining ones never mind continue to be a controlling force in such a small area. One thing's for sure, the remainder are now pawns, Hamas need them to prevent complete destruction, and Israel need them to justify complete destruction.

Israel could have had all the hostages back, but they chose to renege on the ceasefire. It was Israel who decided to resume hostilities to continue their project of ethnic cleansing. HAMAS was actually holding up their end of the bargain.

In addition, isn't it amazing how Israel can claim to know that HAMAS are operating in places that they blow to smithereens, such as refugee compounds, and subsequently murder many innocents into the bargain. But they can never find out where HAMAS are keeping the hostages in, as you say, such a small area. They appear to be utterly clueless as to where they might be, but they claim to have impeccable intelligence when they destroy a hospital.

Yes it was what they wanted. The more 'martyrs' for them the better. They say it themselves.

They literally give zero **** about Palestinians. They just hate jews more. Sure when they arent launching rockets at Israel they are torturing and killing their own citizens who speak out against them or even their own members who are gay. This idea of hamas as noble freedom fighters is misguided.

Some months prior to Oct 7th, Israel announced their biggest expansion in over 40 years into the illegally occupied territory of the West Bank. Hamas had apparently been "training" for about two years when the announcement was being made. Their actions were highly unlikely random and more likely based on the expansion announcement - enough was enough perhaps.

What Hamas did in that day was abhorrent. But the talk of beheaded babies etc. came from Zaka - an Israeli voluntary organisation that "repatriates" bodies. They made up stories to garner support from Israelis. They raised millions in donations on the back of their disgusting lies. They also utterly bodged the recovery of Israeli remains - they mixed up body parts and lost some.

Finally, it is worth remembering that the Hannibal directive was implemented a number of times during Oct 7th. About 14 Israelis were killed by the IDF (by tank fire) as they sheltered in a house. The IDF knew they were Israelis. 70 Israeli vehicles, in convoy, fleeing the music festival were destroyed by both tank fire and Israeli attack helicopters (that returned to base and reloaded at least once). The number of dead from that attack is unknown - Israel has refused a public inquiry. It is likely in the hundreds.

As you say, what Hamas wanted and why the launched their murderous attack is not known and may never be. I do believe that they knew the result would be carnage - whether they thought Israel would go as far as they have, again, is not known. That the civilians have borne the brunt is on both Hamas and Israel - two Israelis are wanted for war crimes. One Hamas leader was wanted but was killed.

What Hamas did in that day was abhorrent. But the talk of beheaded babies etc. came from Zaka - an Israeli voluntary organisation that "repatriates" bodies. They made up stories to garner support from Israelis. They raised millions in donations on the back of their disgusting lies. They also utterly bodged the recovery of Israeli remains - they mixed up body parts and lost some.

Atrocity propaganda is nothing new. The Romans used to say that Carthaginians and the Gauls ate children. British propaganda said that German soldiers stuck Belgian babies on the end of their bayonets and had a grand old time. The problem for the Israelis, though, is that it's easier to cut through a lot of propaganda lies these days.

As you say, what Hamas wanted and why the launched their murderous attack is not known and may never be. I do believe that they knew the result would be carnage - whether they thought Israel would go as far as they have, again, is not known. That the civilians have borne the brunt is on both Hamas and Israel - two Israelis are wanted for war crimes. One Hamas leader was wanted but was killed.

The leaders of HAMAS certainly would have known that the response from Israel would be savage and disproportionate. It isn't the first time that Israel have acted in a barbaric manner towards Palestinians. However, I doubt they thought that it would have ended in a full on flattening of every civilian building in Gaza and the relentless murder of tens of thousands. Do they actually care? Who the hell knows. But, as I said, if their ultimate goal was to change the world's attitude to Israel, then it's job done as far as they would be concerned. Many people around the globe are viewing Israel in a very different light these days.

Netanyahus was in his element when Hamas carried out the attack and took hostages, it gave him his opportunity to wipe out the Palestinian population and reclaim Gazza and The West Bank. All his birthdays and Christmas's came at once. He should be arrested for War Crimes, A despicable man for sure.

All his birthdays and Christmas's came at once

Hanukkahs.

All his birthdays and Hanukkahs came at once.

Similar here, living in the US and know many jews. They get money for their bar/bat mitzvah which is often put into a college fund. Its no different than a confirmation when it's expected that you get money. I've never heard of this two or three chances to make it. They go to college and try to make something of themselves just like most young people here. How do they have their own police and legal systems within America? That's not something I've ever noticed or heard of. I agree about community though. They do stick together and support each other, and who can blame them considering their history. They are welcoming and not at all insular though IME. Same how when the Irish, polish, Italians etc first went to America

Seems to me that Irish people, because most of us don't know any jews growing up or at all, myself included until i moved to the US, are prone to believing nonsense about them like they have secret police and legal systems and that they all get millions for their bar mitzvah with 3 chances to make it otherwise they are relegated to being janitors if they cant add to the giant collective pile of riches. Wtf. Do you not realise how crazy this sounds?