Hamas strike on Israel

To glibly say, as many so, "release the hostages and this will end tomorrow", are placing the lives of 2 million people in Gaza in the hands of a genocidal government who are proven liars

Absolutely. And I wish the people on the Israeli side of this argument would at least make an attempt to understand this point of view. And this is the crux of where we are now. Israel has repeatedly shown it has no regard for what much of the world considers international norms. It openly disregards the institutions meant to uphold those norms — they have even showed aggression and disregard for the safety of UN peacekeepers containing Irish soldiers.

It’s so disappointing to see this thread go in circles, with the same one-sided arguments repeated by a certain cohort. Some posters at least attempt to debate in good faith, but others just throw out glib, dismissive lines like “Don’t start what you can’t finish,” “Palestinians voted for this,” or “Release the hostages and this is over”, "Palestiniains need to cop on", "when the Gazans invaded Israel" — along with constant accusations that anyone criticising Israel must therefore support Hamas or the taking of hostages, despite people like myself repeatedly calling those acts a disgrace.

Blaming the victims, as if Israel has no choice, is absurd. As someone mentioned earlier, Israel is supposed to be the democratic nation-state in this situation — yet it is behaving every bit as horrifically as the terrorists it claims to be fighting. The difference is that the people outraged by what’s happening in Gaza can and do call out Hamas for their crimes. But those excusing what is now a genocide rarely show the same willingness to condemn Israel’s actions.

What happened on October 7th was absolutely abhorrent. Nobody denies Israel has the right to go after Hamas. But let’s not forget that Hamas is a monster Israel itself helped create. The murder of over 60,000 people — generally considered a low estimate — in response to the killing of 2,000 Israelis is not justice. It is a grotesque act of collective punishment. Imagine the British Army bombing and starving citizens in the north because of IRA actions. The continued starvation of the survivors, alongside open discussion of displacing them to camps or out of the region entirely, is depravity of the highest order.

And yet we still have posters here justifying it, parroting the same old excuses and lines and then when they're exhausted or cornered, just starting the cycle again. Russia was rightly sanctioned to the hilt for what it did in Ukraine. The fact that Israel is allowed to carry out this barbarity not only unimpeded, but actively supported or enabled by some of the world’s most powerful states, will be a blight on history.

To those posters who are constantly throwing around the statements mentioned above, look at the pictures on the news. Of emaciated children. Of parents wailing and screaming and crying while begging for a pot of watery lentil soup. Try to picture your own kids in that situation. Put there because of the crimes of others. "Bad things happen in war." Is that enough for you? It justifies it? Imagine being in the situation. The following lines written by Ricky Lynch about a different genocide comes to mind, the sheer desperation.

"And they cried out to the Lord God Creator of the Universe

In our despair we call on you

But all their tears and all their prayers they went unanswered

On that God-forsaken December Day in 1942"

A lot of buzzwords here

America is the only world superpower. China may be in the running but Israel is definitely not one. Definitely a regional power that relies on the one world super power to even bomb Iran for it.

The hardh reality is that Gaza is inhabitable forever. The US and the other Arab nations are happy to leave it destroyed .

How anyone thinks 'releasing the hostages' is somehow going to bring peace and stability to Gaza when the Israelis obviously have genocidal intent for the area going forward is hard to fathom.

Nobody believes this. It's merely something that liars tell themselves and try to tell others.

What rubbish, Israel is,a superpower and a Gaza is uninhabitable forever? A nuclear bomb hasn't gone off there. Someone will be living there when they rebuild, probably the israelis.

Only a one state solution will work.

You have a poster stating that an Irish person should be kicked out of the country because of their opinion, however reprehensible it is & also that the holocaust was just a brief moment in Germanys history.

Stuff like this should be questioned by any sane person.

People are falling for the lie that words are more hurtful than bombs. And it's sad. Nothing will ever change when that is the case.

I am said poster. Shatter is an ignorant Zionist bastard whose very presence stains our country. He doesn't acknowledge the genocide. Not once has he called for Israel to desist from murdering defenceless Palestinians.

As for the holocaust being a short period in history it most certainly is short when set against 77 years of persecution by Jews against the natives of the land Palestinians. As for you questioning my sanity it matters not one jot to me.

What happened on October 7th being "understandable" is a great insight into a posters thinking.

I also said it was wrong. Guess you missed that part. In life PJ something can be wrong and understandable at the same time. When you pen people into an open air prison for over 75 years at some stage their going to seek to give you a bloody nose. That's what October 7th was. But hey in your world Israel is perfect and their is no genocide. All those Palestinians aren't really starving its an illusion. Hey this is a great time to go and live in Israel with so many leaving. I'm sure they'd welcome your enlightened presence in the Zionist paradise.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/starmer-israel-gaza-starvation-condemns-b2795520.html

The UK may not be far behind.

Pretty sure Starmer said Israel was justified to cut off water to Gaza. Either way he is stained by assisting Israel in carrying out it's genocide through the use of the British base in Cyprus alone.