A thing we should not be quick to dismiss, Israel is in an untenable situation. Counterinsurgency would be no end nightmare. But they are as guilty of perpetuating it as Hamas. If they put an end to settlements and harassment would Hamas stop? Probably not, but they would have less support and that's more important than many believe.
A thing we should not be quick to dismiss, Israel is in an untenable situation. Counterinsurgency would be no end nightmare. But they are as guilty of perpetuating it as Hamas. If they put an end to settlements and harassment would Hamas stop? Probably not, but they would have less support and that's more important than many believe.
What do you do when your situation is untenable? Fight to stay alive. What's do you do when your daughter is killed during the process of stealing or bulldozing your home? Seek revenge. Is one a righteous cause? History says it's what we can expect. That is not where the debate is.
I remember going into villages in Vietnam and seeing sandbag bunkers next to humble dwellings. How would you like to have real reasons to wonder if you came home from work and your family would be dead, or an errant round would kill you all in your sleep?
Looking at a war "over there" is quite different from war that might kill you or your loved ones. Do you have a bomb shelter? I'm reading that they are catching (some) military grade weapons and explosives at America's Southern border. Maybe we'll find out.
"If they put an end to settlements and harassment would Hamas stop? Probably not, but they would have less support and that's more important than many believe."
Exactly. It's interesting how many people talk about Hamas without realising that the leadership, most of whom live safely in Qatar, is powerless without the people who suffer in Gaza and are therefore willing to fight and die. If the people in Gaza are no longer suffering, how many of them would be interested in fighting? If nothing else, it's a strategy that Israel have never tried.
A thing we should not be quick to dismiss, Israel is in an untenable situation. Counterinsurgency would be no end nightmare. But they are as guilty of perpetuating it as Hamas. If they put an end to settlements and harassment would Hamas stop? Probably not, but they would have less support and that's more important than many believe.
What do you do when your situation is untenable? Fight to stay alive. What's do you do when your daughter is killed during the process of stealing or bulldozing your home? Seek revenge. Is one a righteous cause? History says it's what we can expect. That is not where the debate is.
I remember going into villages in Vietnam and seeing sandbag bunkers next to humble dwellings. How would you like to have real reasons to wonder if you came home from work and your family would be dead, or an errant round would kill you all in your sleep?
Looking at a war "over there" is quite different from war that might kill you or your loved ones. Do you have a bomb shelter? I'm reading that they are catching (some) military grade weapons and explosives at America's Southern border. Maybe we'll find out.
"If they put an end to settlements and harassment would Hamas stop? Probably not, but they would have less support and that's more important than many believe."
Exactly. It's interesting how many people talk about Hamas without realising that the leadership, most of whom live safely in Qatar, is powerless without the people who suffer in Gaza and are therefore willing to fight and die. If the people in Gaza are no longer suffering, how many of them would be interested in fighting? If nothing else, it's a strategy that Israel have never tried.