I think in the wake of the 6 dead Israeli hostages that it is clear Netanyahu has no interest in peace and needs to expand the conflict to maximise Israeli land gains in the West Bank and to purge Gaza of Palestinians once and for all.
When your army is actively rapping children in your torture prisons as a form of psychological warfare, when you are at that point, there is no victory.
The damage Israel and the US by enabling Israel is causing their brand in the eyes of next generation on Chinese owned TikTok social media platforms is incalculable.
The Lancet calculates over 180 000 dead Palestinians due to secondary violence on top of those who have died and those who are still unaccounted under the rubble.
Netanyahu sees the hostages and their lives as expendable to the wider need for war to legitimise his leadership.
The irony that these hostages were first to be released is a tragedy on top of an obscenity.
It is Netanyahu who is holding upon the ceasefire, it is Netanyahu who needs the conflict to continue, it is Netanyahu who failed Israel from October 7th.
Israel’s ethnic cleansing war crime will poison the normal and in that new world we have to take a long hard look at our role in New Zealand. Many Israeli’s come to NZ for holidays, especially after they’ve done their compulsory service in the IDF, do we really want war criminals holidaying in NZ?
We need to kick out the Israeli Ambassador and we need to prevent anyone who has served in the IDF holidaying in NZ.
We are not a tourist destination for war criminals.
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1919. Britain stole Palestine as a trophy of war.
1948. The Jews invade Palestine backed by Britain
!950 . USA begins building a massive military base in Israel including nuclear weapons.
Today the West condemn Palestine holding a hundred Jews hostage while supporting
the USA backed Israel holding 400 million Muslims hostage with their nuclear weapons Arsenal.
Why no mention of other empires which “stole” Palestine (more properly termed southern Syria) as a trophy of war koina? And why the victimhood narrative over Muslims being held hostage with western nuclear weapons? They are, after all, killing their own in vast numbers, as well as exterminating the religious minorities of the Middle East.
Martyn – 2 things
1. Gazans cannot protest Hamas within Gaza…due to the threat of violence/death from Hamas.
2. The World Imams Council, the Global Muslim Leadership, condemned Hamas actions against Gazans, and the hostages…and have requested Hamas accepts the Peace Proposals from numerous Arab nations.
1) Correct – the death, destruction and utter carnage raged by Israel on all Palestinians (the Hamas-free West Bank is now under attack by Israeli military) means that Palestinians cannot do much other than try their best just to stay alive!
2) The World Imams Council + Global Muslim Leadership brought to you by the USA. And how do we know this, because in this time of US-West supported, Israeli genocide, their silence has been deafening. Enough said.
A O –
1. Too busy to protest…Yeah, right…they, Gazans, know they cannot do that in Gaza due to Hamas death squads.
2. The World Imams Council is based in Canada and Iraq…not the USA…and yes, they do speak against Muslims being mistreated/killed all the time, regardless of who is doing it…including Hamas.
Correct again, Palestinians are too busy trying to avoid Israel’s racist carnage to do much else other than try, try….try to stay alive. With the USA giving its Middle Eastern attack dog – Israel – its head, this is no easy task.
Every now and then you are not too far off, you just need a little bit of straightening out to really reflect the truth of this horror show. As for leadership group, it is not where they are based but whom they speak for that matters. And they both represent and speak for the West.
A O – In reply
– Hamas is Iran attack dog
– The Council speaks for ALL Muslims, Sunni and Shia, unlike Hamas
The only way forward is for Hamas to accept a Peace Proposal…and stop sacrificing Gazans
As you know, the alliance between Netanyahu and Hamas kept Iran at bay. The Council you speak of, speaks for Western interests first and whatever they need to say for those interests, thereafter. And even Biden has realized that its Netanyahu that is stopping the peace process.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-20/ty-article-opinion/.premium/a-brief-history-of-the-netanyahu-hamas-alliance/0000018b-47d9-d242-abef-57ff1be90000
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350401087/biden-criticises-israels-prime-minister-over-failure-agree-gaza-ceasefire
“Gazans cannot protest Hamas within Gaza…due to the threat of violence/death from Hamas.”
Hmm, so it’s a choice between violence/death from Hamas if they protest, or violence/death from Israel is they don’t. I think its obvious that Israel poses a far greater threat to Gazans than Hamas does, except in the convoluted logical inversions of pro-Zionists.
Moreover, why would Gazans even want to protest Hamas, the latter being the only collective resistance Gazans have against the Israeli invaders? Again, if you’re a Zionist, you no doubt cannot get your head around why Gazans wouldn’t fall in behind the Jewish cause, but if you’re a normal thinking person, you’d see it’s quite natural for Gazans to support fellow Gazans (just like Jews support fellow Jews, regardless of whether they are in the right or the wrong).
Mary Ann Evans – Gazans do not want this war…
They, the Gazans, are getting killed by BOTH Hamas (Hamas placing, and firing rockets from schools, apartments blocks, and camps), and Israel (Israel destroying those rocket sites).
Hamas is NOT Gazans…Hamas leadership is made up of Egyptians, Syrians, Jordanians…not Gazans.
“They, the Gazans, are getting killed by BOTH Hamas (Hamas placing, and firing rockets from schools, apartments blocks, and camps), and Israel (Israel destroying those rocket sites).”
So, Gazans are being killed by Israelis when the Israelis blow up schools, apartment blocks and camps. It seems to follow that the Israelis are knowingly killing Gazans in schools, apartment blocks and camps, and that the justification for these killings is they are dead because of Hamas.
If the IDF claims that Hamas is using human shields, but that they go ahead and bomb those places regardless, then it is clear that they are knowingly killing civilians and thus committing war crimes.
Isn’t it much more plausible (and backed by 80 years of precedent) that Israel is killing thousands of Arabs on purpose because the fewer Arabs in the region that better (from a Jewish perspective), but then claiming “human shields” to excuse what the know full well is completely immoral behaviour?
Let’s drop the flimsy pretext (for which there is no evidence other than what the IDF claims)that civilians are dying at the hands of Israel because of Hamas, and just stick with the first part (for which there is an abundance of evidence) that civilians are dying at the hands of Israel, full stop.
“Hamas is NOT Gazans…Hamas leadership is made up of Egyptians, Syrians, Jordanians…not Gazans.”
Even if this is true, so what? It wouldn’t matter if Hamas were actually Norwegian, they are still fighting for Gazans. Equally, America is arming Israel and therefore defending it, but Americans are not Israelis (unless you count the many thousands of dual Israeli/US citizens deeply involved in US politics who lobby for Israel). By your own argument, Gazans are not defending Gaza, but Israelis are not defending Israel either.
Mary Ann Evans – 3 things…
1. The IDF drops pamphlets, sent texts, make phone calls to Gazans BEFORE they hit a target…Hamas does not do this.
Hamas is breaking International laws by placing, and firing rockets in vulnerable areas, such as schools, apartments, and camps.
2. Hamas is not fighting for Gazans. Hamas is fighting for Hamas. Hamas does not allow Gazans into their Tunnels which could protect Gazans.
3. The fact that Hamas leadership does not have Gazans – and yet uses the misery of Gazans for fund raising, the same misery they, Hamas, caused…and this is not a problem…really?
Mary is right, Israel is committing war crimes and the pamphlet-text-phone call, PR stunts Israel throws in every now and then does not mask this fact.
Otherwise, for someone who seems to know a shitload about Hamas, the lack of verifiable proof you provide at the same time means ‘shitload’ is an apt description for your take on them.
They are being murdered by Israel, be it by weaponry or by starvation and now we can add the (Hamas-free) West Bank to this slaughter, which means that Hamas is the excuse for wholesale Israeli violence and not the reason.
A O – We both agree that the killings must stop immediately…Our differences seem to be how to stop it, and how to move forward.
Here’s the way forward.
Equal rights for one and all
Equality for one and all
Democracy for one and all
Humanity to one and all
The equal application of international law for one and all
And this law is a law that every country abides by
From the river to the sea
As laid down in the Hamas Charter?
Allow me to put it in proper order. The way forward. – for all.
From the river to the sea
Equal rights for one and all
Equality for one and all
Democracy for one and all
Humanity to one and all
The equal application of international law for one and all
And this law is a law that every country abides by
Freedom for one and all
Women’s rights and religious toleration? Not really highly rated principles in Islamic countries are they.
Well, that’s the standard Zionist narrative, Ann, but thankfully the reality is almost the polar opposite of this. Bigger point being, my words, my thoughts above, hard fought societal norms – this is the way forward for life between the river and the sea. Right?
That’s a fairly standard progressive response to a contrary opinion- arrogant, dismissive, and mildly insulting.
Ada – Correct…But at least no name calling/swearing/threats…which is a plus.
Hiho, accept the cash. It was a conquest, and, so, now, an out and out genocide. If you’re not getting money you are stupider than you seem, talking for this hellhole point of view.