4 ms·

Yes, the coverage of the conflict is one-sided and popular opinion is on the side of the Palestinians. The reason for that is that the conflict itself is one-si

Yes, the coverage of the conflict is one-sided and popular opinion is on the side of the Palestinians. The reason for that is that the conflict itself is one-sided. Gaza is occupied by Israel. Further, Israel has the overwhelming advantage in military power and the Palestinians suffer the overwhelming majority of casualties every time there is conflict. In the 2008-09 war, the total number of Israeli citizens killed was 13, 10 of whom were combatants and 3 non-combatants (according to the IDF, see [1]). The total number of Palestinians killed was, depending on the source, between 1166 (IDF estimate) and 1440 (Palestinian ministry of Health, Gaza) [1]. The IDF protects your homes and your families, yes. It also crushes the lives and obliterates the houses of the Palestinians. Public opinion is against Israel not because the IDF protects Israeli citizens, but because the IDF kills Palestinians. Finally, the IDF can protect your families and your homes, but there is nobody to protect the lives and homes of the Palestinians. Public opinion is their only shield and it doesn't stop bombs. My comment is by way of explanation, not by way of accusation. ____________ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Gaza_War_(2008%E2%80%932009) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Gaza_War_(20...

bronzeage 5y ago
Gaza is literally not occupied by Israel. Israel withdrew all troops and even banished their own citizens from Gaza. All the Palestinians had to do was not be absolute savages and attack Israel after being given their land with no strings attached. Every single restriction put of Gaza was a direct result of the Palestinian's abuse of the disengagement to fire rockets and kidnap soldiers. All they had to do was simply live in peace, instead they proved to every watching Israeli that Palestinians are bloodthirsty savages. After the result of the disengagement from Gaza being this, only radical left in Israel even contemplates giving Palestinians sovereignty.
- sequoia 5y ago
  @dang how do you “report” comments? BronzeAge: a lot of the facts you are reporting are true and you’re sharing an important perspective that’s missing in this conversation but your comment is turned into complete garbage by the fact that you’re dehumanizing the Palestinians and making yourself look like a genocidal idiot. Stop!! If you have useful criticisms and perspective to add (as you clearly do), add them, and leave out the racism and bloodlust. I don’t care how “accurate” the rest of your analysis is you can’t call a whole population savages, it’s the dehumanizing precursor to mass violence.
  - jcranmer 5y ago
    I'll point out that bronzeage's comment strikes me as stage 4 of genocide (see http://genocidewatch.net/genocide-2/8-stages-of-genocide/ http://genocidewatch.net/genocide-2/8-stages-of-genocide/ for a description of the different stages). And of the various stages, stage 4 is the most critical one to me: the prior stages are all things that exist in generally healthy societies, because it's really, really hard to stamp out discrimination (that doesn't mean we shouldn't try!), but stage 4 is where the rhetoric about outright extermination is built. Everything that comes afterwards is more or less about turning the slaughter from one-off incidents into a systematic slaughter machine.
  - golergka 5y ago
    There is nothing racist or inaccurate in the comment you're replying to. I understand why you might think so, but I can assure you, it just means that you dramatically misunderstand the situation.
  - betsushikime 5y ago
    I can't reply to bronzeage's comment above so I'm adding my comment here. > Gaza is literally not occupied by Israel. That is according to Israel and I believe also the US. Everyone else, including the UN, most world governments, international organisations etc consider Gaza to be still occupied, despite the "disengagement". In practical terms, the "disengagement" means nothing. Gaza is penned in and the Palestinians have nowhere to go. The IDF goes in anytime it likes. More accurately, Gaza would be described as a vast prison, but I think "occupied territory" is a milder and less shocking description, so actually kinder to Israel. In truth, what Israel is doing to Gaza and its inhabitants is unprecedented in world history and will drag Israel's reputation to the gutter for generations to come.
gataca 5y ago
How do you explain the same exact global reaction in 2006, when Hezbollah started a war by kidnapping and killing Israeli soldiers on the border and firing missiles into Israel? Massive protests, 'Israel is committing war crimes/genocide', followed by international condemnation. OP that you're responding to is exactly correct - there is zero outrage against the Syrian or Yemen Civil war (where Iranian-funded troops have starved thousands of people to death). Same goes for the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Same goes for Ethiopia vs Tigray.
- banannaise 5y ago
  re: outrage at Israel and not at Syria, etc.: 1. Israeli bombings, unlike actions in Syria and Yemen, are directly funded by the United States, which makes them a highly relevant issue for Americans and for people concerned with America's role in geopolitics. 2. Visibility. Israel is given extreme favor in US political circles, but that ironically works against it in this case. Their struggles are highly visible, but as a result, so is their aggression. 3. We're working on it. International solidarity protests have seen a dramatic rise in recent years, but we can only learn so quickly.
  - gataca 5y ago
    Will start with point 1: Take Europe instead of just the US - protests in Europe against Israel with no equivalent against Iran or Russia, both of whom funded and sent troops to Syria where Assad has committed actual genocide leading to displacement of millions. Europe trades with Russia and Iran and could apply economic pressure. Where were the mass protests in the face of a humanitarian catastrophe or nerve gas attacks against civilians? No calls for the end of Russia or Iran as countries. Why do you think this is?
    - dragonwriter 5y ago
      > Take Europe instead of just the US - protests in Europe against Israel with no equivalent against Iran or Russia, The protests are because people are upset not simply at Israel, but at their own governments for not devoting energy to constraining Israel.

bronzeage 5y ago

Gaza is literally not occupied by Israel. Israel withdrew all troops and even banished their own citizens from Gaza. All the Palestinians had to do was not be absolute savages and attack Israel after being given their land with no strings attached. Every single restriction put of Gaza was a direct result of the Palestinian's abuse of the disengagement to fire rockets and kidnap soldiers. All they had to do was simply live in peace, instead they proved to every watching Israeli that Palestinians are bloodthirsty savages. After the result of the disengagement from Gaza being this, only radical left in Israel even contemplates giving Palestinians sovereignty.

sequoia 5y ago
@dang how do you “report” comments? BronzeAge: a lot of the facts you are reporting are true and you’re sharing an important perspective that’s missing in this conversation but your comment is turned into complete garbage by the fact that you’re dehumanizing the Palestinians and making yourself look like a genocidal idiot. Stop!! If you have useful criticisms and perspective to add (as you clearly do), add them, and leave out the racism and bloodlust. I don’t care how “accurate” the rest of your analysis is you can’t call a whole population savages, it’s the dehumanizing precursor to mass violence.
- jcranmer 5y ago
  I'll point out that bronzeage's comment strikes me as stage 4 of genocide (see http://genocidewatch.net/genocide-2/8-stages-of-genocide/ http://genocidewatch.net/genocide-2/8-stages-of-genocide/ for a description of the different stages). And of the various stages, stage 4 is the most critical one to me: the prior stages are all things that exist in generally healthy societies, because it's really, really hard to stamp out discrimination (that doesn't mean we shouldn't try!), but stage 4 is where the rhetoric about outright extermination is built. Everything that comes afterwards is more or less about turning the slaughter from one-off incidents into a systematic slaughter machine.
- golergka 5y ago
  There is nothing racist or inaccurate in the comment you're replying to. I understand why you might think so, but I can assure you, it just means that you dramatically misunderstand the situation.
- betsushikime 5y ago
  I can't reply to bronzeage's comment above so I'm adding my comment here. > Gaza is literally not occupied by Israel. That is according to Israel and I believe also the US. Everyone else, including the UN, most world governments, international organisations etc consider Gaza to be still occupied, despite the "disengagement". In practical terms, the "disengagement" means nothing. Gaza is penned in and the Palestinians have nowhere to go. The IDF goes in anytime it likes. More accurately, Gaza would be described as a vast prison, but I think "occupied territory" is a milder and less shocking description, so actually kinder to Israel. In truth, what Israel is doing to Gaza and its inhabitants is unprecedented in world history and will drag Israel's reputation to the gutter for generations to come.

gataca 5y ago

How do you explain the same exact global reaction in 2006, when Hezbollah started a war by kidnapping and killing Israeli soldiers on the border and firing missiles into Israel? Massive protests, 'Israel is committing war crimes/genocide', followed by international condemnation. OP that you're responding to is exactly correct - there is zero outrage against the Syrian or Yemen Civil war (where Iranian-funded troops have starved thousands of people to death). Same goes for the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Same goes for Ethiopia vs Tigray.

banannaise 5y ago
re: outrage at Israel and not at Syria, etc.: 1. Israeli bombings, unlike actions in Syria and Yemen, are directly funded by the United States, which makes them a highly relevant issue for Americans and for people concerned with America's role in geopolitics. 2. Visibility. Israel is given extreme favor in US political circles, but that ironically works against it in this case. Their struggles are highly visible, but as a result, so is their aggression. 3. We're working on it. International solidarity protests have seen a dramatic rise in recent years, but we can only learn so quickly.
- gataca 5y ago
  Will start with point 1: Take Europe instead of just the US - protests in Europe against Israel with no equivalent against Iran or Russia, both of whom funded and sent troops to Syria where Assad has committed actual genocide leading to displacement of millions. Europe trades with Russia and Iran and could apply economic pressure. Where were the mass protests in the face of a humanitarian catastrophe or nerve gas attacks against civilians? No calls for the end of Russia or Iran as countries. Why do you think this is?
  - dragonwriter 5y ago
    > Take Europe instead of just the US - protests in Europe against Israel with no equivalent against Iran or Russia, The protests are because people are upset not simply at Israel, but at their own governments for not devoting energy to constraining Israel.