“The Global Imams Council condemns in the strongest possible terms the barbaric actions of Hamas, which have resulted in the brutal execution of six innocent hostages, among them a dual American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, in a tunnel in the Gaza city of Rafah. We are deeply saddened and outraged by these heinous murders, which violate all principles of humanity, religious teachings, and international law.”
Israel uses precision bombs to take out enemy positions quickly, effectively, and with minimal risk to Israeli fighters. There are always alternatives, so which alternative do you recommend Israel use to deal with the hundreds of Hezbollah missile launch and storage facilities in a similarly quick, effective, and safe manner for its soldiers?
You, friend, are one of those unexpected exceptions.
My sense is that you and I are probably more in agreement than disagreement on most parts of the conflict and differ only along the perimeter. I have business to attend to this out of town and so I’ll have to conclude here other than to wish you a good evening.
Cheers! Jim
I agree that it is refreshing to have that rare conversation directed by knowledge and logic rather than emotion even if the issues are highly emotional.
I think you might also agree that most participants on either side of the issue have little more than a superficial understanding of the history of the region, either ancient or modern, and so the majority of discussions here are pretty pointless unless one is willing to engage in the Sisyphusian task of educating overwhelming credulous people
“The unemployment rate in Gaza is 47% and more than 80% of its population lives in poverty, according to the United Nations. Hamas, however, has funded an armed force of thousands equipped with rockets and drones and built a vast web of tunnels under Gaza. Estimates of its annual military budget range from $100 million to $350 million, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBjvYkNzuAA
Your disagreement isn’t with me, it’s with the Palestinian woman
“The suit .. said some of those dollars ended up funding the military operations of Hamas, the Islamist group that has controlled Gaza for nearly 20 years and has pledged to erase the Jewish state. The money trail is at the heart of the case against seven current and former top UNRWA officials who are accused of knowing that Hamas siphoned off more than $1 billion from the agency to pay for, among other things, tunneling equipment and weapons that aided its attack on Israel on Oct. 7.”
From the NYT
“For years, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency sent millions of dollars each month to Gaza to pay employees and support hospitals, schools and other infrastructure, according to a new lawsuit. The money was wired from New York, where the agency has an office, to the West Bank, where financial institutions loaded some of that cash onto trucks to be driven across Israel to Gaza.”
That border crossing was one of the few secure locations for bringing in humanitarian aid to the Palestinians within Gaza. It’s in Hamas’ interests for there to be a humanitarian crisis in Gaza so that they can feed off the sympathy of the world for the plight of the Palestinian people. It’s a calculated crises of their own making against their own people.
“Hamas said on Sunday that its armed wing had fired rockets at Israeli forces near the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Gaza and Israel, in an attack that the Israeli military said killed three soldiers and left three more soldiers critically wounded.
About 14 rockets and mortars were fired from an area near the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt toward Kerem Shalom, an Israeli military spokesman, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, said at a news briefing on Sunday night. “
Fair enough.
You observed that people didn’t like what he said when he asked for evidence to support the claim that the temple was bombed. Would you care to speculate why the people who down voted him did so?
The Jewish and Israeli history is repeatedly found in Egyptian, Babylonian, Roman, and Greek texts dating back thousands of years. Archaeological sites in present day Israel contain the remnants of those ancient Israeli settlements throughout Israel, Judaea, the West Bank, etc. Read
You’d be an idiot to think otherwise
“We call upon the international community, all religious leaders, and people of conscience to unite against these acts of terror and to work tirelessly towards a future where peace, justice, and respect for all human life are the foundations of our shared existence.
May God guide us to a path of peace and grant solace to the hearts of the bereaved.”
“Moreover, we recognize that the regime in Iran shares equal responsibility for these tragedies, as its continued support and endorsement of Hamas’s actions perpetuate violence and instability in the region.
We stand with all victims of this conflict, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or religion, and we extend our deepest condolences to their families. Our prayers are with those who have lost loved ones and with those still living under the shadow of fear and uncertainty.”
“We hold Hamas directly responsible for the deaths and suffering of all innocent lives lost since October 7, as their actions have not only brought death and destruction upon the region but have also led to immense suffering for the Palestinian people. Hamas’s reckless and inhumane tactics, using civilians as shields and exploiting their plight, have only escalated the cycle of violence and undermined the cause of justice and peace.}
“The targeting and brutalization of civilians, especially those who are defenseless and held against their will, are acts of unmitigated evil. These actions represent a gross violation of the sacred laws of conflict as ordained by all major faith traditions, including Islam, which categorically prohibit the harming of innocents. Furthermore, these atrocities contravene international humanitarian laws, including the Geneva Conventions, which are designed to protect civilians during times of war.”
https://imams.org/gic-statement-on-the-execution-of-hostages-by-hamas-terrorists/
“The Global Imams Council condemns in the strongest possible terms the barbaric actions of Hamas, which have resulted in the brutal execution of six innocent hostages, among them a dual American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, in a tunnel in the Gaza city of Rafah. We are deeply saddened and outraged by these heinous murders, which violate all principles of humanity, religious teachings, and international law.”
I’ll make a point. Israel targeted Hezbollah missiles launch and storage sites and Hezbollah militants. So what
Mine were simple yes no questions. Too tough?
In a week it will have been one year since Hamas raped, tortured, and murdered civilian men, women, and children. Just recently Hamas murdered six hostages in a tunnel in Gaza. The day after the Hamas attack on Israel Hezbollah launched rockets in support and has continued to do so.
Are you depressed because Israel has decapitated both Hamas and Hezbollah, and that they and their Iranian sponsor is powerless to respond and is now hiding in a bunker. Everyone in the Middle East is knows this.
That’s demonstrably false, and the record of Jewish habitation of the region only recently called Palestine dates back thousands of years.
Is it your position that asking for evidence of a claim is something to be disliked? Should people accept everything presented to them at face value. Have you read, “1984”?
When I posted that an Iranian women was beaten to death by the Morality Police, and that 476 protesters against her murder were subsequently killed by Iranian authorities, I was downvoted also. Consider of what kind of person thinks women and protesters should be murdered by the Iranian theocratic dictatorship government while calling for human rights and you’ll come to view their downvotes as confirmation they’re terrorist supporters and that you are not, and that’s the reason they downvote you
I think you can’t tell Hamas from Israelis. I recently watched a video taken from a recon drone where Hamas fighters hijacked a food aid truck. Israel took those fighters and their escort out with an air strike.
Also, did you forget that Hamas fired rockets at a humanitarian aid crossing into Gaza, forcing Israel to withdraw trucks carrying aid until the area could be secured? Do you really think Hamas isn’t stealing food for profit?
Before you use the word genocide perhaps you should look up its meaning first. I know it’s a popular word these days but you only reveal your ignorance when you use it incorrectly
Let me know when Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran act reasonably
Iran's envoy was chosen to chair a U.N. human rights council meeting in Geneva, right? No doubt they chose Iran for its impeccable record on human rights and their fair and equitable treatment of women. You no doubt also know that Russia was voted the presidency of the UN Security Council, due to their staunch support of world peace and support of the sovereign rights of every nation. Right? Is the United Nations really the organization you want to align yourself with?
Easy. Convince Hamas to return the hostages and stop firing rockets into Israel. I don’t know why nobody on the Palestinian side has thought of this. Since you asked the question hadn’t that thought ever crossed your mind?
Know doubt you know exactly where Hezbollah does and does not store, hide, or fire rockets from. Perhaps you could save innocent lives by telling the Israelis exactly where those weapons are so they don’t waste them on non-military targets because you are clearly better informed than the Israeli Intelligence Service. Were you the guy that came up with the pager operation because kudos! That was brilliant!
Hamas funds their operations by seizing aid given to the Palestinian people by the world community, and selling that freely given food to the Palestinian people to line their own pockets. Do you support Hamas and Hezbollah and the manner in which they treat their civilian population? Do you condone them hiding weapons alongside private citizens, at relief stations, and under schools, hospitals, and homes? If you think that justifiable you support terrorism.
Your mistake, and the reason you’ve been down voted, is because you’ve dared ask for evidence. You must not ask questions that cast doubt on the sacred narrative. Now repeat: Israel bad, Hamas good. Israel bad, Hezbollah good.