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We've been hearing a lot of blather, here, in the media, in protests, and elsewhere, about how Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. On logical examination, this claim completely falls apart.
What is the definition of genocide? Per the Oxford English Dictionary, it is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group. Do Israel's actions fit this definition, or do they constitute a legitimate military action reacting to an attack against them. The answer is definitively the latter.
Let's look at how this event started. Hamas terrorists crossed the border into Israel, and massacred and kidnapped large numbers of Israeli and other civilians, including women and children. This was in addition to randomly launching rockets into cities in Israel. Hamas was already a self declared existential threat to Israel, and this attack actualized that threat. Israel was put into the position of having to destroy Hamas, in order to defend itself. Based on Hamas' actions, this is completely legitimate.
However, Hamas employed the explicit and intentional tactic of wrapping itself in the civilian population of Gaza. It put it's high value targets in, near, and/or under high sensitivity civilian infrastructure (hospitals, schools, residential areas, etc.) so that there would be no way Israel could attack them without incurring collateral civilian casualties. In point of fact, Hamas' goal (and the goal of Iran, who sponsored this attack) is to incur civilian casualties in their own population, knowing that a large cadre of weak minded westerners in countries that support Israel would be horrified by this, and turn on Israel. This latter tactic has been remarkably successful.
But do the civilian casualties constitute genocide on the part of Israel? No. Why? Because Israel's stated goal, and who's actions match that goal, is to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas. If Israel wanted to wipe out the civilian population of Gaze, it probably could, and has the technical capability to do so (up to and including the availability of nuclear weapons.) However, it has not used weapons of mass destruction against civilians. It has used legitimate military weapons against a large scale, armed, intrenched / fortified terrorist organization that positioned itself in a high density civilian population. There is no way to attack Hamas without causing civilian casualties, which is to Hamas plan. So the civilian casualties are collateral damage to a legitimate military operation, in large part caused by the terrorist organization. This in no way fits the definition genocide.
Well their war in Gaza is legitimate but maybe a little overboard.
Look at this way...Hamas attacks Israel in the past every couple years with missile attacks and suicide bombings, Israel responds but those Hamas attack continue. This time Hamas crossed into Israel and kill over a thousand people. If I was Israel I would be tried of those nearly yearly attacks and want to end them...and now IDF is doing exactly that. Do you blame them?
We've been hearing a lot of blather, here, in the media, in protests, and elsewhere, about how Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. On logical examination, this claim completely falls apart.
What is the definition of genocide? Per the Oxford English Dictionary, it is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group. Do Israel's actions fit this definition, or do they constitute a legitimate military action reacting to an attack against them. The answer is definitively the latter.
Let's look at how this event started. Hamas terrorists crossed the border into Israel, and massacred and kidnapped large numbers of Israeli and other civilians, including women and children. This was in addition to randomly launching rockets into cities in Israel. Hamas was already a self declared existential threat to Israel, and this attack actualized that threat. Israel was put into the position of having to destroy Hamas, in order to defend itself. Based on Hamas' actions, this is completely legitimate.
However, Hamas employed the explicit and intentional tactic of wrapping itself in the civilian population of Gaza. It put it's high value targets in, near, and/or under high sensitivity civilian infrastructure (hospitals, schools, residential areas, etc.) so that there would be no way Israel could attack them without incurring collateral civilian casualties. In point of fact, Hamas' goal (and the goal of Iran, who sponsored this attack) is to incur civilian casualties in their own population, knowing that a large cadre of weak minded westerners in countries that support Israel would be horrified by this, and turn on Israel. This latter tactic has been remarkably successful.
But do the civilian casualties constitute genocide on the part of Israel? No. Why? Because Israel's stated goal, and who's actions match that goal, is to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas. If Israel wanted to wipe out the civilian population of Gaze, it probably could, and has the technical capability to do so (up to and including the availability of nuclear weapons.) However, it has not used weapons of mass destruction against civilians. It has used legitimate military weapons against a large scale, armed, intrenched / fortified terrorist organization that positioned itself in a high density civilian population. There is no way to attack Hamas without causing civilian casualties, which is to Hamas plan. So the civilian casualties are collateral damage to a legitimate military operation, in large part caused by the terrorist organization. This in no way fits the definition genocide.
QED.
Yes it does constitute genocide. Look at the targeted attacks on those receiving food, water, etc. So go after Hamas if you must. Just leave the innocent women, children, healthcare workers, etc. out of it. Don't believe everything you read. This is not just a country defending itself. It goes way, way deeper than that.
Israel has tried restraint and diplomacy with these terrorist for years and years. Ever since I can remember. It has never worked. So this time, when the terrorists slaughtered a bunch of concertgoers and innocent civilians, I guess Israel decided they had been kicked in the nuts one too many times. Sorry, but although it is too bad there are innocent people being used as human shields and getting killed, I really have no sympathy at all. Hamas needs to be permanently dispensed with. That way, there won't be a next time.
Don't believe everything being fed to you by the left wing media and the Soros funded astroturf protesters. This is WAR. It's not pretty, it's not precise. If civilians, including aid workers who chose to be there. are in the middle of the war zone, especially if one side is using them as human shields, some are going to get killed. Sorry, but that inevitable.
And it's a country that's been attacked repeatedly trying to root out once and for all the attacking organizations. This was brought down on the Palestinians by Hamas (and likely had the support of the Palestinian civilian population before the found out what the consequences would actually be.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by trobesmom
Yes it does constitute genocide. Look at the targeted attacks on those receiving food, water, etc. So go after Hamas if you must. Just leave the innocent women, children, healthcare workers, etc. out of it. Don't believe everything you read. This is not just a country defending itself. It goes way, way deeper than that.
Yes it does constitute genocide. Look at the targeted attacks on those receiving food, water, etc. So go after Hamas if you must. Just leave the innocent women, children, healthcare workers, etc. out of it. Don't believe everything you read. This is not just a country defending itself. It goes way, way deeper than that.
Do you see the highlighted? That is the point for Hamas: DO NOT LEAVE THE INNOCENT WOMEN, CHILDREN, HEALTHCARE WORKERS, ETC. out of it. Involve them in every way you can. Use the children as lookouts and relays, for example. When I got orders to deploy to Desert Storm, our squadron received an informal briefing on what Saddam Hussein WILL DO: use human shields. And exactly -- he did that. There is a tacit and unspoken understanding among the Western militaries that if we ever have to fight a Muslim army, expect human shields.
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