Israeli–Palestinian conflict

[Magpietothemax]

[David]

[Skids]

Mondays update...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmYeRZv6JIo

[LaurieHolden]

US government was the only government to veto UN Security Council resolution for ceasefire in Gaza. Nothing could be clearer: the US government is an active protagonist in this war. While blocking any possibility of a ceasefire, the Biden government has just announced that it will provide $100 million in tank rounds to the IDF, without even bothering with Congressional approval.

Biden is just as culpable as Netahanyu. They are partners in genocide.

Biden administration said Saturday it has approved the emergency sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million.

Biden bypassing Congress with emergency determinations for arms sales is an unusual step that has in the past met resistance from lawmakers, who normally have a period of time to weigh on proposed weapons transfers and, in some cases, block them. Has Congress been gelded to the extent that this hasn't resulted in uproar? Irrespective of which side you're on, surely democracy stands above all? Idealistic I know...
At least four administrations have used the authority since 1979. President George H.W. Bush's administration used it during the Gulf War to get arms quickly to Saudi Arabia.
I'm trying to unpack this, this just seems like a significant over-reach of executive power.

Speaking of executive power, the division between Shia and Sunni dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632. This event raised the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation. Roll forward a millennia and change, is this a continued power grab by Netahanyu to shield him from the or something else? e.g. the indictable offences he was convicted of?
Since Netanyahu was officially indicted for breach of trust, accepting bribes, and fraud forcing him to legally relinquish his ministry portfolios, other than PM, he's been part of an ongoing trial. He then has other nut-job right leaning ministers to do his bidding. What a cluster-**** of administration to allow a sitting PM to continue in power post being indicted for breach of trust, accepting bribes, and fraud. What am I missing here?
The throwaway line one often hears BBQ experts espouse, is it's all about the oil. C'mon, spare me with that suburban abstract of the situation at large.

For the record, the Middle Eastern countries with the greatest proportion of Sunnis are Egypt, Jordan, UAE and Saudi Arabia, with Sunnis making up 90% or more of the population. Then roll in Turkey. Although Turkey hasn't exactly been getting on well with its neighbours.
Iran has the largest Shia majority, with nearly 90% of the population. Shia are also in the majority in Iraq and Bahrain.

The US seemingly have lost their ability to keep the Israeli right or Hamas from throwing grenades into the regional fan.
Netanyahu appears to have grabbed his opportunity to destabilise the region, which looks like an active effort to open up old wounds. This has all the hallmarks of becoming a cluster-**** if it isn't already.
Unfortunately, the actions of Hamas have set back relations to a point where it'll be difficult to reconcile, irrespective of the undercurrent that led to this series of terrible events.

[pietillidie]

The frustrating thing is knowing this would happen. If the parameters aren't set outside crisis during sane times, the imperial/neocon/opportunist desire will carry the day without opposition during crisis. Like day follows night. And this has the added 'justification' over the Iraq disaster that Israel is genuinely at existential risk and was attacked by one of the parties concerned, which doesn't justify the wilful scuppering of peace and unbridled killing of average Mo Palestinians in our minds, but we know how little disciplined thought defines these things.

So effing depressing. Even more pathetic, tough man-child Trump, who commands the only potential opposition of note, is too thoroughly narcissistic to take on an actual, proper, real injustice that has no obvious self-benefit. Pathetic.

[LaurieHolden]

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in war-torn Gaza, in a rebuke to the United States which last week blocked a similar resolution in the smaller Security Council.

A majority of 153 nations voted for the ceasefire resolution in the General Assembly’s emergency special session Tuesday, while 10 voted against and 23 abstained.

Source :
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/12/midd ... index.html

[LaurieHolden]

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in war-torn Gaza, in a rebuke to the United States which last week blocked a similar resolution in the smaller Security Council.

A majority of 153 nations voted for the ceasefire resolution in the General Assembly’s emergency special session Tuesday, while 10 voted against and 23 abstained.

At least Australia voted for a ceasefire this time, rather than abstain.

Next step, would be to ban trade with those countries that voted against a ceasefire. But that cuts off trade with the US.
There must be some accountability when our 'allies' or key trade partners are fundamentally against resolutions that don't act to preserve human life. Idealistic I know.

Source :
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/12/midd ... index.html

[David]

An interesting critique of how leftists are responding to this conflict (and international conflicts more broadly), and how the discourse might be more effectively oriented: https://leftrenewal.net/

[David]

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in war-torn Gaza, in a rebuke to the United States which last week blocked a similar resolution in the smaller Security Council.

A majority of 153 nations voted for the ceasefire resolution in the General Assembly’s emergency special session Tuesday, while 10 voted against and 23 abstained.

At least Australia voted for a ceasefire this time, rather than abstain.

Next step, would be to ban trade with those countries that voted against a ceasefire. But that cuts off trade with the US.
There must be some accountability when our 'allies' or key trade partners are fundamentally against resolutions that don't act to preserve human life. Idealistic I know.

Source :
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/12/midd ... index.html

That's certainly how things should be, even though we're very far from it being reality right now. Through such basic disciplinary measures, the UN could actually be effective, and there would be real consequences for countries committing war crimes. Maybe we'll get there one day.

[Magpietothemax]

An interesting critique of how leftists are responding to this conflict (and international conflicts more broadly), and how the discourse might be more effectively oriented: https://leftrenewal.net/

I stopped reading when they stated: "...there is evidence of extreme sexual violence [by Hamas militants on October 7,] This is a lie. no evidence has ever been presented - by the Israeli govt or by the IDF. All we have is the allegations of female Zionist activists, and quotes from an IDF soldier. Claims of decapitating babies and baking babies in the oven were likewise made, based on quotes from Israeli soldiers with no evidence. All these claims have since been exposed as lies.

[Magpietothemax]

It has been confirmed that Israel has begun flooding Gaza with seawater - this despite the fact that the families of hostages still held by Hamas have opposed such a strategy, because their loved ones are threatened with drowning.
The effects on Gaza's underground acquifer system and agriculture will be catastrophic.


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog ... te=2554373

[Pies4shaw]

^ Guess they're running low on white phosphorus.

[Magpietothemax]

Fresh evidence that the IDF was responsible for much of the bloodshed suffered by Israeli citizens on October 7, enacting the Hannibal Policy, which prefers that captured Israelis be murdered by the IDF rather than allowed to be bargaining chips for the enemy:

https://www.uncaptured.media/p/fresh-te ... medium=web

Hamas has called for an international, independent enquiry into what transpired on October 7, but the Israeli government has refused, resorting instead to depraved propaganda lies to divert attention and to justify its genocide.

[David]

"Some of" is probably more accurate than "much of". There are propagandists out there currently trying to suggest that most of the victims of October 7 were killed by the IDF, and I think we need to exercise caution in our own language lest we bolster those deceitful narratives.

[stui magpie]

^

Exactly. It's easy to forget what started all of this, this time. Hamas invaded civilian areas, brutally raping, murdering and mutiliating innocent men, women and children and taking others as hostages.

Does that justify the current situation from Israel? No, but trying to airbrush it out of existence to somehow paint Hamas as innocent victims of the IDF is sick.