One would have hoped that Israel would never want this to happen again.
If its an outrage for you I suppose the British government closing RT (Russia Today) was equally shocking to you, so as well as UAE, Bahrain, Egypt & Saudi Arabia also banning your pals at Al Jazeera.
Go take a running jump Gordon
Getting back to the original topic….
A new low for me I’m afraid. Israeli people stopping aid getting through to the people of Gaza.
I’m slowly losing respect for the Israel to the point where I will now boycott Israeli products.
I started watching a Netflix film last night and wasn’t far in before I started getting a feeling of unease and recognition.
It is called The Zookeeper’s Wife and is about the married couple who ran Warsaw’s Zoo in 1939 before and after the Nazi invasion.
They are appalled at the treatment and herding into the walled ghetto of the Jews and decide to help by converting the zoo, most of whom’s animals have been either sent to Germany or shot for sport, to a pig rearing facility to feed the invaders and, in order to feed the animals, driving a truck daily into the ghetto to collect Jewish waste food for pig swill. They smuggle small packets of meat in and several Jews out by covering them in swill in the back of the truck.
But I was struck by watching the first journey in. The starving and dying Jews lying on the ground, unattended, the lines of Jews herded into the place carrying the pitiful amounts of household goods that they possess, prams converted to baggage carts, the odd trailer pulled by hand with great difficulty by the weary people and piled high with ragged bedding, chairs and tables, perilously held on by lengths of string and the scruffy kids hanging on to this teetering load for dear life. And, in my horror, I thought how good this is all in the past now but could not understand my particular unease because I have seen such films before, Schindler’s List etc.
And then I realised, I saw it yesterday, but on the news, the current news, desperate people driven for the umpteenth time from their destroyed homes, bombed and shot like untermenschen.
Israel. How could you, of all peoples, recreate this horror again? Allow the food destined for the starving masses to be stolen, ruined and burnt. How the bloody hell do you live with yourselves? How could you destroy 35,000 men women and children, babies barely out of the womb, some not even out yet, in exchange for an admitted attrocity but understandable desparation of 1,500 Jewish lives? Is that your digusting calculation, one Jewish life to be paid for by 23 Palestinian ones? You learnt well, the German Nazis slaughtered whole villages in France for one invader killed by the Ha, sorry, Resistance. Keep going, you have some catching up to do, I know you will.
Shame on you, and shame on the governments who support your evil intent, British, American and others. But I will not buy a single item if I have the slightest suspicion that it comes from your stolen land or from companies that deal with you in your desparate desire to go down in history as the new nazis.
Like everywhere, there is more than one side. The problem lies with a government and army with the power clearly on one side.
A powerful clip from Al Jazeera. Who, of course Netanyahu and his criminals have banned from Israel.
A heartfelt report from a doctor who has been on the frontline. Biden still stands by and does nothing.
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This is an emotive topic - I appreciate feelings run high and it can be difficult to stay polite 100% of the time - but please try.
There is right and wrong on both sides, this dispute did not start on Oct 7th.
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You are of course right @billybutcher. I, as always, appreciate your wisdom in dousing the flames before SF becomes like media platforms elsewhere.
That said, talking things out calmly can help, and seems the majority of members here are civil and self controlled with their language (as long as the subject is not UK politics.)
History is being made in a world we all share as, we watch. The repercussions of what is happening today will ripple out to affect everyone everywhere. How and when should we be silent? Our voices are all we have to offer.
Of course one should not confuse being polite for neutrality.
As I said it is complex, and also dynamic, but I’m afraid Israel has not conducted itself with dignity, not has it displayed a willingness to coexist with the Palestinians for most of the last 50 years. If I had to wave a flag for one of these two nations - it would be Palestine’s.
I agree this is a very emotive subject.
In an attempt to try and remove emotion from the decision making process I have been reading about efforts to apply game theory to the solution. It seems to be incredibly complicated and confusing depending on whose outcome you are trying to optimise.
There are no good solutions only least worst scenarios.
Ah yes, the Basil Fawlty argument.
“My ‘bias’ is clear, unambiguous and in every way in line with Le Monde ‘s values. I’m for freedom, peace and justice. I’m for peoples’ right to self-determination, against the armed occupation of one people by another, against colonization and the unilateral annexation of territories by force. I am for democracy and against arbitrariness. I don’t claim to be ‘neutral,’ just honest about the facts.”
Patrice Claude.
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
I hope the staff get out safely.
I was about to mention a well known Israeli company supplying products we all often see
a lot of in France and the UK.
But I will not mention their name or any more because then I’d be doing the same as was done in the early stages pre-WWIi in Germany to persecute Jews.
I do think it’s time to stop trade and money flows with Israel though but it needs to be at the level of governments uniting.
I must admit to being a little puzzled by that @KarenLot .
I see no harm, and great advantage, in naming Israeli products so that pressure can be brought to bear where it is needed, and am also puzzled by your pre-war reference too. Are you saying that the Nazis campaigned against Jewish businesses in the '30s, if so I agree with you, but that was against the oppressed, not, as in this case, the oppressor.
As to your last sentence:
I do think it’s time to stop trade and money flows with Israel though but it needs to be at the level of governments uniting.
I also agree but in concert with private individuals who, by their actions, can bring pressure to bear on those governments to encourage them to unite in action.
If we don’t know who they are how can we demonstrate our disapproval?
Good point Karen, and answered here… The Israeli army supports the settlers in their despicable actions, up to and including murder, against Palestinians.
I should add, the BDS movement advocates targeting companies, be they Israeli or otherwise, that support through business or investment what is happening in the West Bank. For example, Barclays Bank and Axa Insurance.