So I keep seeing comments about how it's important to differentiate between Hamas and the Palestinians and how "not all Palestinians support Hamas" and whatnot. Which IS true. But I don't think you can go from that to "no strikes against Hamas are morally justified because they result in the deaths of non-Hamas Palestinians." Bear in mind that the people of Palestine DID vote in Hamas in a landslide and have not risen up against Hamas. And more than that, they seem to be majority supporters of Hamas. It's absolutely unfortunate that non-combatants will be killed, but the cancer has to be removed.
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I support finding a way to co-exist.
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Voted for neither as, from an American perspective, it should properly be viewed as a strategic calculation, not a moral decision. That said, your characterization of it as two children fighting over a toy is an unjustified trivialization of the question.
There are serious moral issues at stake, and it has been an accepted principle of international affairs - at least since the end of World War I if not before - that national self-determination is the right of a people. It's partly the reason why the victorious Allies broke up the Austro-Hungarian Empire and it is why imperialism is in such bad repute today.
That said, international affairs are about power, not principle - except insofar as sovereign powers have the ability to assert their moral principles. In the Palestinian-Israeli case, there are conflicting nationalisms, though in the Palestinian case, the sense of national identity is somewhat weak - with Palestine divided between Palestinian nationalist, Islamist and (to some degree) pan-Arab identities.
These splits within the Palestinian community have significantly weakened the Palestinian cause, with about the only thing holding the Palestinian factions together is their ardent right to return to what they consider historic Palestine. In that connection, it should not be forgotten that the United Nations Organization divided the territory in a two state solution and it was the Palestinian Arabs, not the Israeli Jews, who rejected that compromise solution.
As to the situation now, the Palestinian cause is largely over - the media images notwithstanding. The decision by the Palestinians to support Saddam Hussein's Iraq against Kuwait in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War effectively ended Arab support for the Palestinian cause in fact if not in name.
Throw in the rivalry between Persian-Shiite-republican Iran and the Arab-Sunni-monarchies (as well as Egypt.) You now have a de facto alliance between Israel and the Arabs, effectively shutting out the Palestinians (who are increasingly looking to Iran.)
From the American viewpoint, that Arab-Israeli alliance is useful for hemming in not just Iran, which is small beer, but Russia - which in geostrategic terms matters more. In that connection, then, support for Israel makes sense.
The Palestine issue for the U. S. is secondary and if the Palestinians do not see the United States as a mediator, then that is their affair and the status quo will suffice. Palestinian options are few.
You don’t have to support either to condemn the heinous acts committed by both Hamas and the IDF/Israeli government.
It’s getting so annoying people pretending like saying you care about innocent Israelis being slaughtered means you’re “pro Israel”, or that you support genocide. Apparently the citizens of a country are fair game to be held accountable for the actions of a government. All it takes is for you to be born in a hospital in a specific country somewhere and that apparently sentences you to death.
Hamas are not Palestine.You should have detailed the difference between Palestinians vs. Hamas.
Hamas are made up of Palestinians but not all Palestinians support Hamas.
Neither, because this crap has gone on long enough. Let them kill each other off in the name of their false gods if that's what they really want to do!
i can't support terrorist so only israel is option. but israel deserved my support.
Israel.
None of them.
Israel
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