[News] Middle East conflict

[aolstudios]

The loss of innocent civilian lives on both sides is horrific and tragic in equal measure, but worse still if they have been deliberately targeted and slaughtered in their beds and beheaded as seems the case for some Israelis attacked by Hamas terrorists. Hamas are the enemy of their own people because they would have known and anticipated that the Israeli response would be brutal and unforgiving, it does nothing to further their cause or legitimize their rule over Gaza in fact it has the complete opposite effect. Palestinian people still supporting Hamas need to take a long hard look at themselves as they survey the destruction and death rained down on them by the Israelis - Its cause and effect in action.

Well, exactly

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Would you blow up a food bank and then complain that they don't feed you any more? If Israel is the Gaza Strip's food bank, it shows how monumentally stupid they are for attacking them. (Or more likely. how determined they are to eliminate Israel even at the expense of their own people's suffering.)

They've had 20 years in power and loads of available funds from Iran - they could have built their own power stations. What did they spend it on?

How would they fuel those power stations if there was a blockade preventing them from importing coal?

 

[aolstudios]

That's wrong. Hamas believe in the destruction of Israel. They are anti-semites. They talk explicitly about the struggle between Islan and Judaism. It's what they are about. They are terrorists. They are not interested in peace of any kind.

Correct

 

[Justice]

North of Israel being attacked this is escalating

 

[Questions]

How would they fuel those power stations if there was a blockade preventing them from importing coal?

How did Iran get their weaponry into Gaza ?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

You'll get 10 more years of Tory rule then.

What do you think Starmer could say that would not be seized upon by one party or another as an example of misjudgement?

Right now, this is not a priority for Labour. The priority is to get elected. It's the same priority for Sunak, which is why he's junking everything and hoping that a populist wave will re-emerge and give him victory or at least stem Tory losses. I hope Sunak is wrong, but sadly I fear he is not. We're still far too insular politically and will probably vote for anything that is anti-woke or deemed to be conservative. Big change right now (outside of growth) is not an election winner.

On the power to West Bank issue I agree. The Palestinian leaders there are probably hoping that Hamas can be cut down quickly without creating trouble in their own backyard. Let's remember that they hate Hamas too.

Starmer hasn't resolved the middle east crisis so 'I'm voting tory' (or green which in most constituencies is a wasted vote). FFS. I share your incredulity.

 

[AstroSloth]

Israel gains nothing from killing civilians.

They kill more Palestinians, something they're quite happy about.

 

[Zeberdi]

North of Israel being attacked this is escalating

Sadly predictable because Israel has been lobbying rockets into Lebanon at what appear to be IRG tanks/weapons earlier ..

My conspiracy theory/fear now is that Israel is trying to drag Hezbollah into the conflict to prepare the ground work for the US/Israel (and presumably would drag her allies into it - us included) to attack Iran under the auspices of ‘defending of Israel ’ but with the hidden agenda of removing Iran’s capabilities of developing nuclear weapons - since Trump (probably egged on by Netanyahu) tore up the Arms Deal …and was always in favour of taking a more confrontational approach to ‘deal’ with Iran … we’ve been left with no way to monitor or control Iran’s push for nuclear weapons … Is this why why are seeing no ‘exercise restraint’ from US/UK but a repeated siren call that Israel must be allowed to defend herself and all Palestinian protest is anti-semitic??

 

[AstroSloth]

Why am I not surprised by who liked this post...

 

[Krafty]

There has been indications that Israel are plotting a ground invasion in the Gaza Strip.

What will happen to this area, will it be annexed by Israel? If anyone has any information about this, it would be greatly appreciated

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Sadly predictable because Israel has been lobbying rockets into Lebanon at what appear to be IRG tanks/weapons earlier ..

My conspiracy theory/fear now is that Israel is trying to drag Hezbollah into the conflict to prepare the ground work for the US/Israel (and presumably would drag her allies into it - us included) to attack Iran under the auspices of ‘defending of Israel ’ but with the hidden agenda of removing Iran’s capabilities of developing nuclear weapons - since Trump (probably egged on by Netanyahu) tore up the Arms Deal …and was always in favour of taking a more confrontational approach to ‘deal’ with Iran … we’ve been left with no way to monitor or control Iran’s push for nuclear weapons … Is this why why are seeing no ‘exercise restraint’ from US/UK but a repeated siren call that Israel must be allowed to defend herself and all Palestinian protest is anti-semitic??

… dear HWT - please try not to speed read, I didnt say I would vote Tory -I said - “PS Starmer has proven to me he’s a total self-serving twanker and won’t be getting my vote at the next election, I would rather not exercise the right to vote” “or vote green” AND NOT specifically referring to the current conflict - I decided that months ago” My prerogative.

But back to the thread topic? …

It wasn't you I was sneering at. It was Comrade Sam.

Edit....but, however. OK then. Your attitude will facilitate a tory win.

 

[Poojah]

There has been indications that Israel are plotting a ground invasion in the Gaza Strip.

What will happen to this area, will it be annexed by Israel? If anyone has any information about this, it would be greatly appreciated

According to the BBC, Israel have sent "infantry, armoured soldiers, artillery corps", plus 300,000 reservists, close to the Gaza border”.

Without wanting to overstate the potential capabilities of reservists, is that not an obscenely large presence for an area with a civilian population of just 2m?

 

[abc]

You'll get 10 more years of Tory rule then.

What do you think Starmer could say that would not be seized upon by one party or another as an example of misjudgement?

Right now, this is not a priority for Labour. The priority is to get elected. It's the same priority for Sunak,
.

Which is why I have no faith in any politicians or parties. I will vote Labour for the very reason you state in your opening line, but I have zero hope that it will make any difference to the sewer that is Westminster and the sewage that floods out of it

 

[sjamesb3466]

My suspicion is that now given the opportunity, Israel will obliterate Gaza to the point where it is completely uninhabitable therefore all Palestinian citizens will be forced to leave and it will fall into Israeli hands.

The actions of Hamas cannot be defended, however those deplorable actions can't be used as justification for a retaliation that amounts to a war crime. There can be no justification for widespread air strikes against civilian populations and refugee camps. Using the excuse of 'Israel has a right to defend itself', 'blame Hamas' and 'Hamas are using civilians as human shields' doesn't mean a nation state can act like terrorists themselves. Both sides have blood on their hands but this bombardment surely isn't the answer

 

[WATFORD zero]

Which is why I have no faith in any politicians or parties. I will vote Labour for the very reason you state in your opening line, but I have zero hope that it will make any difference to the sewer that is Westminster and the sewage that floods out of it

I have friends and relatives who have devoted their lives to trying to help people like you. They are remarkably tolerant of the complete and utter idiocy amongst those they are trying to help.

Me, not so much

 

[Silverhatch]

Which is why I have no faith in any politicians or parties. I will vote Labour for the very reason you state in your opening line, but I have zero hope that it will make any difference to the sewer that is Westminster and the sewage that floods out of it

Westminster is a sewer because the incumbents have been shitting on and in it for 13 years.

 

[Zeberdi]

It wasn't you I was sneering at. It was Comrade Sam.

Edit....but, however. OK then. Your attitude will facilitate a toy win.

Brainfart (me not you!)

Edit - can I have one of these then please? I feel the need to evacuate….and not in the after dinner sense

According to the BBC, Israel have sent "infantry, armoured soldiers, artillery corps", plus 300,000 reservists, close to the Gaza border”.

Without wanting to overstate the potential capabilities of reservists, is that not an obscenely large presence for an area with a civilian population of just 2m?

Urban warfare - miles of mazes of underground tunnels, tower blocks, incredibly difficult in densely packed areas when you’re trying to weed out an enemy that’s camouflaged as part of the civilian population perhaps? - or an expectation of Hamas getting boosted by numbers of Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the event of a full out ground war do we actually have any idea how many Hamas fighters there are?

 

[abc]

I have friends and relatives who have devoted their lives to trying to help people like you. They are remarkably tolerant of the complete and utter idiocy amongst those they are trying to help.

Me, not so much

I have friends and relatives who have devoted their lives to trying to help people like you. They are remarkably tolerant of the complete and utter idiocy amongst those they are trying to help.

Me, not so much

I think you are insulting or criticising me but im not sure why or whether i have misconstrued your post?!

 

[Is it PotG?]

I think you are insulting or criticising me but I'm not sure why or whether I have misconstrued your post?!

I shouldn't worry too much.

 

[abc]

Westminster is a sewer because the incumbents have been shitting on and in it for 13 years.

Yes but also because we have a system (first past the post) that guarantees two parties will always share power over the years and people with integrity and a genuine interest in change will never gain the levers of government. Every election is a two way fight and as such its a closed shop