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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]No other country in the world would be judged for waging war against terrorists who constantly rain bombs on them.

I can see the sympathy with the death of the people used as human shields in Gaza.  But sympathy with what is happening in Lebanon right now?  With trying to prevent a nuclear Iran and its proxies that have clearly announced their intent to destroy Israel and Jews?

Only Israel, the Jewish state, is expected to endure constant bombing and is attacked for defending itself.  You’re all so antisemitic that it makes me sick.  And the fact that these sick comments are tolerated on this site is so disappointing. [/quote]

I sympathize with civilians in Israel, and I agree with you that Iran and its proxy Hezbollah are serious problems, but let’s not pretend the only people suffering in Lebanon right now are all terrorists. Thousands of civilians there are dying both because Hezbollah makes it difficult to strike at its positions and arms without hitting civilian targets AND because Israeli leaders have decided not to worry about that fact.

The overwhelming force Israel has been trying to use in Gaza and Lebanon as a deterrent is killing and wounding a horrific number of innocent people. Even if that doesn’t bother you (and it should, in the midst of these holidays especially), as a strategic matter it’s clearly a disaster that will just lead to more support for the groups that have been attacking Israel. Would have been better to use smaller numbers of ground forces in Gaza; it’s not like the approach they took has led to the freedom of a significant number of hostages or even killed Sinwar.

The status quo has totally failed to protect anyone, Israeli or Palestinian. Maybe it’s time to try something different like ending the occupation in the West Bank and ending the war in Gaza. At least that way if Iranian proxies keep attacking Israel, it’ll be harder for critics to say Israel deserved it. [/quote]

Why would you sympathize with Israeli civilians? They are not impacted by their country’s killing civilians and going to war with Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, etc. The US protects Israelis from any consequences of going to war. The Israeli people are in full support of the Israeli government.

Hezbollah did not invade Israel. Israel invade Lebanon. Hezbollah and Lebanon have a right to self defense against Israeli. Let’s remember why Hezbollah was founded. [/quote]

Israeli civilians are definitely impacted by the war. (You may recall that hundreds of them were killed or taken hostage a year ago?) Tens of thousands of Israelis have been evacuated from northern Israel and are in temporary housing elsewhere with very little support from their disaster of a government since then. It's true that the missile defense systems keep most of the incoming rockets from doing major damage, but that's like saying you're not impacted by getting shot if you're wearing a bulletproof vest. There's still some effect even if it doesn't kill you. Which, also, sometimes the rockets do anyway.

Hezbollah was founded with Iranian money after Israel invaded Lebanon to try (obviously this was not successful) to put an end to a series of attacks from across the border by Palestinian groups. I don't think I'd say its influence on Lebanese society since 1982 has largely been good, any more than I'd say the influence on Israeli society of the settler movement has. I don't think it serves anyone's interests to try to set Hezbollah or Hamas or the Houthi movement up as some kind of noble force for good. And I don't think I agree that Hezbollah, a terrorist militia backed by a foreign government, has a right to self defense. Again, would you say the same thing about the Hilltop Youth or Kahane Chai?

You're welcome to believe that all Israeli support their government, but that's also easily disproven by the hundreds of thousands of people constantly marching at protests and getting arrested for it (and frequently attacked by right-wing goons). We can recognize the misery Israel has inflicted on Palestinians and others without also pretending that no Israelis are worse off for all of it. I personally believe ALL Israelis are worse off for it except for a handful of messianic demagogues, which is one of the many reasons I think only a totally different approach can work for all the people in the area.[/quote]

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