Israel told us at the outset and has reiterated it repeatedly all along. I’m sure you’ve read reports since this started. If you still don’t know by now, my repeating it won’t help.
That’s a good answer as long as you are person who takes what governments say at face value.
In contrast, I am mistrustful of government, which is why tend to question official statements.
To me it seemed clear from the beginning that defeating Hamas militarily was a vain hope; that the leadership could slip away to safe havens, and the remaining fighters would blend into the civilian population in ways that would create the humanitarian and PR nightmare we are now seeing.
I tend to believe Israel’s leaders are quite smart; and I sas astonished they did not seem to have learned from the fiasco Bush and Cheney created with their “war on terror”.
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what fiasco?
AQ was defeated in A-stan
AQ was defeated in Iraq
ISIS thanks to trump is no longer a quasi-state
Iraq, while not western is a functioning democracy
Iran was on its knees until Biden helped them up
There was spreading peace in the ME until Biden ■■■■■■ it up
There’s probably a handful who aren’t completely brain dead.
The goal is to at least destroy the Qussam Brigade, which is Hamas’ military wing. They may let the political wing survive. But the military wing is done.
Gaza has been under Hamas tutelage for 25 years. The vast majority of people there support Hamas and given “peace” will only use it to re-form Hamas and continue jihad.
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Oh who knows?
There have been tactical victories such as the killing of bin Laden and the Abraham accords.
But strategically, there was no victory over “terror”. No one can argue that the world is safer place than it was twenty years ago or that the US is in a stronger position.
You might argue that everything was going fine 2002-2020, through two Republican and one Democratic regimes until Biden became President, but that is just election year puffery…
There is a serious question about how much popular support Hamas has in Gaza. After winning a squeaker election of the PLA, Hamas ended future elections and democracy and devoted itself to warring on Israel rather than caring for the people of Gaza.
For Gazan Palestinians:
- Hamas is using them as human shields
- The Palestinian Authority is moribund and corrupt
- Israel is warring on them
- Egypt has sealed up the border, abandoning them.
Do you really think they support anyone? Or that any Gazan feels that criticizing Hamas would be safe thing to express?
It just shows you you have a lot of stupid people in the World …
People that can’t be trusted or relyed on.
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Agree. Its also becoming obvious that Israel understands continuing the aggressive military operations of the last several months will result in a complete breakdown of all international support for Israel.
Internal Pressure is also building on Netanyahu to dial down the military action and get some movement on returning the hostages.
Benny Gantz is also cranking the pressure on Netanyahu calling for elections which is gaining traction but not with the Israeli political coalition though who knows what they are saying behind doors.
Netanyahu is an incredibly resilient politician who has defied the odds time and time again but at some point the Israeli people will demand to know how such a massive intelligence failure could occur and will demand someone be held responsible.
However
unless things change dramatically in that part of the middle east.
both sides will ignore lessons and continue on the merry path of extreme hatred of the other side.
rinse and repeat over and over again.
hatred begets hatred.
Allan
Palestinians could of ended it day one by rounding up all those Hamas terrorists and turning them over to Israel.
Progressives across the globe will pour millions into Gaza in the aftermath, ensuring that they can rearm. They’ll turn a blind eye to the next Palestinian/Hamas atrocity once again, and the cycle will continue.
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Moar od the funding will come from Iran and from private organizations throughout the Gulf. It is a stretch to call Islamic fundamentalists “progressives”.
We’ve already seen reports of world aid (fuel, food, water) being found by IDF in Hamas underground store rooms.
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It really isn’t, given that all aid from Western governments goes directly to Hamas, whether intended or not. They will always choose rockets over infrastructure.
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You are correct that Hamas will always chose rockets over infrastructure, but little comes form the west. The US used to be.jamor source of funds for the Palestinian Authority. Trump reduced our contribution dramatically, but even before the PA was no more likely to share funds with Hamas than Reubican National Committee is likely to fund Biden’s reelection campaign.
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Dont spoil a good fever dream.
My guess is fundraisers are already in the works on every Ivy League campus.
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that wouldn’t be so much a “guess” as it would be pure observation.
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