world news
Anti-Israel complaints about war conduct not grounded in principle
One of the most jarring juxtapositions following the October 7 massacre has been the about-face of anti-Israel activists from celebration to wailing on social media. “Gaza just broke out of prison,” journalist Mariam Barghouti wrote on X the day of the massacre, laughing in another post that “Gazans managed to outdo the most technologically advanced and funded surveillance program in an hour with almost no resources.” On October 23 she mourned that “Gaza has been destroyed. Save the little that remains.” One X user going by the handle “MissFalasteena” wrote on October 7 that “my moms making knafa to celebrate, I cannot, she’s been waiting for this one,” and the next day that “October 7th became a new holiday for Palestinians.” Her holiday spirit was cut short by Israeli military action against Hamas.
Socialist activist Nicholas Cruse wrote on X that he had “no idea what’s going on but I hope Israel gets wiped out.”
While advocating mass violence on October 7, he saw no issue with complaining later that month that “we are probably witnessing the most brutal massacre, the biggest crime against humanity in my lifetime, meanwhile all we can do is rage tweet.” There is no shortage of examples of activists, academics, and influencers who posted in a similar pattern, and the side-by-side comparisons of these contrasting positions are referred to by Israel supporters as incidents of FAFO (F*** around, find out). Moments of FAFO are shared because of the catharsis of seeing that those cheering for death and destruction receive their emotional comeuppance, but FAFO examples are also meant to demonstrate a degree of hypocrisy by the anti-Israel crowd. Anti-Israel activists celebrated all manner of violent actions on October 7, only to claim that such violence was being inflicted on Gazans and decry it. They have bemoaned the Israel-Hamas war as a second “Nakba,” but a great many of them openly support the ethnic cleansing of Jews from Israel as a solution to the conflict. They claim that innocent civilians are being indiscriminately killed in Gaza, but supported the wanton slaughter by Hamas on the Simchat Torah holiday.They point to dubious Hamas casualty reports that indicate that almost half the Gazan deaths were of children, but that the death of Israeli children was an unavoidable consequence of “resistance” and “decolonization.”
The charge of hypocrisy, however, doesn’t seem to lead terrorism supporters to reconsider their positions or the validity of the tactics. This is because hypocrisy requires one to hold and advocate for a principle, but then blatantly violate this principle. Hamas supporters do not behold themselves to any principles on war conduct. When they level charges of ethnic cleansing, indiscriminate violence, infanticide or any war crime, they do not believe that these are evils – the source of the evil is not the action but the actor.This is evident by chants of “by any means necessary,” at anti-Israel protests. Activists warn not to question the form that Palestinian “resistance” takes, but do not believe that Israel is allowed to operate along the same ethical lines in its own operations.
The laws of warfare draw a distinction between the justness of a war, jus ad bellum, and justness of conduct during war, jus in bello. This prevents atrocities from being conducted even by defenders and those engaging in humanitarian intervention. Genocide of an entire nation is not a valid option, even against an aggressor like Nazi Germany. The anti-Israel crowd draw no such distinction – for them, all actions are defined by the legitimacy of the jus ad bellum. Israel in their eyes is the aggressor, while Palestinian factions are defenders, rendering all actions by the former unjust and those by the latter just, regardless of their content and outcomes. Israel supporters have been frustrated by the hypocrisy of anti-Israel activists, who support certain tactics by Hamas but attack Israel for allegedly doing the same, and have tried to point out this Janus-faced position.Arguing with hypocrisy
However, attempts to argue against this hypocrisy will usually fail since the legitimacy of an individual action is not their concern. They are using the veneer of concern about International Humanitarian Law and war crimes as a weapon. They know that speaking of human rights and war crimes is the language of Israelis and gullible westerners, but it is meant to cause hesitancy in Israeli forces and pressure from the international community. If the roles were reversed there would be no talk of proportionality and distribution, as demonstrated when Hamas had a momentary advantage over Israel on October 7.
“When I am weaker than you, I ask you for freedom because that is according to your principles; when I am stronger than you, I take away your freedom because that is according to my principles,” author Frank Herbert wrote in his novel Children of Dune, which nicely encapsulates the Hamas supporters’ approach. Arguing about hypocrisy will only result in a waste of energy, unless directed at third party audiences who do not subscribe to revolutionary ideologies that hold the same lack of principle. The only principle that Hamas supporters hold to is that of victory at any cost. Israel must ensure that the terrorist organization must never again have a victory to celebrate, or a situation in which they again can shed their sheep’s clothes of human rights to indulge in their ravenous lupine intent. The writer is a Jerusalem Post reporter and an IDF infantry reservist serving on the Gaza border.
The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.
“Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel,” Biden said in the memo.
“While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States.”Increased attacks since Oct.7
Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a “support front” with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel’s military assault in Gaza.
The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.
On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.
Hezbollah is an Iran-backed terrorist group and the most powerful military and political force in Lebanon.
world news
Preparing for war: Haifa mayor describes city’s infrastructure changes tensions in North escalate
Haifa mayor Yona Yahav spoke this past Monday with Lior Rosenfeld on Radio North 104.5FM about the escalation of the war in the North and his entry into political office amidst the security situation.
Yahav began, “I cannot speak on behalf of the North as I don’t know exactly what’s happening there. No one updates me, as if we are not the largest and most important city in the North. Tomorrow, the Home Front Command is coming to see us for the first time, and we will see what they have to say. We are doing everything to ensure that the city itself and our residents are safe and know what to do in case, God forbid, missiles fall on us. They are more accurate than those in 2006.”
Yahav also discussed the city’s preparations for a war in the North.
“We are now changing the entire method of building public structures,” Yahav said. “We are preparing them for prolonged stays. The minimum will be four consecutive days in shelters and such buildings, which require preparation. For example, installing toilets, which we don’t have today, and we have given instructions to build them in places close to where new houses are being built. This has been fully understood, and developers have begun to understand that the talk about evacuation and reconstruction has undergone drastic changes in light of the security situation. For example, road width needs to be maintained for the sake of evacuating residents on these roads. These are things that were not considered until now and must now be taken into account.”
Yahav’s plans for the success of Haifa’s future
Yahav then discussed his appeal to the transportation minister to stop the Highway 23 Carmel Tunnels’ toll charge.
“We called on the transportation minister to stop the discrimination. Haifa and the North are always discriminated against compared to central Israel, and there’s no reason for this. There are huge tunnels dug in Jerusalem that do not cost residents any money to pass through. There’s no reason why the tunnels dug in Haifa should include a toll. I speak on behalf of Haifa residents, and we are preparing to petition if we do not receive an answer.”
Regarding his entry into his mayoral role about three months ago, Yahav said, “I found a completely ruined city. They destroyed the municipality, and it’s very difficult to move things around. I don’t understand how residents sat idly by and kept quiet. We are trying to go to government offices to fix relations, to get funds, to move projects to bring in fees – and we are doing all this in a short time.
“The ministers are acting openly and with the goodwill to help. I am now waiting for the money on the table. The casino building in Bat Galim will be a luxurious hotel on the Bat Galim seashore. This neighborhood will undergo a complete transformation and will be the most beautiful neighborhood in the country. It will also be the only neighborhood facing a recognized beach. We came to make a change, and we will succeed.”
In conclusion, he touched on the issue of wild boars: “You won’t be able to follow them because soon you won’t see them anymore.”
world news
‘Psychological operation’: Turkey condemns FM Katz social media post depicting toddler Erdogan
Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Ministry released a statement on Sunday condemning a social media post made by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, in which Katz presented Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan as a toddler on the lap of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Katz, in a Sunday post on X, wrote “Erdogan @RTErdogan finances and arms terrorist organizations of Hamas to carry out attacks and murder against Israelis. The General Security Service captured a squad of students from Bir Zeit who were employed by the Hamas headquarters in Turkey to carry out murder attacks in Israel, through training and weapons and tens of thousands of dollars provided to them.
“Erdogan turned Turkey into a state that supports terrorism and subjects Turkey to the Iranian axis of evil in the name of extreme ideology and blatant anti-Semitism.”
Katz’s comments were made in reference to a recently thwarted terror attack planned by the student Hamas cell in Bir Zeit University, north of Ramallah. The attempted attack, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said, was directed by Hamas’s base in Turkey.ארדואן @RTErdogan מממן ומחמש ארגוני טרור של החמאס לביצוע פיגועים ורצח נגד ישראלים. שירות הביטחון הכללי לכד חוליית סטודנטים מביר זית שהופעלו ע”י מפקדת החמאס בטורקיה לביצוע פיגועי רצח בישראל, באמצעות אימונים ונשק ועשרות אלפי דולרים שסופקו להם.ארדואן הפך את טורקיה למדינה תומכת טרור… pic.twitter.com/R0SCjYdngN
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 21, 2024
Turkey condemns the social media post
The Turkish ministry responded “The Israeli Foreign Minister is trying to hide Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians behind a series of lies, slander and disrespect.
“Israel’s dirty propaganda targeting Türkiye and President Erdoğan, and psychological operation attempts will not bear fruit.
“The members of the Netanyahu Government, who have killed nearly forty thousand Palestinians in Gaza and are now trying to start a regional war in order to stay in power, will be tried in international courts and held accountable for their crimes.
“Türkiye will continue to speak the truth and defend the right of the Palestinian people to live in justice and peace.”
The ministry cited data provided by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Additionally, Turkey has repeatedly asserted that it does not categorize Hamas as a terrorist organization – despite its western allies acknowledging it as such and its proven attacks on Israeli civilians.
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