The carnage continues, and so do the protests -- from the half a million who just marched in London, to the 300 that shut down Portland's Burnside Bridge the same day.
Good Morning David. I have spent a fair amount of time over the last few months trying to see your side, the Palestinian side, especially that of those who are so vehemently protesting and denouncing Israel.
I’m afraid to say nothing I have seen has changed my opinion; in many ways I support Israel’s actions, as awful as they are, even more. Naturally I have enormous sympathy for the Palestinian civilians killed or suffering, especially the little children.
I do not see Israel’s approach today as a genocide, nor has it ever been. If it was, it would be the weakest genocide in the history of the world. As far as I can tell, they are trying to minimize civilian deaths, not maximize them or cause them indiscriminately, while destroying Hamas. That does not mean there aren’t far too many innocent lives lost, and it doesn’t mean they can’t do better. I can not say the same for Hamas. They frequently target Israeli civilians, they endanger Palestinians, and all too often kill Palestinians.
But it seems to me that Israel has been left with no choice other than getting rid of Hamas. Ironically, this could turn out to be the best thing for Palestinians as perhaps they can form a civilized and productive relationship with Israel. If anybody has a better idea for a fair and reasonable path forward, I would like to hear it. That is a serious request.
More specifically to this post, I am not so sure the bridge closings and other aggressive demonstrations are productive. Portland is quite a mystery to me, but here in New York it seems, in my smallish anecdotal experience, they are counterproductive. Many folks who were somewhat sympathetic to Palestine are much less so than they were a month ago. Trying to prevent the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony was not a good move.
If you feel this is not the place for such a discussion, feel free to delete this comment. I won’t be insulted. If you, or anyone else on here wants to have a discussion, I would appreciate that. If you think my statements are incorrect, please tell me why.
Good Morning David. I have spent a fair amount of time over the last few months trying to see your side, the Palestinian side, especially that of those who are so vehemently protesting and denouncing Israel.
I’m afraid to say nothing I have seen has changed my opinion; in many ways I support Israel’s actions, as awful as they are, even more. Naturally I have enormous sympathy for the Palestinian civilians killed or suffering, especially the little children.
I do not see Israel’s approach today as a genocide, nor has it ever been. If it was, it would be the weakest genocide in the history of the world. As far as I can tell, they are trying to minimize civilian deaths, not maximize them or cause them indiscriminately, while destroying Hamas. That does not mean there aren’t far too many innocent lives lost, and it doesn’t mean they can’t do better. I can not say the same for Hamas. They frequently target Israeli civilians, they endanger Palestinians, and all too often kill Palestinians.
But it seems to me that Israel has been left with no choice other than getting rid of Hamas. Ironically, this could turn out to be the best thing for Palestinians as perhaps they can form a civilized and productive relationship with Israel. If anybody has a better idea for a fair and reasonable path forward, I would like to hear it. That is a serious request.
More specifically to this post, I am not so sure the bridge closings and other aggressive demonstrations are productive. Portland is quite a mystery to me, but here in New York it seems, in my smallish anecdotal experience, they are counterproductive. Many folks who were somewhat sympathetic to Palestine are much less so than they were a month ago. Trying to prevent the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony was not a good move.
If you feel this is not the place for such a discussion, feel free to delete this comment. I won’t be insulted. If you, or anyone else on here wants to have a discussion, I would appreciate that. If you think my statements are incorrect, please tell me why.