The IDF is an Engine of Arab Radicalization
Hamas must be removed, but Israel is doing it in the worst way possible
Here’re two separate ideas. Let’s see if people can keep them in their heads at the same time:
- The IDF claim that Hamas is using hospitals for cover and Palestinian civilians as human shields is correct.
- The IDF assertion that Hamas’ use of human shields excuses Israel from causing Palestinian civilian casualties is callous and stupid.
Imagine a criminal driving a bus full of women and children. If you shoot the criminal the bus will crash, injuring and killing most of the civilians on board. The IDF says to hell with it, and blasts away anyway.
Try this strategy instead: Don’t shoot the criminal until you’ve figured out an equally effective albeit more challenging strategy that doesn’t take the women and children with him.
Sure, Hamas went full-ISIS on October 7th, and needs to be taken out, full stop. The group is a theocratic mafia that’s been horrible for the Palestinians, too.
And yes, it can be done without all these Palestinian casualties. How? Try this: imagine those Gaza hospitals were in Tel Aviv instead, a Hamas command center somehow below them.
How do you think the IDF would respond then? With Israeli civilians instead of Palestinian ones as shields? Perhaps with a bit more self-control, patience, and creativity, ya think?
The IDF claim that they are doing their best to minimize civilian casualties is absurd. They aren’t specifically targeting civilians, but the Israeli army obviously doesn’t care about the collateral damage.
Sure, the IDF can carpet bomb all of Gaza in two hours. But you know what else they can do? Figure out a way to “destroy Hamas” without taking thousands of bystanders with them.
I’m Jewish and I’m appalled, My jaw drops listening to IDF leaders and their bullshit. Their “strategy” is Old Testament, pillar of salt and city-wide destruction Hebrew School nonsense.
Isn’t Israel supposed to be the “civilized” combatant? Startup capital of the world, trailblazer in science and technology. And this — this — is the best the best minds in the world can do?
Don’t tell me that I’m a namby-pamby liberal or a “self-loathing Jew” — or conversely that Israel needs to “show remorseless strength” so the Arabs stop being a threat.
Instead, I’m arguing for Israel’s best interests, and am aghast as it creates generations of radicals and perpetuates decades of conflict through their bloodlust and bad military strategy.
And they are doing so with our tacit complicity and approval.
