Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war

So the UN Security Council vote for resolutions against Israel with only 1 dissenting vote (USA) is not losing international support? Or the cavalcade of countries around the world coming out in support of ending the occupation at the ICJ with only 3 countries in support of Israel versus the nearly 60 countries against? Not sure where you get your news, but you may want to consider another source. Would love to hear your valid reasons... but please before giving them to me, how about reading about the Zionism movement (est 1897) the balfour declaration (1917) the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem (an ac of terrorism that killed 91 people - mostly british army officers) and the Nakba (1948) the Deir Yassin Masacre - and the many others... and maybe we can have an intelligent discourse.

There is an interesting and delicate conversation about how a twenty-something engineer in the military ends up frequenting anti-military and anti-democracy subreddits. I think that fits in with hn.

There is another interesting and delicate conversation about what that person thought about Gaza and about Israeli Jews, and where those ideas came from. He posted on Reddit that Hamas's stated intent to destroy Israel - where 7 million Jews live - would not count as genocide. That is a higher percentage than the extermination of 6 million European Jews in the Holocaust, when there were more Jews alive than now.

He based this on the belief that Israel is a US and UK colony, which is hard to take seriously either literally (since it isn't) or figuratively (since none of the many non-middle-eastern waves of Jewish refugees came from the US or UK).

He also had a deeply held belief that the violence killing 1% of Palestinians in Gaza IS a genocide (and I think it's safe to assume that he fully accepted Hamas's claims that 30k people have died, and fully rejected IDF's claims that 12k of those were Hamas militants). So deeply held that he burned himself to death over it.

To me, the inconsistency of holding those two beliefs so strongly at the same time is a sign of antisemitism believed more deeply than I personally believe in anything. And that contradiction does not survive a moment's rational thought - to me at least. Which makes me assume that someone whose profession is built around thinking rationally was simply unable to think rationally about the Israel-Gaza conflict and see the inherent asymmetry of what he was saying.

So I think there is a discussion here. Not about whether he was right that the devastation in Gaza amounts to a genocide, or right about whether democracy is evil, or right about whether America is evil. But the limits of rationality compared to how engineers usually think about themselves, and whether we are more or less susceptible than anyone else when it comes to online echo chambers.

And it is incredibly hard to have that conversation without getting into flame wars. Or projecting our personal beliefs about the Israel/Palestine conflict to the point that it prevents useful discourse.

Note that what I'm describing is essentially the status quo before 7 October, including the periodic "mowings of the lawn" by Israel to keep Gaza uprisings in check.

Alternatively of course, Israel could choose to make peace. And that's an option that is available only to Israel, who is the occupying power, and the overwhelmingly more militarily powerful party, not to the Palestinians who can only keep growing resistance groups as long as they are occupied. Israel can choose to end the atrocities and the bloodshed tomorrow. But I guess that would be too much loss of face for all the belligerent fascist assholes in its government.

lol no proof cos Hamas said it wasn’t so right.

Like when they said there’s no tunnels. Then tunnels were found. So everyone’s like no it’s an elevator. Turns out it’s not an elevator. But it wasn’t used. Full of chairs and bed. But there’s no guns. Tunnels are blocked. But they aren’t in use…

Or when they said Israel bombed a hospital and 500 were dead. Then the photos and videos came out and it was Hamas missile and it was in the parking lot with a tiny crater.

Or when they said Israel bombed the Egypt trucks bringing supplies to civilians. Then the videos and photos came out and it was the civilians intercepting the trucks for food because Hamas steals it all.

Yeah let’s believe everything Hamas tells us haha. Brainwashed by the media to believe conspiracy theories. You probably support Russia too.

If Russia is attacked and defends itself, respexting international law and not commiting war crimes, yes I absolutely support them. They din't, so I don't.

I don't believe Hamas, nor the IDF. I tend to believe UN investigations of past conflicts around that very question, and those didn't find evidence.

And the Hamas stealing food is such a twisted take, it almost is lying.

What I do not support is war xcimes, ethnic cleanising and the suffering of civilians. Regardless of who is doing or causing it. You on the other hand, I'm not so sure.