General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: It is time for the US to withhold aid to Israel. [View all]Johnny2X2X
(19,256 posts)I have a posting history of supporting Israel and their actions to defend themselves from Hamas. But it is clear to me Netanyahu is the worst possible leader at a time like this and this war has become less about defending Israel and more about revenge against the Palestinian people. Netanyahu and his cabal want to punish regular Palesitinians, they want to make them suffer as retaliation of 10/7. I do not believe there is a resonable plan to defeat Hamas anymore. I think the US has been applying more pressure than anyone knows to get Israel to stop, but we may need to deprive them of weapons soon.
All that being said, people who keep using the word "genocide" diminish the meaning of the word. This is a war being executed too brutally, but it is not a systematic extermination of a people. The deaths of civilians are tagic and Israel is being careless, but the deaths are still not deliberate with the intention of destroying the people of Gaza entirely. But all of this to what end? Hamas will remain and grow stronger the longer this endures. I wish these actions were weakening Hamas, but all they are doing is ensuring that Hamas will have generations of new recruits going forward.
The best Israel could have hoped for was a destruction of the tunnel system under Gaza that Hamas uses to traffic arms and plan attacks from. I think that system is almost competely destroyed now. That, and the return of the hostages.
And don't mistake my criticism of Netanyahu for any sympathy towards Hamas. Hamas are evil and they bare the lion's share of the responsiblitiy for what is happening and their refusal to agree to release the rest of the hostages is causing this to continue. Hamas are animals, they have this warped sense that baiting the IDF into more brutality will help them. They care zero about the suffering as they're stealing most of the food and supplies from the civilians. I think Israel thinks that Hamas will agree to release all hostages soon, but I don't see that happening as Hamas is legitimately pleased with what is happening right now.
There needs to be an off ramp, but I don't see anyone but the US looking for one.