And no one here has denied the IDF and the government of Israel should, and indeed must, defend Israel, including waging war against organizations like Hamas that attack its citizens.
I am glad you have said that.
I have said it repeatedly in this thread and others for over 20 years.
Did you just now notice?
More importantly, will you remember that I said it so I don't have to keep saying the same thing over and over again?
You pretend you accept Israel defending themselves but you demand they follow impossible standards in doing so.
Arctish
et. al would make a good pairing with the Hon. Penny Wong, Foreign Minister of Australia. She too constantly repeats the refrain that Israel is allowed too, and must defend its citizens. Yet as soon as Israel does anything to defend itself there is the blather about possible war crimes, disproportionate response etc., etc..
Governments exist to facilitate cooperation between individuals so that multiple individuals can benefit through joint efforts and pooled resources, to acquire and defend access to resources, and to protect the individuals who are full members of that society. The characteristics of each government can vary greatly, but the purpose is pretty much the same everywhere. So while a government can be democratic, theocratic, autocratic, aristocratic, etc., the most important functions of every government is to defend territory and protect the favored populace.
That does not mean that every government is equally good, equally bad, or equally functional. It does not mean that every policy one promotes or action one takes is equally good, bad, or inconsequential in their effects on their own people and others. It does not mean that specific actions of a specific government or specific leader can't be criticized. They can, and indeed, they should.
What Israel does, what Netanyahu and his allies say, and what policies they promote, are as subject to scrutiny and criticism as the policies of every government in the world and the musings of every world leader or Cabinet member. To attempt to carve out exceptions for Israel is special pleading, and it's a fallacy.
It seems absurd that those basic points need to be expressed every few months but apparently it's necessary because some folks around here absolutely insist on employing double standards.
