Merged Gaza just launched an unprovoked attack on Israel

[Copernicus]

And, this time Derec was right, when he said that the evidence regarding the horrific hospital attack was due to a Hamas rocket, although based on what I've read, it may have been a miss fire.

Technically, it wasn't Hamas, but an allied terrorist group--Islamic Jihad--that launched the missile. They apparently pick locations close to locations like hospitals and schools from which to launch missiles, making it more difficult for Israel to target them without causing civilian casualties. I wonder to what extent Israel is able to use drones, which could theoretically be used to target mobile launchers more accurately rather than lobbing missiles at a fixed location.

 

[lpetrich]

If it was not for oil we wold not have cared what happens in the region.

All the more reason to develop renewable-energy technologies. Saudi Arabia is a textbook example of the  Resource curse - its GDP per capita is close to the range of more industrialized countries, but its system of government is about as far from a representative democracy that one can get -- an absolute monarchy where many members occupy the top spots in government agencies and in big businesses. SA's leaders support Wahhabism, a superstrict sect of Islam, and I have come up with a theory of why the likes of Osama bin Laden are militant Islamists -- it's very hard to politically dissent in Saudi Arabia unless one expresses one's dissent as being a super Muslim.

 

[Derec]

Disagree. The response is disproportionate. Israel essentially said to a million people leave north Gaza

I do not see what's wrong with saying civilians should evacuate areas where major military operations are expected to happen.

or face death.

Yes. Civilians face the risk of death if caught in the middle of fighting. But remember, Hamas started this war. They are responsible for civilian casualties in the end. Just like Nazi Germany was responsible for civilian casualties in Germany as the Allies pushed in.

Aside from the hospital incident Israel is killing civilians and commiting war crimes.

Inadvertently killing civilians is not a war crime. Targeting civilians, like Hamas and Islamic Jihad are doing, is. And they are even killing their own civilians. The hospital blast is hardly the only one, as hundreds of Palestinian rockets have undoubtedly landed inside the Strip.

For decades in the West Bank and Gaza if someone was deemed a threat the home was bombed.

That's misstating the situation. Homes of certain murderous terrorists were demolished.
Like Salah Barghouti.
Israeli forces demolish the home of Ofra attacker Salah Barghouti
And yes, he was member of the same Barghouti clan as Marwan and Mustafa.
It is a controversial practice for sure, but it isn't "bombing" over a mere "threat". It is also countering all the moneys his family will be getting from the PA as part of the "Pay for Slay" program.

Arbitrary detention of Palestinians without any kind of probable cause hearing or legal counsel.

There is administrative detention. It is based on classified evidence, but it is not arbitrary. It's not that different than US detaining people suspected of terrorism without trial. Pot, kettle, all that jazz.

No habeas corpus for a detained person. People disappear as in Russia.

No, Palestinian terrorists imprisoned do not "dissapear". They can still be visited and stuff. And many become (in)famous due to long "hunger strikes" (although they last so long, I think they are cheating).
An Islamic Jihad hunger striker died in prison earlier this year.
Prominent Palestinian detainee Khader Adnan dies in Israeli prison after 87-day hunger strike
He engaged in hunger strikes so often, he could have almost gotten a free sub by now.
If they "disappeared", then hunger strikes would not be effective means to garner publicity.
Speaking of publicity, another frequent flyer, Kayed Fasfous, has had the misfortune that his ongoing hunger strike has been overshadowed by Gaza events.
Israeli Court Rejects Appeal for Early Release of Hunger-Striking Prisoner Kayed Fasfous

All enabled by political and military cover by the USA.

Israel is in the right here. Hamas, Islamic Jihad etc. are in the wrong, and so are all who support them.

 

[Derec]

All the more reason to develop renewable-energy technologies.

We are doing that, but it will take time. As in decades.

Saudi Arabia is a textbook example of the  Resource curse - its GDP per capita is close to the range of more industrialized countries, but its system of government is about as far from a representative democracy that one can get -- an absolute monarchy where many members occupy the top spots in government agencies and in big businesses.

MbS is trying to pivot Saudi economy away from oil with his Vision 2030. Although that vision has some LSD-like hallucinations like the cockamamie 130 mile long Line city.
He also instituted some important reforms that loosened the strict Wahhabist rules that have been in force before. He is a dictator though who does not abide any sort of dissent.

SA's leaders support Wahhabism, a superstrict sect of Islam, and I have come up with a theory of why the likes of Osama bin Laden are militant Islamists -- it's very hard to politically dissent in Saudi Arabia unless one expresses one's dissent as being a super Muslim.

It's not so much that the leaders support Wahhabism as that they have to pay lip service to them because so many of the population are strict Wahhabists. I think your ObL "theory" is backasswards. He opposed the Saud dynasty because they were not strict Muslims and he was an Islamist. He did not become an Islamist just to easier oppose the Saudi royals. Hell, being an Islamist did not save Khashogghi.

Btw, the recent strict Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia is the result of the Islamist takeover of the Al Haram Mosque in Mecca in 1979. Before that, there were had been reforms. Hardcore Islamists didn't like that and they took over the Mosque. The end result was that the reforms were turned back to appease the Islamists.
  Grand Mosque Seizure

 

[Derec]

Tlaib refuses to apologize for blaming Israel for Gaza hospital blast, attacks Biden

Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib refused to apologize Wednesday for saying Tuesday that Israel is to blame for the hospital explosion that day in Gaza, an accusation that sparked political backlash against Tlaib from Republicans as Israel denies fault.

Tlaib joined thousands of protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during a solidarity rally hosted by the left-leaning group Jewish Voice for Peace at the National Mall. She was visibly emotional, at times pausing her speech to openly weep and criticizing lawmakers who have not backed a ceasefire resolution.
[...]
Rep. Ilhan Omar is also facing criticism from Republicans over similar comments Tuesday that Israel is to blame for the hospital explosion that day in Gaza as Israel denies fault. As information about the hospital blast was initially being reported, Tlaib tweeted on Tuesday afternoon, "Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that. @POTUS this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate. Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many Palestinian Americans and Muslims Americans like me. We will remember where you stood."

This same group later invaded a Congressional building.
Anti-Israel Protesters Arrested for Entering Congressional Office Building while Calling for Gaza Ceasefire
Will Tlaib face censure for incitement? Where is Jack Smith?

 

[laughing dog]

Tlaib refuses to apologize for blaming Israel for Gaza hospital blast, attacks Biden

Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib refused to apologize Wednesday for saying Tuesday that Israel is to blame for the hospital explosion that day in Gaza, an accusation that sparked political backlash against Tlaib from Republicans as Israel denies fault.

Tlaib joined thousands of protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during a solidarity rally hosted by the left-leaning group Jewish Voice for Peace at the National Mall. She was visibly emotional, at times pausing her speech to openly weep and criticizing lawmakers who have not backed a ceasefire resolution.
[...]
Rep. Ilhan Omar is also facing criticism from Republicans over similar comments Tuesday that Israel is to blame for the hospital explosion that day in Gaza as Israel denies fault. As information about the hospital blast was initially being reported, Tlaib tweeted on Tuesday afternoon, "Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that. @POTUS this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate. Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many Palestinian Americans and Muslims Americans like me. We will remember where you stood."

This same group later invaded a Congressional building.
Anti-Israel Protesters Arrested for Entering Congressional Office Building while Calling for Gaza Ceasefire
Will Tlaib face censure for incitement? Where is Jack Smith?

Incitement for what? No one was trying to overthrow an election result or gov’t, so what on earth are you going on about?

 

[Gospel]

I still recall trump declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel. Just goes to show how ignorant some of our leaders are about the Jewish people they drone on in support of. Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel. It's a holy place to the Jews.

 

[Politesse]

Netanyahu deleted a post on X about a struggle against 'children of darkness' around the time of a tragic hospital explosion in Gaza​

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office posted on X ... that Israel's conflict with Hamas is a "struggle between the children of light and the children of darkness, between humanity and the law of the jungle."

His enemies are "children of darkness", not humans.

It's a plain and obvious call to genocide, and I'm appalled that my president is endorsing this shit. Can we vote?

 

[barbos]

I'm appalled that my president is endorsing this shit.

You were not appalled when your president supported nazis?

 

[lpetrich]

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on X: "The Palestinian Lives ..." / X

The Palestinian Lives and Israel genocide narrative is the new Black Lives Matter.

And the Hamas Caucus is starting it now.

They have voted every time for funding war in Ukraine but now are calling for peace in Gaza but make no mistake they are Pro Hamas and against Israel.



They want to send billions of American tax dollars to Gaza that will in turn fund more Hamas terrorism.

They are not calling for the return of all hostages nor are they demanding the Hamas terrorists and leaders be disbanded and handed over to Israel for.prosecution of war crimes.

The Hamas Caucus are starting a new movement that supports terrorism and will turn into violence in America worse than we’ve ever seen before.

We should stand in support with our ally Israel but the United States needs to keep our military out of this conflict and fix our own devastating problems here at home.

With a picture of AOC, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar labeled "Hamas Caucus".

Robin on X: "@CoriBush The Hamas Caucus must be expelled (pic linK)" / X with another picture of these three, along with Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Jamaal Bowman, Greg Casar, and Summer Lee.

 

[lpetrich]

Tlaib refuses to apologize for blaming Israel for Gaza hospital blast, attacks Biden

...
This same group later invaded a Congressional building.
Anti-Israel Protesters Arrested for Entering Congressional Office Building while Calling for Gaza Ceasefire
Will Tlaib face censure for incitement? Where is Jack Smith?

Pure projection.

Jewish protesters in D.C. demand cease-fire in Israel-Gaza war - The Washington Post

U.S. Capitol Police arrested around 300 people who were protesting inside the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building to demand that Congress pass a cease-fire resolution in the Israel-Gaza war amid an intensifying humanitarian crisis.

The arrests occurred after demonstrators, including American Jews and allies worried about Palestinians in Gaza, rallied on the National Mall. Protesters held a banner with red writing that said “Our blood is the same color,” waved Palestinian flags, and raised posters that read “My grief is not your weapon,” “Never again for anyone,” and “Zionism is racism.” There were Jewish people wearing prayer shawls and kippot, young activists sporting tattoos and nose rings, and people in headscarves and Palestinian checkered black-and-white scarves.

“We are here to say, ‘Not in our name,’” Jay Saper said. “We are here as Jews — many descendants of survivors of genocide — to stop a genocide from unfolding in real time.”

Inside the House building, the protesters wore black shirts that said “Not in our name” on the front and “Jews say cease fire now” on the back, as they sang and cheered over police warnings to disperse. The crowd inside Cannon included 400 American Jews and 25 rabbis who are against Israeli occupation and are demanding that Congress pass a cease-fire resolution, said Sonya Meyerson-Knox, a spokeswoman for Jewish Voice for Peace, a national Jewish anti-Zionist organization.

“We warned the protestors to stop demonstrating and when they did not comply we began arresting them,” Capitol Police said in a statement. They said preliminary information shows about 300 people were arrested, including three people on charges of assault on a police officer.

They didn't attack the Capitol cops, they didn't smash open windows to get in, they didn't try to mob Congress, etc.

What they did was an actual peaceful demonstration, contrary to what right-wingers may want to believe about it, and much like what right-wingers claim the Jan-6 insurrection was like, at least when they are not attributing it to Antifa or the deep state.

In the 10 days following Hamas’s attack, the Crowd Counting Consortium, an academic project tracking and sharing data on protests across the United States, tracked more than 400 U.S. vigils, rallies and protests in response to the war. Roughly 270 of those events were focused on backing Israel, while nearly 200 were in support of Palestinians.

 

[lpetrich]

Justice Democrats on X: "BREAKING: One of the most powerful speeches ever heard on the Washington Mall by @RashidaTlaib warning President Biden and Democrats about their rejection of Palestinian lives and calling for a ceasefire with @jvplive and @IfNotNowOrg. (vid link)" / X

#StopCopCity on X: "BREAKING: Jewish protesters for a #FreePalestine flood rotunda of Canon Building demanding CeaseFire chanting NOT IN OUR NAME!”
Stop #Gazagenocide (vid link)" / X


Dan Cohen on X: ".@HananyaNaftali proudly boasted that Israel bombed Gaza’s ah-Ahli hospital before deleting and two minutes later lying that Hamas did it. He works directly under Netanyahu. (pix link)" / X

He later stated that he was mistaken in coming to that conclusion that it was Israel that attacked that hospital.
Mike Yup on X: "@dancohen3000 @HananyaNaftali (pic link)" / X

Pictures of the event showed several cars in a parking lot that were wrecked by some blast, but the hospital buildings themselves seem to have survived.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I did not like the use of the word team.

Another example of 'Biden speak'. He tries to appear as if he is one of masses and speaks with jocularity. Reducing the conflict to a college football game.

He spoke without much movement in a monotone staring at a teleprompter. He was probably strongly cautioned about staying on script and abdomen making one of his off the cuff gaffes.

He said he made a conclusion about the hospital catastrophe based on what US intelligent told him. Somehow I do not believe him.

Except the evidence provided by the Israelis implies it wasn't Hamas either, but a different group. Biden and his "team" have been doing a remarkable job of messaging on this whole awful series of events, and you are complaining about the word team like people were complaining about Beyonce's song being about white people but it wasn't.

He said Team because it appeared it wasn't Hamas or Israel and he didn't want to inflame the other team by accusing them of an inhumane attack they didn't do, this time.

 

[Gospel]

With a picture of AOC, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar labeled "Hamas Caucus".

Robin on X: "@CoriBush The Hamas Caucus must be expelled (pic linK)" / X with another picture of these three, along with Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Jamaal Bowman, Greg Casar, and Summer Lee.

Typical Zionist propaganda. If you don't support the genocide of Palestinians you support Hamas.

 

[Harry Bosch]

I did not like the use of the word team.

Another example of 'Biden speak'. He tries to appear as if he is one of masses and speaks with jocularity. Reducing the conflict to a college football game.

He spoke without much movement in a monotone staring at a teleprompter. He was probably strongly cautioned about staying on script and abdomen making one of his off the cuff gaffes.

He said he made a conclusion about the hospital catastrophe based on what US intelligent told him. Somehow I do not believe him.

Sorry Steve, but I'm going to keep repeating that this fox based meme that Biden is addled is false. It's perfectly fine to not like all his policies. What politician do you like 100% of the time? But Biden has always been pro Israel. Always. He's always been pro Taiwan, pro-police, suspicious of Iran and Russia; and etc. Always. 40-year track record. He's not making gaffe's here. It's fine to disagree. Protest. But this fox news based meme that he's all of a sudden off his rocker is false.

 

[southernhybrid]

And, this time Derec was right, when he said that the evidence regarding the horrific hospital attack was due to a Hamas rocket, although based on what I've read, it may have been a miss fire.

Technically, it wasn't Hamas, but an allied terrorist group--Islamic Jihad--that launched the missile. They apparently pick locations close to locations like hospitals and schools from which to launch missiles, making it more difficult for Israel to target them without causing civilian casualties. I wonder to what extent Israel is able to use drones, which could theoretically be used to target mobile launchers more accurately rather than lobbing missiles at a fixed location.

Yes. I saw more information after writing that post, so thanks for correcting me.

 

[Harry Bosch]

I still recall trump declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel. Just goes to show how ignorant some of our leaders are about the Jewish people they drone on in support of. Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel. It's a holy place to the Jews.

I'm not sure what you are referring to here? Israel officially moved their capitol to Jerusalem in 1980.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

With a picture of AOC, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar labeled "Hamas Caucus".

Robin on X: "@CoriBush The Hamas Caucus must be expelled (pic linK)" / X with another picture of these three, along with Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Jamaal Bowman, Greg Casar, and Summer Lee.

Typical Zionist propaganda. If you don't support the genocide of Palestinians you support Hamas.

Is it Zionist? I'd propose it is no more Zionist than DeSantis railing against socialist candidates being about economics.

 

[Gospel]

The Knesset's toilet paper is no different from British toilet paper.

 

[Gospel]

With a picture of AOC, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar labeled "Hamas Caucus".

Robin on X: "@CoriBush The Hamas Caucus must be expelled (pic linK)" / X with another picture of these three, along with Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Jamaal Bowman, Greg Casar, and Summer Lee.

Typical Zionist propaganda. If you don't support the genocide of Palestinians you support Hamas.

Is it Zionist? I'd propose it is no more Zionist than DeSantis railing against socialist candidates being about economics.

WTF are you talking about?