Toughts About Israel & Hamas & War

To Be Clear: 

I support the idea of taking war to your enemy with such vigor and thoroughness that the thought of continuing to struggle is out of the question.  The war must be fought by rules understood, and even agreed to, by both sides.  This tenant is rooted in the knowledge that the defeated people will receive fair and humane treatment by the conquerors when war is complete.

Burning Question:

“When will Israel end its racist, apartheid laws and the occupation?”  Take away the major cause of Arab rage.

“Those People Are Not Human.” 

This was said by a Jewish Settler on TV story about Israeli settlers committing acts of violence against non-jews, often with the help of the Israeli Defense Force.  An Arab farmer was gunned down by a Jewish family when he threw rocks at them in response to them running him off of his land.  In the same story, Jewish settles badly beat an elderly Christian citizen of Israel in front of his wife.

Terrorists:

In cultures that are so deeply hurt, and so deeply rooted in the eye-for-an-eye mentality, you create more terrorists every time you kill civilians.

Hostages:

If Israel stops, or even slows down their war because Hamas has hostages, Hamas will just take more and more hostages.  Israel continues to act regardless of how many hostages there are, or where those hostages may be held.  Israel believes that to do otherwise only shows Hamas that taking hostages is a viable tactic.

Hospitals, Refugee Camps, Schools, Human Shields:

The Geneva Convention sets out that certain peaceful/medical facilities are not to be targeted.  This is based on the premise, and mutual agreement among waring parties, that those facilities will NOT be used for anything but their stated peaceful purpose— hospital, church, school, etc..…  When Hamas fighters and commanders use those facilities as hiding places, supply depots, headquarters, barracks, etc…, those facilities are operating outside of their agreed upon peaceful purposes, and are no longer off-limits as targets.  Doing this is actually a WAR CRIME under the Geneva Conventions.  It has been confirmed bu US Intelligence that Hamas is actively doing this.  At that point the guilt for damages, casualties, etc… lays with both Israel AND Hamas.

Peace

Hamas wants all Israelis gone from the lands of Palestine, and possibly the whole world just because the old hatreds run so deep.  Israel wants all Hamas gone for the same reasons, and because they don’t believe Hamas will ever leave Israel / Jews alone..  At this time, there is no desire for peace.  No desire for compromise.  No peace treaty/agreement will last.  Right now, peace between these two is really only a pause in hostilities to recover, re-arm, plan, and regroup.

Two-State Solution

Won’t work as long as anyone feels like any scrap of land still outside of their control is sacred to their religion, or is rightfully theirs because it used to belong to my people / nation / tribe / family.

Public Relations

Israel claims it is fighting for its life.  So does Hamas.  Israel’s stance is that Hamas started this, we’re finishing it.  Israel is not relenting on letting humanitarian aid into Gaza on the stance that any aid will go to the Hamas fighters first, and enable the murder of Jews to continue.  The battle for hearts and minds is based on the idea that if you shelter, enable, or even ignore Hamas fighters, then you will get what is coming to you.

United States:

Trying to broker a cease fire to allow humanitarian aid.  Fours weeks in, USA is now pushing the Two-State solution.