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@[email protected] started this thread with the topic:
If every hostage was returned, Israel would be looking for every opportunity to level Gaza and further displace Palestinians in the West Bank.
and they are right.
You said:
But let’s not pretend they’re a hive mind.
I pointed out that I've seen there are no sources I've seen to the contrary coming out of Israel. Everything I've seen to the contrary (sources which would make the argument that Israel should not be engaging in genocide, agreeing with @[email protected] 's point ) has been coming from diaspora sources, not sources within Israel.
You then responded with:
just read the headline of the post
But the headline of the article does not make that point, and neither does the article. In fact, its another unit of evidence to suggest there is almost no will to stop the genocide of the Gazan people coming from within Israel. The word genocide occurs no where in the article. There is no mention of forced removal. There is no mention of ethnic cleansing. These protests clearly have nothing to do with the ongoing genocide of the Gazan people and are solely focused on "getting the hostages back". If there are other sources or people that can speak for the protests that say other wise, I'd love to find them. I've not found anyone in Israel willing to call what the Israeli government is doing a genocide. Dissent in Israel wants the hostages back, but they don't seem to give a shit about the continuing genocide of the Gazan people.
If you think that these protest have anything to do with stopping the war or stopping the genocide, its yourself who has gaslit you.
Let me get this straight...
Are you really claiming that the entire population of Israel- all 9.5 million people- share exactly the same opinion on Palestine?
Because that would be incredibly fucking bigoted of you, so I want to make sure that's what you're saying.
No, I'm making the point that if there is descent on this issue within Israel I can't find it. I haven't heard it. I'm also not going to project a desire to believe it exists onto a world where I don't have evidence for it. I want to find it. I've looked for it. I can't find it.
All the Jewish led criticism I've found of Israels actions appears to be coming from the diaspora. I can't find sources from within Israel calling the Israeli campaign a genocide or calling for it to stop.
How many people have you actually heard from? Let's say percentagewise- what percentage of the 9.5 million Israelis have you heard from to determine that there is no dissent?
I think you need to address the fact that you've conflated these protests for something they are not before we can proceed, and I continue to treat with you as if you are engaging in good faith.
Can you acknowledge that these protest are not about stopping the genocide of the Palestinian people? That the article is not about stopping genocide? Because you made that conflation previously.
I can acknowledge that many of the protesters are not about stopping that. I cannot acknowledge that there is no one there protesting genocide. I would like to see evidence to that effect. If they are anything like the many anti-war protests I have attended, there is a wide range of opinions amongst the protesters beyond "end the war."
I have not talked to the thousands of people protesting. I do not know what they all think. Or even what most of them think.
Now, please tell me what percentage of the 9.5 million Israelis you have heard from to determine that there is no dissent inside Israel.
You want there to be this different thing that this protest about. I wish it was about that thing too. But when a protestor says "I'm protesting about this thing" my job isn't to tell them they are actually protesting some other thing or that they should be protesting this other thing. My job is to listen to them and believe what they are telling me.
But the protestors are being clear about what they are protesting about. They want the hostages back. They are not talking at all about stopping the genocide.
As far as people I've talked to about this. One is a personal friend, a former IDF soldier and former fellow organizer during BLM 2020. We organized as part of a veterans coalition in support of BLM. Second is my cousins and Uncle (a self described Zionist) who is a very high level organizer on the US side for Israel. He has spent years in Israel although he lives in the US, as have my cousins. I've also spoken with my irl best friend who is from Palestine and with whom I was literally planning a trip to Gaza for not that if not for Oct 7th, who has personally organized Palestinians for peace events in Gaza.
I also listen to and read several prominent Palestinian/ Muslim/ and Jewish voices on the left.
I have asked you a question twice now. You said you would answer it. You did not.
But the protestors are being clear about what they are protesting about.
Let's reduce my question to just the people protesting: out of the thousands, what percentage of them have you actually heard from about why they are protesting?
Ok. I think you need a break for the day. I can't treat you as if you are arguing in good faith at this point.
You edited your post after I replied to you in order to answer my question and claim I'm the one not arguing in good faith?
The fact is you have no idea what most of the 9.5 million Israelis think. You just pretend you do. Which is bigoted.
Also, by repeatedly referring to the diaspora, you are also implying that Israelis and Jews are the same thing. Which is also bigoted.