Normally the losers of a war surrender to end the death and devastation afflicting their people. Not so for Hamas. The reason for this stupefying defiance of all wartime norms of victory and defeat is simple: so far, Hamas has been winning.
No, the group cannot defeat Israel on the battlefield above ground. But by provoking a war that has captured the world's attention unlike other tragedies, they have found another way to win. There is a new effort in the United Nations to recognize "Palestine" an independent state, even though one has never existed.
Protests around the world call for a Palestinian nation that spans "from the river to the sea." That would leave no room for the Jewish state. Antisemitism is spreading from the grimmest of European streets to the green of Ivy League college campuses. A congressional hearing this week revealed the fears of Jewish students at Columbia, who are afraid to walk around areas of campus I blithely strolled through as a graduate student.
Across the United States bridges and airports are being blocked, while students are performatively starving themselves for a "Palestine" they couldn't find on a map. Cities across America that can't stop crime, weigh in on the Middle East. Support is growing in Congress, especially among Democrats, to place conditions on military supplies to Israel at a time when it faces threats across the region. Protesters who don't understand the term, hound President Joe Biden as "Genocide Joe" and have Democratic politicians in a tizzy about a 2024 protest vote.
To further seal this propaganda victory, in comes China-owned TikTok. With cyber assists from Russia and Hamas-patron Iran, it promotes videos of Gaza devastation, calling for "days of rage" and protests on Hamas' behalf.
Why should Hamas deign to negotiate in good faith under these circumstances?
Hamas leaders willingly "martyr" thousands of Palestinians, including their own children and grandchildren, for the cause of killing and evicting Jews from all of Israel.
The heartbreaking deaths of World Central Kitchen aid workers in an Israeli strike is a tragic example of an ugly Middle East equation in Gaza: Hamas wins when Israel's deadly reactions harm civilians.
Israel accepted blame for the killings and began adjusting military and aid policy within hours, in no small part thanks to Biden's demands of an often intransigent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Still, the killing might have stopped long before these pointless deaths if Hamas had agreed to a deal that would have left any rational actors satisfied.
Hamas is living the terrorist dream after its barbaric Oct. 7 civilian slaughter. The world condemns Israel, both rightly and wrongly, but still largely ignores Hamas' responsibility. If the current situation continues, Hamas' atrocities provoking this deadly Israeli response will go down as a historic triumph in terrorist playbooks.
At anti-Israel campus protests, there are few ribbons for hostages, but plenty of Palestinian keffiyehs and Hamas cosplay apparel. "Anti-Zionists" question the right of Israel to exist at all, rhetorically joining hands with American neo-Nazis.
"Free Palestine" rings out everywhere from city council meetings to Saturday Night Live.
Yet there's little discussion of freeing "Palestine" from Hamas; and certainly no understanding that they are the ones who rejecting the ceasefire that protesters around the world vociferously demand.
Long forgotten is the fact that Hamas' sneak attack worked as designed to thwart a regional Israeli-Arab peace deal.
After 9/11, America had the rallying cry, 'Don't let the terrorists win.'
But over the suffering of their people in Gaza, the free world is handing the terrorists of Hamas their cruel victory.
Date: April 20, 2024 at 20:16:02 From: mitra, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Hamas is living the terrorist dream
"israel’s slaughtering women and children in gaza has definitely turned public opinion against them. '
Interesting, isn't it?
Not against urban warfare, drones, bunkers, tunnels, hiding troops in population, attacks on other civilians.
Not against Hamas, totalitarian government, patriarchal primitive religious nationalism.
Not against artificially defined borders over international freedoms.
Not against *war* and what it takes to be a soldier, to turn your mind to kill people who were once your neighbors and some who have been trained to kill you and why you are supposed to care when they have shot to kill you or even killed someone you know.
Against Israel. Against Israel and it's people's right to exist. Although much of Israel thinks Netanyahu is wrong and should be removed...
Against Israel.
So simple, isn't it? Score one for propaganda and those who benefit.
Date: April 20, 2024 at 21:09:32 From: old timer , [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Hamas is living the terrorist dream
big difference between public opinion turning against israel because of their slaughtering so many women and children and anyone being against israel’s right to exist. no propaganda, it’s just that people find genocide repugnant
Date: April 20, 2024 at 23:46:40 From: ao, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Hamas is living the terrorist dream
Yes, we do, find it repugnant. The thing is, the folks that do and hold Joe accountable, and think if they speak out against him they might gain some traction for their concerns, are missing a fundamental point..
If Trump were president it would be a lot worse. That guy would be encouraging Bibi to level the entire Middle East. Whereas at least with Joe there’s hope for a rational approach to crystallize. He was, and still is, working behind the scenes to create a broader and long lasting agreement between all the stake holders in the region. Well, at least except Iran and it’s surrogates who refuse to let go of there intent to commit genocide..
Date: April 21, 2024 at 00:55:49 From: old timer, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Hamas is living the terrorist dream
the dumbass tried to make it all about biden, as usual. israel should stop slaughtering women and children in high numbers and destroying schools, hospitals and other infrastructure in gaza. but that isn’t likely
Date: April 21, 2024 at 11:48:09 From: ao, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Hamas is living the terrorist dream
Right on OT, it's always the dumbass who mucks it up. Sheesh, where would you be without a dumbass to blame all your woes on?
You're fun brah.. though I gotta tell ya, at some point you're gonna have to cop to the fact the sky ain't falling. I know, I know, but that dumbass..
As I said, you're fun. But the real question is are you just one of the five out of every four, or does your uncle own a store..?
Yeah, yeah, I know, but the dumbass.. look in the mirror brah.
Responses:
None
53925
Date: April 21, 2024 at 00:16:36 From: ao, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Hamas is living the terrorist dream
And, besides, Joe has publicly stated his support for a two state solution. What do you think, has the Don?
A real case of pick your poison, for sure. It's either an elderly statesman who has the institutional experience to at least try and understand and balance all the forces involved, or a narcissistic madman that knows no better than to spew hate and distain at anything that doesn't praise him with unfailing loyalty..
Yep, a real nose holder, walking through the valley of doom and despair, stench on every side, around every turn. There's certainly something to be said for investing in nose plugs. Damn, dude, you could make a fortune!
Responses:
None
53919
Date: April 20, 2024 at 21:51:46 From: ryan, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Hamas is living the terrorist dream
i find you repugnant in your blank-stared idiocy...you conveniently forget that genocide is hamas' stated goal...wipe out israel and it's people...completely...they just don't have the backing or resources to pull it off...both sides are repugnant, but israel did not start this round of death and destruction...not saying they don't have a lot of karma to deal with but let's try to stick to the facts...
Date: April 20, 2024 at 23:45:17 From: old timer, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Hamas is living the terrorist dream
you are correct that israel didn’t start this latest round. but the way israel has conducted themselves in gaza has people all over the world upset about the mass killing of women and children, doctors, teachers,un aid workers and journalists. that’s a fact. and when the world was behind israel after 10/7 they could have used restraint and worked out a way to minimize civilian casualties, but didn’t. they dropped some of the largest bombs in use on a densely packed gaza and keep on hitting gaza with heavy force. and that is the facts
you always making things personal makes you look like a dumbass
Responses:
None
53918
Date: April 20, 2024 at 21:39:19 From: mitra, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Hamas is living the terrorist dream
No. "Israel" didn't fire on that house anymore than you did on My Lai.
My issue is with perpetuating hate, justifying more warfare when we should make killing itself the target.
See?
Even during Vietnam the emphasis was anti-war. Suddenly it's just anti-Israel. Do you know when you polarize against Israel you are pro-Hamas? How can Israel clean up its own mess when Hamas is there to justify any horror by it's pledge of perpetual warfare and extermination?
Date: April 20, 2024 at 23:57:03 From: old timer, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Hamas is living the terrorist dream
“Do you know when you polarize against Israel you are pro-Hamas?”
lol that’s a bunch of crap. hamas is a terrorist organization and they are bad, but that doesn’t justify israel committing genocide in gaza. my bet is hamas is celebrating that israel overreacted and is destroying their own international reputation. and people are not going to be silent about the slaughter in gaza even if it help hamas. israel is in the wrong here and these bad decisions may threaten their own future.