Why does the US keep falling for IDF nonsense
“We have asked civilians to evacuate the battlefield and we have provided a designated humanitarian zone inside the Gaza Strip,” he said, referring to al-Mawasi, southwest of Khan Younis, a tiny pocket of land measuring 6.5 square kilometres (2.5 square miles).
About 1.8 million Palestinians have already been displaced since Israel’s military offensive on Gaza, including some 1 million who fled to the south after an Israeli evacuation order.
1.8 million people in 6.5 square kilometers, 277K per square km. NY city has a population density of 11.3K per square km. Manila is the most densely populated city in the world at 43K per square km.
Manilla
al-Mawasi
Correction: This is actually al-Mawasi, there aren't even any tents (at 1:34)
What kind of fantasy land do Israel (and the USA) live in.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/04/john-kirby-white-house-genocide
Challenged at a White House briefing to confront the term “Genocide Joe” by some protesters to described Biden, Kirby, who had previously ruled out “drawing red lines” for Israel’s actions in Gaza, embarked on an animated exposition.
“People can say what they want on the sidewalk and we respect that. That’s what the first amendment’s about,” he said. “But this word genocide’s getting thrown around in a pretty inappropriate way by lots of different folks. What Hamas wants, make no mistake about it, is genocide. They want to wipe Israel off the map.
“And they’ve said that they’re not going to stop. What happened on the 7th of October is going to happen again and again and again. And what happened on the 7th of October? Murder; slaughter of innocent people in their homes or at a music festival. That’s genocidal intentions.
How can Kirby call the Oct 7 attacks genocide, yet refuse to see the systematic destruction of Gaza's entire infrastructure and its population, and call it 'self-defense'
“Yes, there are too many civilian casualties in Gaza … And yes, we continue to urge the Israelis to be as careful and cautious as possible. But Israel is not trying to wipe the Palestinian people off the map. Israel’s not trying to wipe Gaza off the map. Israel is trying to defend itself against a genocidal terrorist threat. If we’re going to start using that word – fine. Let’s use it appropriately.”
At least The Guardian isn't falling for US Israeli narratives and actually calling out Israel's intentions
Bartov, a professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University in Rhode Island, said multiple Israeli ministers and senior figures, including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had made “genocidal statements” and “terrifying pronouncements” that have never been revoked. Netanyahu has repeatedly invoked the Old Testament fate of Amalek, whose followers were condemned to annihilation after attacking the ancient Hebrews during their exodus from Egypt.
In commentary for the Council for Global Cooperation, a version of which was published in the Guardian, Bartov singled out comments by Maj Gen Giora Eiland, a former head of the Israeli national security council. Eiland told Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on 10 October that “Gaza will become a place where no human being can exist” before expanding on the theme in a 19 November article for the same publication.
“The way to win this war faster and at a lower cost to us necessitates the collapse of the systems on the other side, not the killing of more Hamas fighters,” wrote Eiland, who expanded his enemy definition to include the Gaza population whom he said cheered Hamas’s atrocities.
“The international community warns us of a humanitarian disaster in Gaza and of severe epidemics. We must not be deterred by that … severe epidemics in the southern strip will bring victory closer and diminish the number of IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] casualties.”
Summing up, Bartov wrote: “Israeli rhetoric and actions are preparing the ground for what may well become mass killing, ethnic cleansing and genocide, followed by annexation and settlement of the territory.”
And of course the White house
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/12/02/remarks-by-vice-president-harris-on-the-conflict-between-israel-and-hamas/
On October 7th, Hamas terrorists launched a terrorist attack that killed 1,200 innocent people in Israel, including 35 Americans. It was a brutal and horrific massacre. Babies and Holocaust survivors were killed. Young people who were simply attending a concert were shot dead. Two hundred and forty hostages were taken from their homes.
And over, then, the past eight weeks, President Biden and I have been clear: Israel has a right to defend itself. And we will remain steadfast in that conviction.
Only 1 baby was killed on the Israeli side btw, and the brutal massacre was helped by the IDF firing hellfire missiles at everything that moved and shelling houses with tanks to prevent hostages getting taken. Not that that excuses the attack from Hamas, yet the response from the IDF made it a lot worse.
Let me be also very clear, as I’ve said before: We cannot conflate Hamas with the Palestinian people. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization. Hamas has vowed to repeat October 7 until Israel is annihilated.
No nation could possibly live with such danger, which is why we support Israel’s legitimate military objectives to eliminate the threat of Hamas.
Bombing civilian infrastructure and residential complexes are not legitimate military objectives. And if you call Hamas a brutal terrorist organization, then the IDF, Settler movement and military courts for Palestinian children are as well.
President Biden and I have also been clear with the Israeli government in public and in private many times: As Israel defends itself, it matters how.
The United States is unequivocal: International humanitarian law must be respected. Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating.
Yet you keep sending more bombs and ammunition, your words mean nothing.
Shortly after October 7th, President Biden and I began discussions with our national security team about post-conflict Gaza. We have begun to engage partners in the region and around the world in these conversations, and this has been a key priority over the last eight weeks.
No you're fucking key priority is to stop this humanitarian disaster.
But let's keep on redirecting from the pressing issue to the fantasy future
One, reconstruction. The international community must dedicate significant resources to support short- and long-term recovery in Gaza — for example, rebuilding hospitals and housing, restoring electricity and clean water, and ensuring that bakeries can reopen and be restocked.
Oh so the international community can pay for all the destruction the oppressing army has caused with US armaments and US tax dollars. We'll pay for the destruction but the international community can pay for fixing it back up.
Second, security. The Palestinian Authority Security Forces must be strengthened to eventually assume security responsibilities in Gaza. Until then, there must be security arrangements that are acceptable to Israel, the people of Gaza, the Palestinian Authority, and the international partners. And to reiterate — and this is very important — terrorists will not be permitted to continue to threaten Israel.
The PA is just a tool for Israel to oppress Palestinians. Watch this and it becomes more clear why Hamas was voted into power.
Great insight into history of the conflict and observations of the West Bank and the total surveillance state. 1984 in its fullest extent.
Third, governance. The Palestinian Authority must be revitalized, driven by the will of the Palestinian people, which will allow them to benefit from the rule of law and a transparent, responsive government.
Eventually, this revitalized PA must have the capacity to govern Gaza, as well as the West Bank. We believe progress on these three areas — reconstruction, security, and governance — will improve the lives and livelihoods of the Palestinian people.
First the apartheid and settler movement must end for that to have any chance at all. No word on that though.
And dodging the few actual questions
Q To that point, Israel has suggested building a buffer in Gaza, and they’ve been having some conversations about that today and for the past few days. What is the U.S. position on it?
...
Q And thoughts on the buffer zone?
AIDE: Hold on. Deepa.
Q The buffer zone. You didn’t answer her question on that.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: What is the question exactly?
Q Israel has been suggesting a buffer zone in Gaza, Madam Vice President. What is the U.S. view on that?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We have not weighed in on that.
Fucking BS
Q Thanks, Madam Vice President. I wanted to ask: What evidence do you have that Israel won’t just be receptive to conversations and asks the U.S. has made in terms of protecting civilian life, minimizing harm to civilian life in Gaza — not just receptive to those asks but actually following through and really acting on them. Do you have any evidence that Israel will listen?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I do believe that they have listened, and I can assure you: From the beginning, the President has been very direct and clear about our perspective, for example, that humanitarian laws, the rules of war must be followed, which includes what must happen in terms of giving humanitarian aid, no intentional targeting of civilians.
And we have been very clear also that, one, Israel has a right to defend itself, but we also must take into account that far too many Palestinian civilians — innocent people — have been killed and Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians.
Q To that point, in the first day after this temporary truce had — had ended, Israel killed 200 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Is that minimizing harm to civilian life? Is that acceptable?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I don’t have the details to tell you exactly who was killed. And — but I will say this, we have been very clear about where we stand on this, which is innocent civilian lives should not be intentionally targeted and that Israel must do more to protect innocent life in Gaza and innocent civilians in Gaza.
And we’ve been very clear about that. And we continue to make that point, not only privately but publicly as well, as you see.
AIDE: Thank you, guys.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you.
Bernie Sanders for president!
