Gentlemen,

Surely we're able to hold two truths at the same time.
Violence is abhorrent and must end. But we also know
that violence will not end through more violence.

Everyone deserves to live in safety and peace. Every
Israeli and Palestinian life is precious. We need to
stop the current mass killing of civilians, whatever
their religion or ethnicity.

In Gaza 2.3 million people are cut off from water,
electricity, food, medical supplies, and they have been
under a carpet bombing campaign. This needs to stop.
A temporary ceasefire needs to be made permanent.

To bring change, we must address the roots of the
conflict, including historic and ongoing
Palestinian displacement, occupation, and the
reality of apartheid.

Sending weapons and military aid to Israel at this
time only expands violence and takes us further from a
solution.

The only way forward is through a political solution.
Not a military one.

Dear Foxy,

«Sending weapons and military aid to Israel at this
time only expands violence and takes us further from a
solution.»

Israel produces most of its weapons and ammunitions itself,
in normal times it even exports some.

Not sending weapons to Israel could only mean more casualties on both sides.
This is because Israel cannot afford to stop, it would just not be able to shoot as much in a wall of fire ahead of its advancing ground forces, thus it would still end up achieving as much, only with more casualties. As for the Gazans, Israel would not have as many accurate bombs, hence it would have to use the less accurate ones, killing more innocent people.

«To bring change, we must address the roots of the
conflict, including historic and ongoing
Palestinian displacement, occupation, and the
reality of apartheid»

Sure, but this is not the time.
To untangle a knot, one needs to trace it back the way it came, not blindly pull on both sides:

First stage - finish off Hamas and bring all hostages home, dead or alive.
Second stage - finish off Netanyahu, then have fresh elections in Israel.
Third state - Israel's new government will then deal, as you say, with the roots of the conflict.

«Everyone deserves to live in safety and peace»

Is that so? and if so why?
Has the world fundamentally changed that much in the last few days?
Fact is, humans did not have safety and peace for millennia, nor animals for millions of years.
Retrospectively, this means that the people and animals who suffered and died, so deserved - or else you would be claiming that God is either unjust or incapable of running this bloody chaotic world by His will. Is that what you are saying?

I see foxy blames Israel for the killings and says the war will not bring peace. Israel must stop the bombings. Did she say that to England when Hitler was bombing England into the ground? Did she say that about USA when Japan was threatening Australia?

When you are faced by a bully in the school yard it is good to have a large strong friend to beat the bully up and only then does he leave you alone. Both those countries have learned the lessons of Western values because they were subdued. It cost lives many young lives to bring peace and freedom for these countries. Islamic countries are a different situation, it is a religious conviction that Sharia law must prevail. You cannot practice your Western freedoms where Shariah is enforced. You can look at it from Western values, but they are not equal.

Hi Yuyutsu,
"I don't know whether Israel is winning or not, all I know is that if Israel loses then there will be no Israel and my family there will all be dead."

I don't know either. I think they will prevail but it will come at a significant cost and there may end up being a lot more Palestinians radicalised as a result, which means the cycle of violence will surely continue.

Despite all my criticisms of Israel as well as the Jewish religion, I do not hate Jews, and I just wish everyone could live in peace and dignity.

My feelings towards the safety of your family are no different now then 6 weeks ago, I hope they are safe and well and remain so.

"Both myself and my family in Israel fervently disagree with many of Israel's government's policies, yet nearly every Israeli agrees, including the most Leftists and Greens among them, that this war to destroy Hamas and return the hostages home, is an absolute necessity, even if hundreds or thousands or millions of Israeli soldiers have to die as a result. There is simply no other choice."
- You might find yourself targeted for your criticisms by your own in the same way I would likely be.
You do realise that Hamas has done this to get it's own people back?
- People taken and held in Israeli prisons without charge?
I wish that conscripted IDF didn't have to go in there in the first place.
A lot of them won't come back.
This entire cycle of violence just results in more needless loss of life.
The Israeli hostages from what I've seen are treated well, probably not so much the Palestinian ones in Israeli prisons.

[Cont.]
"True, but neither Netanyahu and his anti-democratic Nazi gang came to power in a vacuum. It was Arab terror to begin with which brought them to power, it was the bombs in buses, restaurants and schools which caused Israelis to despair of peace, which caused many peace-loving Israelis to emigrate, whoever could afford to, which decimated Israel's peace camp and left Israel in the dirty hands of these Nazis."
- As I said to Josephus on the other thread earlier, I don't know what the solutions are, but I don't need to know what they are to know that the current situation isn't working.
I know that both sides have done things which are regrettable.

"You should feel ashamed of the indiscriminate attack on ALL Israelis - physically by Hamas and verbally by yourself, this bundling of all Israelis in one package, the guilty and the innocent alike, as if peaceful Israelis haven't suffered enough at the hands Netanyahu and his Nazis that they must now suffer this humiliation by you as well."

I'd be more ashamed if I said nothing, as I be giving my silent consent to it. I denounced the killing of innocents in Israel on October 7 just as I denounce the killing of innocents on the other side of the border fences thereafter.
I support diplomacy, dialogue, negotiations and compromise over conflict.

[Cont.]
Humiliation can do harm, but it has 2 sides, 'humility' can actually be a good thing.
Words are like a sword, they can be used to attack or defend and must sometimes be used carefully.

How in your view have I humiliated the Jewish or Israeli people?
Any criticism of Israel gets me labelled an Anti-Semite or Jew hater anyway, so why should I care?
I simply state my opinion, and just on this forum alone.
I'm not out in the streets engaged in screaming matches with people.

Humiliation in the current situation is the lowest level of harm.
- But I think its ok in a text-based discussion.

Lets say hypothetically someone says something that I think is ridiculous on merit.
- First I challenge or attack that idea.
e.g. "I think what you're saying is stupid"
- If a person defends that 'stupid' idea, effectively 'doubling down on stupid', I feel that its fair play to challenge or attack the person saying it.
e.g. "Well then, I think that YOU ARE stupid"
- It's a non-violent form of correction in our path towards the truth of things, and we need to get to the truth of things if we wish to progress and make things better.

I hope your family stay safe, and I hope Netanyahu shows some restraint less this conflict escalates into a wider war with more people killed and injured.