Brilliant analysis, M. J. Israel’s genocidal response to the horrific pogrom perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 played right into the hands of Hamas.
It has almost done more to help Hamas than the Mullahs in Iran have. As much of a paradox as it is, the best thing the United States can do for Israel’s security would be to suspend all weapons transfers and ties to Israel until the genocide stops.
Protecting Palestinian civilians inside Gaza and the illegally occupied West Bank should be the highest priority at this point for the United States. Doing this will make the Palestinians, Israel, Jews in the diaspora, and the United States much safer.
I read the other day that the new head of IDF ordered an updated count of the likely number of Hamas-affiliated fighters now in Gaza. The estimate turned out to be 40,000 -- which is pretty much the exact same number they estimated in Oct 2023. Of course these are not the same individuals, but the "replacement rate" of 1-for-1 is probably typical in this kind of conflict. I would think any fighter in Gaza knows full well Israel's assassination policies, and joining Hamas or any resistance at this point is to accept death, if not today, then eventually. They have no personal incentive to surrender, nor any family reasons to stop resisting a genocide.
This is so true. My Jewish children now question the need for a Jewish “homeland,” along with the actions of Israel’s current government. The damage done by the Right-wing takeover of Israeli policy is incalculable.
Some of the people posting comments here obviously have a problem with the existence of Israel itself. And I would respectfully ask you to delete their comments.
They are doing grievous harm to the very cause that they ostensibly care so much about, and they are a disgrace.
You very well may be right that pressure from the mainstream Jewish community would make it unbearable and impossible for a candidate like Josh Shapiro to do the right thing regarding Israel-Palestine if he ran for President.
I don’t have any connections to the leadership of the mainstream Jewish community and the bundlers in the Democratic Parry, so I don’t really know. It would have to be something that he campaigned on doing if elected. I can’t think of anything better. If you can, please let me know.
But I would respectfully disagree with you that there that should never be a Jewish, Black, Latino, Asian, female, Muslim, or LGBTQ+ president because prejudice and bigotry exist and persist in the United States. That almost comes off to me like capitulating to it when the right thing to do is fight it.
For this genocide to end, it will be necessary for the United States to suspend all arms transfers and end all intelligence sharing with Israel until it does because that is the only leverage that will stop Israel.
And the only person I see as capable of making this argument to the American people, particularly Jewish Democrats, is Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.
Being that he is an observant Jew and self-described Zionist who did volunteer work at an Israeli military base in the early 1990s between his freshman and sophomore year of college, he can pull a “Nixon goes to China.”
By which I mean that his credibility as an observant Jew and Jewish Zionist gives him political cover to take a hard line against Netanyahu and the Likudniks in Israel like no one else in American politics, or at least in the Democratic Party.
And should he opt to run for President in 2028, he would have to in order to win the election. And he seems like a decent and compassionate guy who has the courage of his convictions.
Please let me know what you think when you have the opportunity.
No, I don’t agree. The pressure the mainstream Jewish community and the big money folks would make it unbearable and impossible for him to do the right thing. Additionally a Jewish Democrat would suffer under endless attack from the increasingly violent Trumpist right. We don’t need a Jewish president. Obama’s presidency lit a match under the racism that always defined America. The Trump phenomenon is the explosion. So with all due respect, I disagree. Way too dangerous and wouldn’t accomplish anything either
If you can find one quote from Josh Shapiro indicating any real compassion for the victims of Israel's attacks, I might think he'd be better than, say, Joe Biden was. I have not. Except this nothing of a statement; "We also can’t ignore the death and the destruction that’s occurred in Gaza.”
— [Washington Post interview, March 2024]
Note the word ALSO which was couched, like every other statement he's made, with support for Israel's "right to defend itself."
Brilliant analysis, M. J. Israel’s genocidal response to the horrific pogrom perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 played right into the hands of Hamas.
It has almost done more to help Hamas than the Mullahs in Iran have. As much of a paradox as it is, the best thing the United States can do for Israel’s security would be to suspend all weapons transfers and ties to Israel until the genocide stops.
Protecting Palestinian civilians inside Gaza and the illegally occupied West Bank should be the highest priority at this point for the United States. Doing this will make the Palestinians, Israel, Jews in the diaspora, and the United States much safer.
I read the other day that the new head of IDF ordered an updated count of the likely number of Hamas-affiliated fighters now in Gaza. The estimate turned out to be 40,000 -- which is pretty much the exact same number they estimated in Oct 2023. Of course these are not the same individuals, but the "replacement rate" of 1-for-1 is probably typical in this kind of conflict. I would think any fighter in Gaza knows full well Israel's assassination policies, and joining Hamas or any resistance at this point is to accept death, if not today, then eventually. They have no personal incentive to surrender, nor any family reasons to stop resisting a genocide.
This is so true. My Jewish children now question the need for a Jewish “homeland,” along with the actions of Israel’s current government. The damage done by the Right-wing takeover of Israeli policy is incalculable.
Except that there is no war. It is a genocide. Israel has shattered its own image by committing genocide.
MJ,
Some of the people posting comments here obviously have a problem with the existence of Israel itself. And I would respectfully ask you to delete their comments.
They are doing grievous harm to the very cause that they ostensibly care so much about, and they are a disgrace.
DONE.
MJ,
You very well may be right that pressure from the mainstream Jewish community would make it unbearable and impossible for a candidate like Josh Shapiro to do the right thing regarding Israel-Palestine if he ran for President.
I don’t have any connections to the leadership of the mainstream Jewish community and the bundlers in the Democratic Parry, so I don’t really know. It would have to be something that he campaigned on doing if elected. I can’t think of anything better. If you can, please let me know.
But I would respectfully disagree with you that there that should never be a Jewish, Black, Latino, Asian, female, Muslim, or LGBTQ+ president because prejudice and bigotry exist and persist in the United States. That almost comes off to me like capitulating to it when the right thing to do is fight it.
MJ,
For this genocide to end, it will be necessary for the United States to suspend all arms transfers and end all intelligence sharing with Israel until it does because that is the only leverage that will stop Israel.
And the only person I see as capable of making this argument to the American people, particularly Jewish Democrats, is Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.
Being that he is an observant Jew and self-described Zionist who did volunteer work at an Israeli military base in the early 1990s between his freshman and sophomore year of college, he can pull a “Nixon goes to China.”
By which I mean that his credibility as an observant Jew and Jewish Zionist gives him political cover to take a hard line against Netanyahu and the Likudniks in Israel like no one else in American politics, or at least in the Democratic Party.
And should he opt to run for President in 2028, he would have to in order to win the election. And he seems like a decent and compassionate guy who has the courage of his convictions.
Please let me know what you think when you have the opportunity.
No, I don’t agree. The pressure the mainstream Jewish community and the big money folks would make it unbearable and impossible for him to do the right thing. Additionally a Jewish Democrat would suffer under endless attack from the increasingly violent Trumpist right. We don’t need a Jewish president. Obama’s presidency lit a match under the racism that always defined America. The Trump phenomenon is the explosion. So with all due respect, I disagree. Way too dangerous and wouldn’t accomplish anything either
If you can find one quote from Josh Shapiro indicating any real compassion for the victims of Israel's attacks, I might think he'd be better than, say, Joe Biden was. I have not. Except this nothing of a statement; "We also can’t ignore the death and the destruction that’s occurred in Gaza.”
— [Washington Post interview, March 2024]
Note the word ALSO which was couched, like every other statement he's made, with support for Israel's "right to defend itself."
Sad.
Israel lost the war on day one but they didn't want to believe it. Give it up and try to save what is left on both sides.
TRUTH