What is Hamas? The militant group behind surprise attack on Israel has ruled Gaza for years - ABC News
@knittingknots2 I’m not making excuses for Hamas, but does anyone think that Israel has clean hands? One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter. You can figuratively ask Israel about that. Their treatment of Gaza has been heavy handed for decades. 🤔🔥
@Huntn00 Nope, Israel doesn't have clean hands. I threw away my childhood zionist fangirlness when I saw what was happening during the first Intifada. Doesn't take away the evil Hamas, Hezzbolah and others have done, either, though. Also, the terrorism makes Israel more open to right wing repression. Nasty tango they're in. Who suffers from this dance? The people in Gaza, the people in the West Bank, and more and more, (although not to the same degree by any means) secular folk in Israel
@knittingknots2 The historical context of the creation of Israel at the expense of Palestinians and continued oppression for 70 years must be considered.
Orchestrated by the BrIrish, US and UN in British Controlled Palestine (their colony?) at the expense of Palestinians.
Many Arabs saw the influx of Jews as a European colonial movement.
Israel took 77% of the Palestinian lands and was taking more and more in the West Bank myopically feeling that it was their right. Links to follow.
@Huntn00 I know this history. Still, it was voted by the UN. And I have been railing against the Israeli government's settlement and human rights violations since the first Intifada.
But they have an internationally agreed on right to be an Israel, as much as there's an internationally agreed on right for there to be a Ukraine and so on and so on.
Hamas denies that right to exist.
And the tic-tac-toe dance between the factions guarantees human rights wrongs increasing with each round.
@knittingknots2 Colonialism is part of our history and it’s legacy lives on today. In the USA, I’m happy that American Indians and some of their lands have been restored. African American face continual prejudice and have not gone to war. Israel is a chicken-egg issue, not helped that Israel continues to act in an oppressive, might makes right manner for their perceived security. 🤔
@Huntn00 Also, a lot of the grief in the world today was caused by decisions made by the various colonial powers in the 1800s, by things that happened with the fall of the Turkish empire at the end of WWI, and how France and Britain divvied up the Middle East, and the aftereffects of WWII.
But this is pretty much the history of the world in nearly every era when you scratch below the surface and look at the causal chains.
Power and greed and fear stain humanity so much.
@Huntn00 Yep, I definitely agree with that last sentence. A whole lot. Back in 1965, James Mitchner in his book the Source noted the need for Israel to integrate the Arab population in its borders as real first class citizens. He ended on a hopeful note. And then came 1967 and the Six Day War. And 1973 and the Yom Kippur War. So much grief.