27 Comments

Excellent information. I know little to nothing of the root cause of such anger that has always been explosive in that area. While I see the victims cry for the loss and unjust killing - this is what UKR has suffered openly for 1.5 years. The demise of innocent civilians seems to be the new weapon of choice used by countries like Russia. The world is facing a 'sick' & unbelievable threat from a growing evil.

Expand full comment

Excellent account of the situation at hand. So much hatred has accumulated over the years, a viable solution is difficult to imagine. With nefarious leaders in other countries who like to see the region destabilized, it's difficult to see one without more blood shed. Let's hope a miracle can happen.

Expand full comment

Thanks for your astute observations on the situation involving Israel and the terrorists. Having grown up here (I am 79) in a family who came from Europe and Czarist Russia (today Ukraine) who landed here before 1900 I do not remember ever any anti Arab or anti muslim sentiment in any of our circles. I did my elementary education in a Parochial Hebrew school starting in 1949, the year after Israel’s birth. There was never a word or sentiment stated or implied demonizing the Arab middle eastern population.

It was with horror that I later learned that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (the ranking leader of the Muslim community) had formed an alliance with Hitler to rid the Middle East of all Jews … this was around 1938, about 10 years before Israel EXISTED.

I am giving you approximate dates and I have generalized a minor amount because I don’t have the energy to give you VERY VERY EXACT details BUT the bottom line is that the war against the Jews predates anything Israel is deemed to have done to be, in any way, a party to the present disaster. Too many of “them” hate us as Jews and they have for far too long to the detriment of all involved but mostly to the so called “Palestinians”. The target of Israels enemies is not the State of Israel - It is only about the Jews. On that note: Never Again!!

Expand full comment

Fascinating. Thanks.

Expand full comment

Oh dear Diane. Disappointing You seem to fall into the category of blaming Israel for over recting to the barbaric murder of her people by Hamas. Israel is trying to save Palestinian lives by asking them to leave northern Gaza and Hamas has put bombs in the exit road to kill civilians and then accuse israel of killing them. Also I wonder where you get your figure for Palestinian civilians dead? From Hamas?

Try reading this below please from UnHerd to get a balanced picture. I do not think for one second Israel is seeking to kill Palestinian civilians as many in the anti Israeli lobby in the west thinks. And I am not a Jew but a sympathiser of Israel. Please...

https://unherd.com/2023/10/do-israels-critics-understand-evil/?tl_inbound=1&tl_groups[0]=18743&tl_period_type=3

Expand full comment

Getting to YES is well understood by all parties but the key to getting there is to know where the other person is at. There were many times when peace was at hand but an act of terrorism or some other self serving activity interrupted the process. Corrupt leaders destroying their own people. I have no idea how the idf can smoke out the terrorists , save any surviving hostages who have been raped and terrorized and avoid collateral damage!!

Maybe we should request instructions from the folks Trump says are smart like Putin,xi and Hezbollah, who always take this into consideration. Are there really such esoteric rules of engagement in War

I don’t think so. A very sad disturbing situation

Expand full comment

Nobody wants to put the blame for all this where it belongs. Religion.

When Jews established a well deserved state of their own, they made the fatal error of not including the people who lived there already.

Arabs and Jews can and have lived in harmony in Israel. Why not "Palestinians"?

Any nation that bases itself on a religion that excludes others, sets itself up for conflict.

There could be an Israel that is inclusive. There could be a Palestinian community that thinks more about peace and less about a vengeful Allah.

The problem is that for eons, people have thought their religion is the best, the one true faith. With 4000 religions on the Earth, I call bullshit.

Expand full comment

As an aside, the insane notion of "proportional response" bares some thought. Should Israel send in troops to slaughter women and children, decapitate an equal number of babies and elderly arabs, slaughter 260 youths attended a peace concert? Should they take about 200 hostages to use as bargaining chips? What about using their civilian population has human shield should they be subject further attacks... I suppose that would be somewhat "proportionate" and satisfies the UN and the sanctimonious left wing media.....Just thinking.

Expand full comment

The Palestinian people will be free when the Arab States allow them to be free. I am sorry, but those same “ Palestinians were celebrating Hamas’s “ glorious victory” There is no moral equivalency to the deliberate massacre of women, children and the elderly., I am also sorry, that as a Jew, I find it very difficult to be sympathetic.

Expand full comment

Israel is the region's nuclear power. There are power brokers eveywhere. But, there is mutual, interdependency, to double speak if I may ...

Jews salvation lies in the safety of the Palestinians; the Palestinians salvation lies in the safety of the Jews, to paraphrase the brilliant Rabbi Michael Lerner (TIkkun Magazine)

Expand full comment

While I agree, the thought of a “two state solution” is frightening given this current activity,

Expand full comment

agreed

Expand full comment

Israel can administer justice, not revenge. I think those buildings that are collapsing sit on top of tunnels. I also think that by warning residents of imminent bombing they are doing everything they can to avoid innocent bloodshed. By selective targeting I think they are practising justice.

Hamas built tunnels partially to protect themselves. Apparently Gasans don't have bomb shelters !

Expand full comment

At the risk of repetition, there is nothing here that $40 oil wont fix. Iran and Russia are the fountainheads of this terror and they rely solely on the profits from oil/gas. If those profits dry up, then so will the wherewithal to commit these heinous acts. Canada, the US, and Europe must mount an epic campaign to drill and flood the markets with fossil fuel. Bonus Points - it fixes inflation and poverty at home too.

Expand full comment

"NO THANK YOU" to "flood the markets with fossil fuels," as you wrote

Capitalism has been destroying the Earth for nearly two centuries with extraction. We simply need ...the sun. My car is electric, my house hetats primarily by the sun. It ain't rocketry

Expand full comment

Capitalism is guilty only of the precipitous decline in poverty - it has been reduced by a factor of 70 since the Industrial Revolution. Socialism/Communism , your apparent fave, has done just the opposite in many once prosperous democratic countries (along with murdering 100,000). Regarding solar, there are virtually no cars being powered by solar. Nearly all are powered by fossil fuel gen plants that are now at their limits.

Expand full comment

The abject poverty throughout the world lies under the bootstraps of global capitalism, including Appalachia and the vast swath of Southern states' poverty

My solar farm membership provides enough electricity to run my electric car.

Four of my neighbors solar panels provide to the grid far more than enough to power ALL of their electric cars.

We re not ignorant of the malfeasance of global oligarchs (EXXON, trump family, etc)

Expand full comment

Well dont keep such a great discovery a secret. How can we sign up? What is the cost per kw/hr and is the power available if it is very cloudy or very cold or snowy? And have you considered the $30,000 cost of replacing the car battery after 8-10 years....lots of rare earth minerals make them very expensive and another environmental issue.

Expand full comment
Comment removed
October 16, 2023
Comment removed
Expand full comment

The 2000 Prius runs primarily on a 2 liter gasoline engine. It generates electricity by itself with an onboard generator makes power when braking or deceleration is required. Why did you say it was solar powered? That is not true. https://www.encycarpedia.com/us/toyota/00-prius-sedan

Expand full comment

Although six years old, you might be interested in a David Brog piece "Why isn't There a Palestinian State" It is very interesting

Expand full comment

the Israelis ordered the evacuation prior to attacks no?

Expand full comment

Diane Suggest you read this by Sam Harris on the war against Hamas. For me, very revealing.

team@news.samharris.org

Expand full comment