"I stand with Israel because it stands for everything that the Iranian regime and its allies oppose—freedom, democracy, and human rights." ~ Shabnam Assadollahi
Karen, a friend recently sent me a link to Amir, raised a Muslim, raised to hate chews, a man who did a 360--an Arab who lives in Sweden--who speaks out against Islamism very movingly. (The ONLY things he doesn't know about are Henry Kissinger (rotten globalist war criminal) AND the jabs...sigh...so we disregard what he says about the war criminal an' that gawd-awful compliment about Israel bein' first in covid-jabbery (eek!) but the rest is nice ta hear:
apologies for missin' it--I do miss stuff an' sometimes skim a bit in tryin' ta "ketchup!" ;-)
one of his articles briefly addressed child marriage--I knew it existed under Islam but had NO CLUE it was one in five girls--down from one in three. lordy!
Perhaps you can address this at some pernt in a stand-alone (?) as it's shockin' this is so in the 21st C.
Hard fer me ta believe that AmeriKans are cheerin' on a culture that would have little girls marry old men... Then again, I see how many mamas willin'ly took their little ta adult-content sexual drag time story hour... so mebbe they DO want their littles treated like property fer the lust of adults?! I cannot imagine... Are they just DUMB? Anywho... the statistics are jaw-droppin'!
It's quite shocking that child marriage is currently legal in 41 states in the US1. Only Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont have set the minimum age at 18 and eliminated all exceptions1. 20 U.S. states do not require any minimum age for marriage, with a parental or judicial waiver. https://equalitynow.org/learn_more_child_marriage_us/
The Middle East is a mess that I can't fully understand. I stand with no country, not even the US. I love my country but despise our government, and all government everywhere. i do not need or want a master. I do stand for freedom and the sovereign individual; all the people who just want to live and be left alone.
I get what you're saying. All governments are corrupt, I have written plenty criticizing our government and Israel's. However, having lived under communism in Yugoslavia and under Sharia Law in Egypt, I can tell you some governments are preferable to others. It would be nice if people were left alone, but they aren't. If war comes to your country, you at least expect your government to protect you. The reality of war is very different from theoretically talking about it. Unfortunately, the world is a violent place. If you want to understand the Middle East better, I encourage you to read Mosab Hassan Yousef's book, Son of Hamas.
It’s a courageous article and yet I am worried it will fall on deaf ears. The mob-hatred against Jews is as illogical, rampant and infectious as the hatred against DJT. Normal conversations and nuances with people who harbour different opinions are simply not possible. This is especially true for people who have never lived or experienced realities on the ground (I have - You have) in the Middle East. It’s a toxic mix of projection, ignorance and lack of self-enquiry. I am very glad you mentioned Yasmin Mohammed and her book “Unveiled”. Unfortunately these days people don’t read books anymore and engage in short TG and TikTok videos that simplify an incredibly complex issue (on both sides m, mind you), and where CCP algorithms via TikTok have done their utmost to foster anti-Israel (=America) propaganda.
The other day I was insulted three times in a row by a Substacker simply because I had dared asking why a) the world is hyper fixated on Israeli crimes and Israeli crimes alone, and b) why people aren’t treating Palestinians as adults in the room, giving them agency and holding them accountable for their incessant warfare against Jews. Boy… it was a near verbal killing! “No shred of humanity, bowing to my Zionist masters”… The truth is no one disputes the horrors in Gaza, and certainly the IDF needs to be held accountable for incessant and unnecessary bombing that is a de facto revenge porn. Nevertheless they are doing the dirty work for the Gazans themselves to be potentially rid of Hamas to actually enjoy some shred of freedom, and for the ‘moderate’ Arab countries that are scared shitless Hamas may start riling up their populations and shake their own comfortable power pyramids.
The one question no one answered so far: what would have been the ethical and moral response to Oct 7th? Sit back and trust the UN to sort it out? Negotiate 10,000 freed prisoners?
Further on the Alt Media, there are a lot of good people who have done a lot of research on Israel’s dirty Deep State, and it is worth noting rogue elements have their fingers in many different dirty pies. But this incessant Deep State / Globalist talk has become a confirmation bias hammer by which everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - gets blamed on the Jews / Zionists / Israelis. The ultimate projection field, so that everywhere else in the world the dirty show by multiple super dirty actors and factions can go on unhindered whilst the world continues to exorcise its own demons over the Jewish back. It’s a sad state of affairs, last but not least because Hamas basically initiated a mass sacrifice of their own people, counting on the world to fall for the trick that ‘they are actually the victims’.
They have answered the question of what Israel should have done after Oct 7th--invited the terrorists in because it's their own fault as evil Zionists. There is no arguing in a rational manner with those who simply hate Jews. They cannot see their own fixation. They think they are on the moral high ground.
Yasmine Mohammed will be interviewing me on her podcast November 1st about my experiences in Luxor, Egypt and I am really looking forward to it..
Oh that’s great news you will be on the podcast! So much good info being shared there. Please link it here for everyone when the times comes - many could benefit from the voices being made public there.
It's amazing what deep propagandist work and subversion can be done in 23 years (9/11 to now). Obama did amazing work, in turning the temperament of the country on it's head, as he brought in Iranian state operatives to populate key roles in the American government. Since then you can watch the capture, just in our foreign policy inactions and the DOJ shift to protectorate, of all things muslim.
It's no surprise that Westerners have flocked to support of hamas, like moths to a flame. They are, in the most cowardly of senses, LARPing their way through this. It's a video game to them, as mentioned in the article, but this time they get to actually participate knowing there is none of the consequence and all of the false and fake glory, to be had.
You made me think that Western women who're for hamas and palisitneians, should be asked when they plan to have their muslim leaders cut their clitorises off?? After all, if they support these oppressed and victimize people and their feminist religion, then they should be happy to show their fealty and commitment, by submitting themselves to the requirements of the culture they're fighting for.
I think the counter protesters should pass out fliers with pictures of the mutilations with the caption, "this is what you support."
Ask the mothers out there, on the protest lines, when they plan on cutting off their daughter's genitals.
it's easy to spend someone else's money, freedom, liberty and life. It's only when you have to pay the bill, that things become real and these sjw scumbags crawl back under their rocks.
Karen, I'm glad you are out there in the world, reading your words keeps me sane. Thanks, this was an exceptional piece of writing. The madness just keeps growing, it's like another virus.
Thank you, Karen. Praying for you as you continue to be a sane, intelligent, strong, knowledgeable, well-spoken voice for those whose “silent screams” cry out for justice, and for those who bravely stand against the evil that is so invasive in this world. May God strengthen their bodies and rescue their souls. And may we and many, many others join you, never cowering, in this fight. God has plans for Israel that we cannot completely understand yet, but we can read about in Old and New Testament Biblical prophecy, and He hears the cries of the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the oppressed. We do well to heed this and stand together for righteousness especially in these increasingly evil times 🙏
Btw, Jesus said many times that many “would have eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear”…ie, they choose to wallow in their own ignorance, or some who simply refuse to accept the Truth. One day all eyes will be opened and all knees will bow, whether they plan or choose to now or not. Sad will be that day for those who oppose His people. 💔
Sendin' ya a virtual hug fer all yer efforts Karen.
It pains me ta know all the "beautiful pea-pull" cheerin' on the death of Israel in favor of a world they've never known, the one ya depict so movingly here--a world that might be their undoin'!
Good map ya share too--few folks know that many maps that depict Israel owning the lion's share of so-called native Palestinian land are false--some areas on those maps are full out desert no-man's lands--I don't have a link but many have totally shown how those maps have been falsely constructed ta fool the masses (fooled they are!)
On your map ya see "little" Israel in proportion to the Arab nations (unlike "chews" Arab peoples includin' "Palestinians" have no genetic differences and their self-determination is based on 20thC land constructs vs (as ya know) the jews who were in the land for thousands of years...sigh). Few know that Israel actually left Gaza in 2005 -- fully withdrew an' only policed the borders b/c Hamas kept attackin' them--would you not put up a fence if folks were hurlin' bombs (however lame) over it? At least 10K jews who had lived in Gaza all their lives were forced out by the IDF based on the agreement. Most folks don't know that Gaza AND the West Bank were originally "given to" Israel in 1948. YES there were greedy globalists behind all the land divisions--but most folks have no clue that this was all Jewish holy land from time immemorial--
This fella--a Muslim--sets the record (wreck-herd!) straight:
Muslim Scholar: "Israel was always the original land of the Jews."
Folks jus' don't wanna believe it. Israel didn't steal land--did the Brits? Ahhh... that's anunther story--they certainly "conquered" the land (go see Lawrence of Arabia, right?!) But all land not "gifted" to The Jewish State (however unethically by the Brits /Balfour who divested themselfs from the Ottoman Empire an' had Rothschild's as their eyes on the Middle East....) was bought and paid for--I repeat, land was not stolen, there are receipts none of the fist bumpers wanna see.
Arab leaders (skeered by some up on top in the Arab world) told other Arabs to abandon their farms & land. NOT Israel. Now they want it back--it's complicated. The Nakba was not (as many think) the genocide of 3/4 million Arabs--nope, it's true that many were moved out on land "gifted" by the Brits, bought by Israel fare & square (actually the Arab sheiks pocketed the profits from the people who were forbidden to sell the land direct so they sold it to Israel on their behalf at inflated prices Israel paid)... an' then there was indeed land abandoned. But there was no "Nakba Genocide."
Also, nobody talks 'bout all the "chews" that had to leave THEIR land, their homes all over the Middle East after 1948, b/c it was now designated ta be exclusively Arab territory--hundreds of thousands I've read! Talk about "ethnic cleansing"... But nobody wants to know this history. Sidin' with "chews" just ain't kool now.
(cont'd in part 2 below as it sez I gotta shorten commentS)
So many "pund-ditz" are the bee-u-tee-ful people like Caitlyn Johnstone or even fool chews like Glenn Greenwald & Max Blumenthal--just as clueless as this fool rabbi ya quote. Glenn's own husband got killed by the clot shot but he never owned that--it's tragic--an' yet folks trust him on Israel even knowin' folks were blinders. I know why--many "chews" afraid to speak up do so in fear--they will not be accepted by their peers if they don't toe the line... Sad but I git it--
Do you know the lovely story called "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes & illustrated by the GREAT Louis Slobodkin? (both chews ha ha)... It's about a whole class that is cruel to an' disbelieves a poor girl who says she has 100 dresses... she wasn't lying--she drew them all! beautifully! But that ta me is also the story of all the girls sidin' with the bullies--the popular bullies--in "hazing" the one girl Wanda so badly the fambly had to move / leave. If yer grandkids are old enuf Karen, share this'un with them--it's one'a my favorites an' of course... illustration is part of it. But this is the idear of an entire class sidin' unfairly an' attackin' an' teasing one small child--one voice of truth. One girl has "regrets" later an' befriends Wanda...she is our narrator, our conscience.
Some of us "chews" are tryin' ta shout out--but your bein' on the side of conscience heartens me no end Karen--thank you THANK YOU!
I'll add re. the cool folks that are punchin' fists up as staunch anti-zionists an' callers of "genocide"--nearly all've 'em refuse ta learn the hist'ry of the land--they are tired havin' had ta learn too much 'bout "covid-con" so they TRUST THE EXPERTS (like Glenn, Max, etc) on Israel. I've seen ta my gob-smacked face them even quotin' fringe rabbies like the Netueri Karta (every normal chew knows these are nut-cases--they say they represent jews but are same as sayin' Idi Amin represents Ugandans!)--they cheer on the death of Israel and march WITH Hamas (not just Palestine). Brother Nathael Kapner is vile an' also a nutcase vastly quoted. Folks KNOW there are ministers that are nuts but sadly we chews have some (not many) insane rabbis too... THESE are those that are now promoted and nobuddy listens to those of us that speak up sayin' these men are nuts--an' their rhetoric is not common at all. Only the anti-zionist rabbis are given space while the others are nearly ignored. I'll add too that I think Schmuley Boteach is like an OP--he's reviled among all jews I know as an "embarrassement" an' I think he was forced on RFK Jr. as a means ta tarnish Bobby an' distance him from voters that saw the "kosher sex man" as a nutcase --many chews say WHY oh WHY is this man on Bobby's team???? So the bottom line is what'cha say--these "uplifted" voices of fringe jewish rabbis are not the norm, most of us wouldn't've even known about these fringe nutcases had their voices not been embraced by the "anti-zionists"
Two more points:
Satmars DO live like it's 1790 but many don't know that they and other ultra orthodox are not AT ALL AGAINST Israel being a Jewish state--nope, they just think it's happened "TOO SOON" an' not by religious means. They believe in the Jewish Messiah--a human leader (they dunno who or when) who will LEAD The Jews to Israel. So their grip is only against the "premature" 1948 situation that "by treaty" (not by Messiah) a zionist Jewish state was created. So they DO feel Israel should be FOR Jews, just that it was gotten too early without a messiah. BIG difference most don't know about since they all cite the Ultra Orthodox as havin' this anti-zionist take. If we remove the word zionist--yes, even these ultra orthodox mean for Israel to be for the Jewish people. Also, there are zionist ultra-orthodox too, many living in Israel! Some that spoke out against the Jewish state prior to 1948 changed their tune. I once wrote (truthfully) that it's beyond my "pay grade" to sort that part out but my stance is whether or not it wuz meant to be sooner or later doesn't matter because it IS already so I want it ta stand.
One more point--all the anti-zionists don't distinguish 'tween political zionism (which has a lotta added baggage an' deep-state swampy stuff) an' the "plain" definition of Zionism--zion being Israel and a home for Jews period full stop. The LATTER is whut most chews there an' in the diaspora know about! (Most of us had no idear who Balfour or Jabotinsky were even a few years ago...we ALL are learnin') By conflatin' the two types of zionism, we get the unified anti-zionist hate group that's taken over all conversations ta the point of insanity...
WHEW that's a lot!
My wrap up is that tho' I'm no fan of NetAnYoohoo even while bein' pro-Israel. As a leader he's as corrupt as they come imho--but there have been worse in the world outside of Israel (as we all know)--except mebbe the kids in Mao t-shirts don't know? But only Israel has been subject to such scrutiny--includin' the call to arrest BBGun. oy! YES too many lives lost in Gaza--every child is precious (even littles that are trained ta kill chews!)--but for him ta give up an' cease is also insanely self-destructive. Doin' battle with far more precision (NOT AI!) might be a way forward... not my wheelhouse of course... Israel needs ta show what they DO do to spare lives--most don't see that either. (sigh again)
We "chews of conscience" who love Israel an' are not fond of it's leaders or murder done in the name of the jews wring our hands--we have consciences pained an' know that we have no more power to help remedy things there than we who are AmeriCONS have in the US. ("Go USA" has waaay more blood on its hands than Israel). That BBGun regrettably caters to the extreme is not good, that his rhetoric is vile is true (it's hurt Israel an' all chews as a result)--an' yup, he's acted (wrongly) on revenge (after helping in the sacrifice of the Israelis to clot-shots & green passes)--AND I DO think 10/7 was an "inside job"--a war crime in itself.
BUT I can support the country (just as I can support the USA with our own 9/11 inside job) an' not one ego-maniacal leader no? Bush-fam were arguably more evil... ('nuther tale fer another time). Heck, I just larned Ben Franklin had thousands of bodies buried on his property--Mason, possibly some kinda Satanist--and YET our country was founded in part thanks ta his brilliance an' diplomacy --- Leaders have worse than clay feet--ones of all faiths too!
Sharin' again my own take on the fall of Israel and Iran takin' over all western "democracies" (however fallen we may be now--folks don't know it could be far worse...)
I stand with Israel (even while denouncin' BBGun) an' with ALL THE WOMEN. (I know very nifty strong Israeli women!) and I send ya more blessin's an' grattytude Karen. One day I sure hope folk'll realize what they're cheerin' for... as in "careful what'cha wish for..."
Have a nice holly-day--here in NewYawk boonies we got pourin' rain after daze of chemtrails but we'll still make "lemonade" outta them lemons!
Thank you for all of this wisdom. It is such a huge topic and impossible to cover everything. Like you say, and as I pointed out, people find their pundits and listen to them and that's it. They will not stray. They will not listen to history or anything, no matter how logical. 😢 I have very bad Internet here for another week or so, so glad I can respond!
shucks 'n thanks--grateful fer yer wisdom back--an' also gotta be grateful fer any "innertubes" now. We get funky connections now in the boonies too--back in The Rotten Apple connections were great but we were bathed in 5g. I hate the idear that those "in power" can control our power (electrically speakin') and our connections... fiber optics are safe but they pulled the plug on that tech as no emfs...? No IOT with the fios. These innertubes, a DARPA weapon that was invented to be used against us--oh the irony!--has been a blessin' (clearly in disguise)--so here's ta internet while we "can!" So appreciate yer answers!
People on the progressive left must not recognize extreme right when they see/hear it. Fundamentalist ideology (religious or otherwise) is considered extreme right, no?
If you really want to understand this war, I encourage you to read Mosab Hassan Yousef's book, Son of Hamas to understand. He is the oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas. I've written other essays on this topic as well, but he says it better than anyone else because of who he is.
Here is a statement from Mosab:
Instead of validating and justifying the "Palestinian" violent resistance, the pro "Palestine" movement should focus its efforts on helping their new friends to adopt a nonviolent resistance.
70 years of "Palestinian" revenge and hatred brought us to this dark place. More revenge will lead to retaliation and the cycle of violence will go on for eternity.
If the Westerners don't want to see more bloodshed then they should help their new "Palestinian" friends to think like Gandhi. The solution is in coexistence, nonviolence, and normalization.
Blaming and delegitimizing Israel has been the "Palestinian" approach for decades, instead of falling into their trap, help them get out of it!
Enforcing a hostile and violent "Palestinian" state will not solve the problem.
Legitimizing the "Palestinian" cause should never be at the expense of an existing sovereign and developed state. This logic could lead to a regional and possibly a global war.
The new generation of "Palestinians" must learn from the mistakes of their ancestors.
Disarming "Palestinians" is a priority. This is what the IDF is doing in Gaza and the West Bank. A global effort of deradicalization must follow.
Financial and political support for "Palestinians" should be conditional. They must choose between aid or Violence. They can't have both.
The unconditional support for "Palestine" has been directly and indirectly contributing to violence.
There is no ‘book’, nor person on this planet that could convince me that it is ok to slaughter tens of thousands of unarmed innocent women and children (and now in their tents)! And I can tell you that apart from the depraved western backers of Zionism, the Global Majority agrees with me. Consider me unsubscribed. Goodbye.
I don't know anyone who celebrated the slaughter of innocent civilians except Hamas. They even celebrate the slaughter of their own people who they use for pawns in a game. Hamas has vowed to not stop until every Jew is exterminated, using Palestinians as human shields. Please direct your outrage at Hamas. I find it quite incredible that never do I hear those who throw their hatred at Israel condemn the root of the problem. Hamas.
Oh goodness a global majority. The Palestinians have had plenty of opportunity to build a better future for themselves. All they have to show for it is a population of brow beaten women and suicide bombers. It will be no loss.
What a stupid logic - siding with Isreal because you oppose Iran? Only because someone opposing the ideological "bad" guy, doesn't mean their ideological enemies are the "good" guys. They are both war-mongering aggressive oppressive horrible systems, as is Hamas, and this kind of thinking and chosing sides creates more conflict and war.
Today 35 bombs fell in Israel from Hezbollah and the only reason why thousands do not die is because they defend themselves. With your logic, I guess when the bombs fall on your head you will say oh, I refuse to be a warmonger so I will do nothing to defend myself. Hamas started five wars with Israel but I guess Israel is a warmonger for fighting back. It is very easy to sit safely and theorize when you are not in that situation. If you really want to understand this war, read Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef.
Also, I find it the height of arrogant ignorance to tell Iranians who are being tortured and killed in their country for standing for freedom that they should not identify with Israel and the victims of Oct 7th because you know better than them.
I don't tell Iranians anything - maybe you have to read my comment again. Identifying with Israel or the vicitims of Oct 7th won't d anything for tortured Iranians. All three parties in this conflict are out of control and this argument - Hamas started it all - is also stupid. Of course they started this horrible attrocity. But many things happened before. Where do you start? Maybe 3000 years ago when some of the Jews thought God has chosen them? Or 1400 years ago when Mohamed founded Islam? Honestly, I have no idea and I don't care and I don't take any sides. I am not the one proposing we should pick one of the three mad systems as the better one. All I know that they are killing each other for much too long and it is the ordinary people that suffer. Making Israel the good guys just doesn't work anymore - can you not see that? Anyway, I don't convince you. You are entitled to your opinion. It won't change a damn thing. Powerful people want war and they get war and the the masses always suffer.
Ito be clear, you didn't say I understand how Iranians who are tortured killed for standing against an oppressive regime would identify with the victims of Oct 7th and with Israel, however, I think it's stupid. You said it was stupid to think that way.
And if course, I agree 💯 that war is horrible and it's the rich and powerful who benefit and the ordinary citizens who suffer. Who would not agree with this. I write about it often.
That does not discount the fact that if bombs are falling on your head, you expect your government to protect you. These are simple realities.
But on a deeper level, if you do not believe there is a spiritual battle, if you do not believe in good and evil and a battle between God and Satan, then of course, it is all stupid. For myself, I believe nothing will ever change until man acknowledges his spiritual condition and separation from God. That is where the heart of the matter lies and that is why nothing ever changes.
I appreciate the dialogue, as I also believe we need to keep lines of communication open.
30 years ago, a new outlet did and experiment....they sent a refund checque over $1.11 to 56 very wealthy people, including Donald Trumps and an arms dealer......see what happened......nothing shows the greedy mindset of globocap more that this story.....as long we have people like that in power, war will be never ending......and his nothing to do with spirituality or who is right or wrong
Nice to find agreement and thanks for keeping the lines of communication open. Yes, it is a spiritual battle. But I am not a fan of the "good and evil" mantra - in my opinion these are moral terms, not spiritual terms.
I prefer desire and fear over good and evil. As long people act from a place of desire (greed) or fear (power and violence) there will be suffering and war in the world. The spirtual methods and teachings to combat this can be taught and encouraged on a social level and have been for thousands of years. But ultimately, each of us has to do the work internally. And it needs a critical mass of people doing so to change power structures and the culture of greed, power and fear.
If we side with any party in a conflict, we fuel and prolong the conflict.
It is very similar than being a good parent when our children fighting with each other. Good parenting doesn't mean we side with one of them because we never reallly know what caused the fight and who is right and wrong here. What they need is an adulat in the room that says: "You stop fighting now." and you take them apart until they calmed down without trying to solve the problem.
Only when they are calm again, they will be able to consider their strong emotions that led to the fight. We can gently help them with that too - each on their own until they understand their deeper pain. Then they can let go of some of it or sometimes all of it. And then they can start are more respectful relationship.
No one is wrong or right in the Middle Eastern conflict, no one is good or evil either. They are emotionally charged children fighting with each other and they have unhelpful, greedy, violent parents that fuel the conflict because the parent profit from the conflict, or think they profit from it, to be more precise.
So, the voices of those who live in the region, in particular those women of Iran who have been tortured and killed and who stand with Israel because they actually understand what Israel is fighting for, is just propaganda?
If you really want to understand this war, I encourage you to read Mosab Hassan Yousef's book, Son of Hamas to understand. He is the oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas. I've written other essays on this topic as well, but he says it better than anyone else because of who he is.
Here is a statement from Mosab:
Instead of validating and justifying the "Palestinian" violent resistance, the pro "Palestine" movement should focus its efforts on helping their new friends to adopt a nonviolent resistance.
70 years of "Palestinian" revenge and hatred brought us to this dark place. More revenge will lead to retaliation and the cycle of violence will go on for eternity.
If the Westerners don't want to see more bloodshed then they should help their new "Palestinian" friends to think like Gandhi. The solution is in coexistence, nonviolence, and normalization.
Blaming and delegitimizing Israel has been the "Palestinian" approach for decades, instead of falling into their trap, help them get out of it!
Enforcing a hostile and violent "Palestinian" state will not solve the problem.
Legitimizing the "Palestinian" cause should never be at the expense of an existing sovereign and developed state. This logic could lead to a regional and possibly a global war.
The new generation of "Palestinians" must learn from the mistakes of their ancestors.
Disarming "Palestinians" is a priority. This is what the IDF is doing in Gaza and the West Bank. A global effort of deradicalization must follow.
Financial and political support for "Palestinians" should be conditional. They must choose between aid or Violence. They can't have both.
The unconditional support for "Palestine" has been directly and indirectly contributing to violence.
I don’t find, despite the content of this article, any reason why I should be moved to support Israeli actions against civilians in Gaza.
I am instead led to think of a Russian friend who thought Pinochet’s Chile must be the coolest place to escape to, as an alternative to remaining in mid 1980’s USSR. Nothing is ever as black and white as it appears. Thanks for the article, all the same.
If you really want to understand this war, I encourage you to read Mosab Hassan Yousef's book, Son of Hamas to understand. He is the oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas. I've written other essays on this topic as well, but he says it better than anyone else because of who he is.
Here is a statement from Mosab:
Instead of validating and justifying the "Palestinian" violent resistance, the pro "Palestine" movement should focus its efforts on helping their new friends to adopt a nonviolent resistance.
70 years of "Palestinian" revenge and hatred brought us to this dark place. More revenge will lead to retaliation and the cycle of violence will go on for eternity.
If the Westerners don't want to see more bloodshed then they should help their new "Palestinian" friends to think like Gandhi. The solution is in coexistence, nonviolence, and normalization.
Blaming and delegitimizing Israel has been the "Palestinian" approach for decades, instead of falling into their trap, help them get out of it!
Enforcing a hostile and violent "Palestinian" state will not solve the problem.
Legitimizing the "Palestinian" cause should never be at the expense of an existing sovereign and developed state. This logic could lead to a regional and possibly a global war.
The new generation of "Palestinians" must learn from the mistakes of their ancestors.
Disarming "Palestinians" is a priority. This is what the IDF is doing in Gaza and the West Bank. A global effort of deradicalization must follow.
Financial and political support for "Palestinians" should be conditional. They must choose between aid or Violence. They can't have both.
The unconditional support for "Palestine" has been directly and indirectly contributing to violence.
"The unconditional support for "Palestine" has been directly and indirectly contributing to violence."
Just as the unconditional support for Israel is directly and indirectly contributing to violence...
I can and do hold the position that both sides have acted and continue to act reprehensibly, and I will support neither. My sympathies instead lie both with the innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians who are victims of this violence. You seem to be holding the position that there are no innocent Palestinians at all, which is a dehumanizing attack that will justify all manner of evil. Someone who gives blanket support to Jews should know better.
It is heartbreaking to see the innocent victims on both sides. No decent human being would say there are no innocent Palestinians. First and foremost, their oppressors are Hamas and a religion of extremism. The quote above is from Mosab Hassan Yousef, the person who I would say understands Hamas, the Palestinian people and the Israeli response better than anyone else--from a Palestinian perspective. That's why I quote him and I hope people who want to understand the war will read his book or at least listen to some of his talks. What is especially good about the talk I link here is that he answers questions at the end. His talk in this video starts at about 10 minutes in. https://youtu.be/6M---E9V9wg?si=csB4XExQk0Ypmpq5
Do you think the current IDF bombing campaign and displacement of millions of innocent Palestinians is helping or hindering their de-radicalization? Similarly, if a Palestinian refugee camp is subject to that bombing campaign, is retaliation against Israel justified?
If we really care to zoom out, we might notice that 99% of humanity are pawns on the chessboard, pushed in one direction or another by money powers. We continue to allow ourselves to be used as tools in agendas that we aren’t privy to.
I have no desire to dig that deep in the gutter. Your explanations are one more proof of how far people will go to justify their Jew hatred. Truth doesn't care about your desperate theories.
I will just add that you might want to review the definition of Pharisaism:
the doctrine or practices of the Pharisees, especially strict observance of the traditional and written law.
"Paul became a convert from Pharisaism"
This second definition might well apply to you:
the quality of being self-righteous or hypocritical.
"to place a heavier expectation on others than on ourselves is Pharisaism"
Karen, a friend recently sent me a link to Amir, raised a Muslim, raised to hate chews, a man who did a 360--an Arab who lives in Sweden--who speaks out against Islamism very movingly. (The ONLY things he doesn't know about are Henry Kissinger (rotten globalist war criminal) AND the jabs...sigh...so we disregard what he says about the war criminal an' that gawd-awful compliment about Israel bein' first in covid-jabbery (eek!) but the rest is nice ta hear:
https://amirpars.substack.com/p/confessions-of-a-former-antisemite
https://amirpars.substack.com/p/suicide-by-islam-part-1
https://amirpars.substack.com/p/islamophobia-the-lie-that-refuses
....shoutin' out there with ya!
I actually quoted Amir in one of my previous essays. He is very inspiring.
apologies for missin' it--I do miss stuff an' sometimes skim a bit in tryin' ta "ketchup!" ;-)
one of his articles briefly addressed child marriage--I knew it existed under Islam but had NO CLUE it was one in five girls--down from one in three. lordy!
Perhaps you can address this at some pernt in a stand-alone (?) as it's shockin' this is so in the 21st C.
Hard fer me ta believe that AmeriKans are cheerin' on a culture that would have little girls marry old men... Then again, I see how many mamas willin'ly took their little ta adult-content sexual drag time story hour... so mebbe they DO want their littles treated like property fer the lust of adults?! I cannot imagine... Are they just DUMB? Anywho... the statistics are jaw-droppin'!
https://www.unicef.org/mena/media/2641/file/MENA-ChildMarriageReport.pdf.pdf
Agin' thanks fer all ya do! (on behalf of our daughters too!)
It's quite shocking that child marriage is currently legal in 41 states in the US1. Only Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont have set the minimum age at 18 and eliminated all exceptions1. 20 U.S. states do not require any minimum age for marriage, with a parental or judicial waiver. https://equalitynow.org/learn_more_child_marriage_us/
The Middle East is a mess that I can't fully understand. I stand with no country, not even the US. I love my country but despise our government, and all government everywhere. i do not need or want a master. I do stand for freedom and the sovereign individual; all the people who just want to live and be left alone.
I get what you're saying. All governments are corrupt, I have written plenty criticizing our government and Israel's. However, having lived under communism in Yugoslavia and under Sharia Law in Egypt, I can tell you some governments are preferable to others. It would be nice if people were left alone, but they aren't. If war comes to your country, you at least expect your government to protect you. The reality of war is very different from theoretically talking about it. Unfortunately, the world is a violent place. If you want to understand the Middle East better, I encourage you to read Mosab Hassan Yousef's book, Son of Hamas.
It’s a courageous article and yet I am worried it will fall on deaf ears. The mob-hatred against Jews is as illogical, rampant and infectious as the hatred against DJT. Normal conversations and nuances with people who harbour different opinions are simply not possible. This is especially true for people who have never lived or experienced realities on the ground (I have - You have) in the Middle East. It’s a toxic mix of projection, ignorance and lack of self-enquiry. I am very glad you mentioned Yasmin Mohammed and her book “Unveiled”. Unfortunately these days people don’t read books anymore and engage in short TG and TikTok videos that simplify an incredibly complex issue (on both sides m, mind you), and where CCP algorithms via TikTok have done their utmost to foster anti-Israel (=America) propaganda.
The other day I was insulted three times in a row by a Substacker simply because I had dared asking why a) the world is hyper fixated on Israeli crimes and Israeli crimes alone, and b) why people aren’t treating Palestinians as adults in the room, giving them agency and holding them accountable for their incessant warfare against Jews. Boy… it was a near verbal killing! “No shred of humanity, bowing to my Zionist masters”… The truth is no one disputes the horrors in Gaza, and certainly the IDF needs to be held accountable for incessant and unnecessary bombing that is a de facto revenge porn. Nevertheless they are doing the dirty work for the Gazans themselves to be potentially rid of Hamas to actually enjoy some shred of freedom, and for the ‘moderate’ Arab countries that are scared shitless Hamas may start riling up their populations and shake their own comfortable power pyramids.
The one question no one answered so far: what would have been the ethical and moral response to Oct 7th? Sit back and trust the UN to sort it out? Negotiate 10,000 freed prisoners?
Further on the Alt Media, there are a lot of good people who have done a lot of research on Israel’s dirty Deep State, and it is worth noting rogue elements have their fingers in many different dirty pies. But this incessant Deep State / Globalist talk has become a confirmation bias hammer by which everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - gets blamed on the Jews / Zionists / Israelis. The ultimate projection field, so that everywhere else in the world the dirty show by multiple super dirty actors and factions can go on unhindered whilst the world continues to exorcise its own demons over the Jewish back. It’s a sad state of affairs, last but not least because Hamas basically initiated a mass sacrifice of their own people, counting on the world to fall for the trick that ‘they are actually the victims’.
Agree 💯.
They have answered the question of what Israel should have done after Oct 7th--invited the terrorists in because it's their own fault as evil Zionists. There is no arguing in a rational manner with those who simply hate Jews. They cannot see their own fixation. They think they are on the moral high ground.
Yasmine Mohammed will be interviewing me on her podcast November 1st about my experiences in Luxor, Egypt and I am really looking forward to it..
Oh that’s great news you will be on the podcast! So much good info being shared there. Please link it here for everyone when the times comes - many could benefit from the voices being made public there.
I will definitely let everyone know.
Well done!
It's amazing what deep propagandist work and subversion can be done in 23 years (9/11 to now). Obama did amazing work, in turning the temperament of the country on it's head, as he brought in Iranian state operatives to populate key roles in the American government. Since then you can watch the capture, just in our foreign policy inactions and the DOJ shift to protectorate, of all things muslim.
It's no surprise that Westerners have flocked to support of hamas, like moths to a flame. They are, in the most cowardly of senses, LARPing their way through this. It's a video game to them, as mentioned in the article, but this time they get to actually participate knowing there is none of the consequence and all of the false and fake glory, to be had.
You made me think that Western women who're for hamas and palisitneians, should be asked when they plan to have their muslim leaders cut their clitorises off?? After all, if they support these oppressed and victimize people and their feminist religion, then they should be happy to show their fealty and commitment, by submitting themselves to the requirements of the culture they're fighting for.
I think the counter protesters should pass out fliers with pictures of the mutilations with the caption, "this is what you support."
Ask the mothers out there, on the protest lines, when they plan on cutting off their daughter's genitals.
it's easy to spend someone else's money, freedom, liberty and life. It's only when you have to pay the bill, that things become real and these sjw scumbags crawl back under their rocks.
You absolutely are on point. You know what's going on. It's so obvious yet people refuse to see. 🙏
Yes they do and it' a choice.
Keep bringing the truth and insights, it not for naught, but you know this.
Karen, I'm glad you are out there in the world, reading your words keeps me sane. Thanks, this was an exceptional piece of writing. The madness just keeps growing, it's like another virus.
🙏
Thank you, Karen. Praying for you as you continue to be a sane, intelligent, strong, knowledgeable, well-spoken voice for those whose “silent screams” cry out for justice, and for those who bravely stand against the evil that is so invasive in this world. May God strengthen their bodies and rescue their souls. And may we and many, many others join you, never cowering, in this fight. God has plans for Israel that we cannot completely understand yet, but we can read about in Old and New Testament Biblical prophecy, and He hears the cries of the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the oppressed. We do well to heed this and stand together for righteousness especially in these increasingly evil times 🙏
Btw, Jesus said many times that many “would have eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear”…ie, they choose to wallow in their own ignorance, or some who simply refuse to accept the Truth. One day all eyes will be opened and all knees will bow, whether they plan or choose to now or not. Sad will be that day for those who oppose His people. 💔
Thank you Judy.
Sendin' ya a virtual hug fer all yer efforts Karen.
It pains me ta know all the "beautiful pea-pull" cheerin' on the death of Israel in favor of a world they've never known, the one ya depict so movingly here--a world that might be their undoin'!
Good map ya share too--few folks know that many maps that depict Israel owning the lion's share of so-called native Palestinian land are false--some areas on those maps are full out desert no-man's lands--I don't have a link but many have totally shown how those maps have been falsely constructed ta fool the masses (fooled they are!)
On your map ya see "little" Israel in proportion to the Arab nations (unlike "chews" Arab peoples includin' "Palestinians" have no genetic differences and their self-determination is based on 20thC land constructs vs (as ya know) the jews who were in the land for thousands of years...sigh). Few know that Israel actually left Gaza in 2005 -- fully withdrew an' only policed the borders b/c Hamas kept attackin' them--would you not put up a fence if folks were hurlin' bombs (however lame) over it? At least 10K jews who had lived in Gaza all their lives were forced out by the IDF based on the agreement. Most folks don't know that Gaza AND the West Bank were originally "given to" Israel in 1948. YES there were greedy globalists behind all the land divisions--but most folks have no clue that this was all Jewish holy land from time immemorial--
This fella--a Muslim--sets the record (wreck-herd!) straight:
Muslim Scholar: "Israel was always the original land of the Jews."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbOKDxb-u7U
Folks jus' don't wanna believe it. Israel didn't steal land--did the Brits? Ahhh... that's anunther story--they certainly "conquered" the land (go see Lawrence of Arabia, right?!) But all land not "gifted" to The Jewish State (however unethically by the Brits /Balfour who divested themselfs from the Ottoman Empire an' had Rothschild's as their eyes on the Middle East....) was bought and paid for--I repeat, land was not stolen, there are receipts none of the fist bumpers wanna see.
Arab leaders (skeered by some up on top in the Arab world) told other Arabs to abandon their farms & land. NOT Israel. Now they want it back--it's complicated. The Nakba was not (as many think) the genocide of 3/4 million Arabs--nope, it's true that many were moved out on land "gifted" by the Brits, bought by Israel fare & square (actually the Arab sheiks pocketed the profits from the people who were forbidden to sell the land direct so they sold it to Israel on their behalf at inflated prices Israel paid)... an' then there was indeed land abandoned. But there was no "Nakba Genocide."
Also, nobody talks 'bout all the "chews" that had to leave THEIR land, their homes all over the Middle East after 1948, b/c it was now designated ta be exclusively Arab territory--hundreds of thousands I've read! Talk about "ethnic cleansing"... But nobody wants to know this history. Sidin' with "chews" just ain't kool now.
(cont'd in part 2 below as it sez I gotta shorten commentS)
So many "pund-ditz" are the bee-u-tee-ful people like Caitlyn Johnstone or even fool chews like Glenn Greenwald & Max Blumenthal--just as clueless as this fool rabbi ya quote. Glenn's own husband got killed by the clot shot but he never owned that--it's tragic--an' yet folks trust him on Israel even knowin' folks were blinders. I know why--many "chews" afraid to speak up do so in fear--they will not be accepted by their peers if they don't toe the line... Sad but I git it--
Do you know the lovely story called "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes & illustrated by the GREAT Louis Slobodkin? (both chews ha ha)... It's about a whole class that is cruel to an' disbelieves a poor girl who says she has 100 dresses... she wasn't lying--she drew them all! beautifully! But that ta me is also the story of all the girls sidin' with the bullies--the popular bullies--in "hazing" the one girl Wanda so badly the fambly had to move / leave. If yer grandkids are old enuf Karen, share this'un with them--it's one'a my favorites an' of course... illustration is part of it. But this is the idear of an entire class sidin' unfairly an' attackin' an' teasing one small child--one voice of truth. One girl has "regrets" later an' befriends Wanda...she is our narrator, our conscience.
Some of us "chews" are tryin' ta shout out--but your bein' on the side of conscience heartens me no end Karen--thank you THANK YOU!
I'll add re. the cool folks that are punchin' fists up as staunch anti-zionists an' callers of "genocide"--nearly all've 'em refuse ta learn the hist'ry of the land--they are tired havin' had ta learn too much 'bout "covid-con" so they TRUST THE EXPERTS (like Glenn, Max, etc) on Israel. I've seen ta my gob-smacked face them even quotin' fringe rabbies like the Netueri Karta (every normal chew knows these are nut-cases--they say they represent jews but are same as sayin' Idi Amin represents Ugandans!)--they cheer on the death of Israel and march WITH Hamas (not just Palestine). Brother Nathael Kapner is vile an' also a nutcase vastly quoted. Folks KNOW there are ministers that are nuts but sadly we chews have some (not many) insane rabbis too... THESE are those that are now promoted and nobuddy listens to those of us that speak up sayin' these men are nuts--an' their rhetoric is not common at all. Only the anti-zionist rabbis are given space while the others are nearly ignored. I'll add too that I think Schmuley Boteach is like an OP--he's reviled among all jews I know as an "embarrassement" an' I think he was forced on RFK Jr. as a means ta tarnish Bobby an' distance him from voters that saw the "kosher sex man" as a nutcase --many chews say WHY oh WHY is this man on Bobby's team???? So the bottom line is what'cha say--these "uplifted" voices of fringe jewish rabbis are not the norm, most of us wouldn't've even known about these fringe nutcases had their voices not been embraced by the "anti-zionists"
Two more points:
Satmars DO live like it's 1790 but many don't know that they and other ultra orthodox are not AT ALL AGAINST Israel being a Jewish state--nope, they just think it's happened "TOO SOON" an' not by religious means. They believe in the Jewish Messiah--a human leader (they dunno who or when) who will LEAD The Jews to Israel. So their grip is only against the "premature" 1948 situation that "by treaty" (not by Messiah) a zionist Jewish state was created. So they DO feel Israel should be FOR Jews, just that it was gotten too early without a messiah. BIG difference most don't know about since they all cite the Ultra Orthodox as havin' this anti-zionist take. If we remove the word zionist--yes, even these ultra orthodox mean for Israel to be for the Jewish people. Also, there are zionist ultra-orthodox too, many living in Israel! Some that spoke out against the Jewish state prior to 1948 changed their tune. I once wrote (truthfully) that it's beyond my "pay grade" to sort that part out but my stance is whether or not it wuz meant to be sooner or later doesn't matter because it IS already so I want it ta stand.
One more point--all the anti-zionists don't distinguish 'tween political zionism (which has a lotta added baggage an' deep-state swampy stuff) an' the "plain" definition of Zionism--zion being Israel and a home for Jews period full stop. The LATTER is whut most chews there an' in the diaspora know about! (Most of us had no idear who Balfour or Jabotinsky were even a few years ago...we ALL are learnin') By conflatin' the two types of zionism, we get the unified anti-zionist hate group that's taken over all conversations ta the point of insanity...
WHEW that's a lot!
My wrap up is that tho' I'm no fan of NetAnYoohoo even while bein' pro-Israel. As a leader he's as corrupt as they come imho--but there have been worse in the world outside of Israel (as we all know)--except mebbe the kids in Mao t-shirts don't know? But only Israel has been subject to such scrutiny--includin' the call to arrest BBGun. oy! YES too many lives lost in Gaza--every child is precious (even littles that are trained ta kill chews!)--but for him ta give up an' cease is also insanely self-destructive. Doin' battle with far more precision (NOT AI!) might be a way forward... not my wheelhouse of course... Israel needs ta show what they DO do to spare lives--most don't see that either. (sigh again)
We "chews of conscience" who love Israel an' are not fond of it's leaders or murder done in the name of the jews wring our hands--we have consciences pained an' know that we have no more power to help remedy things there than we who are AmeriCONS have in the US. ("Go USA" has waaay more blood on its hands than Israel). That BBGun regrettably caters to the extreme is not good, that his rhetoric is vile is true (it's hurt Israel an' all chews as a result)--an' yup, he's acted (wrongly) on revenge (after helping in the sacrifice of the Israelis to clot-shots & green passes)--AND I DO think 10/7 was an "inside job"--a war crime in itself.
BUT I can support the country (just as I can support the USA with our own 9/11 inside job) an' not one ego-maniacal leader no? Bush-fam were arguably more evil... ('nuther tale fer another time). Heck, I just larned Ben Franklin had thousands of bodies buried on his property--Mason, possibly some kinda Satanist--and YET our country was founded in part thanks ta his brilliance an' diplomacy --- Leaders have worse than clay feet--ones of all faiths too!
Sharin' again my own take on the fall of Israel and Iran takin' over all western "democracies" (however fallen we may be now--folks don't know it could be far worse...)
https://thcsofdaisymoses.substack.com/p/if-israel-falls-we-are-next
I stand with Israel (even while denouncin' BBGun) an' with ALL THE WOMEN. (I know very nifty strong Israeli women!) and I send ya more blessin's an' grattytude Karen. One day I sure hope folk'll realize what they're cheerin' for... as in "careful what'cha wish for..."
Have a nice holly-day--here in NewYawk boonies we got pourin' rain after daze of chemtrails but we'll still make "lemonade" outta them lemons!
Thank you for all of this wisdom. It is such a huge topic and impossible to cover everything. Like you say, and as I pointed out, people find their pundits and listen to them and that's it. They will not stray. They will not listen to history or anything, no matter how logical. 😢 I have very bad Internet here for another week or so, so glad I can respond!
shucks 'n thanks--grateful fer yer wisdom back--an' also gotta be grateful fer any "innertubes" now. We get funky connections now in the boonies too--back in The Rotten Apple connections were great but we were bathed in 5g. I hate the idear that those "in power" can control our power (electrically speakin') and our connections... fiber optics are safe but they pulled the plug on that tech as no emfs...? No IOT with the fios. These innertubes, a DARPA weapon that was invented to be used against us--oh the irony!--has been a blessin' (clearly in disguise)--so here's ta internet while we "can!" So appreciate yer answers!
People on the progressive left must not recognize extreme right when they see/hear it. Fundamentalist ideology (religious or otherwise) is considered extreme right, no?
It’s quite simple……you support genocide or you don’t!
If you really want to understand this war, I encourage you to read Mosab Hassan Yousef's book, Son of Hamas to understand. He is the oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas. I've written other essays on this topic as well, but he says it better than anyone else because of who he is.
Here is a statement from Mosab:
Instead of validating and justifying the "Palestinian" violent resistance, the pro "Palestine" movement should focus its efforts on helping their new friends to adopt a nonviolent resistance.
70 years of "Palestinian" revenge and hatred brought us to this dark place. More revenge will lead to retaliation and the cycle of violence will go on for eternity.
If the Westerners don't want to see more bloodshed then they should help their new "Palestinian" friends to think like Gandhi. The solution is in coexistence, nonviolence, and normalization.
Blaming and delegitimizing Israel has been the "Palestinian" approach for decades, instead of falling into their trap, help them get out of it!
Enforcing a hostile and violent "Palestinian" state will not solve the problem.
Legitimizing the "Palestinian" cause should never be at the expense of an existing sovereign and developed state. This logic could lead to a regional and possibly a global war.
The new generation of "Palestinians" must learn from the mistakes of their ancestors.
Disarming "Palestinians" is a priority. This is what the IDF is doing in Gaza and the West Bank. A global effort of deradicalization must follow.
Financial and political support for "Palestinians" should be conditional. They must choose between aid or Violence. They can't have both.
The unconditional support for "Palestine" has been directly and indirectly contributing to violence.
Karen,
There is no ‘book’, nor person on this planet that could convince me that it is ok to slaughter tens of thousands of unarmed innocent women and children (and now in their tents)! And I can tell you that apart from the depraved western backers of Zionism, the Global Majority agrees with me. Consider me unsubscribed. Goodbye.
Milan
I don't know anyone who celebrated the slaughter of innocent civilians except Hamas. They even celebrate the slaughter of their own people who they use for pawns in a game. Hamas has vowed to not stop until every Jew is exterminated, using Palestinians as human shields. Please direct your outrage at Hamas. I find it quite incredible that never do I hear those who throw their hatred at Israel condemn the root of the problem. Hamas.
Oh goodness a global majority. The Palestinians have had plenty of opportunity to build a better future for themselves. All they have to show for it is a population of brow beaten women and suicide bombers. It will be no loss.
👋🏼
What a stupid logic - siding with Isreal because you oppose Iran? Only because someone opposing the ideological "bad" guy, doesn't mean their ideological enemies are the "good" guys. They are both war-mongering aggressive oppressive horrible systems, as is Hamas, and this kind of thinking and chosing sides creates more conflict and war.
Today 35 bombs fell in Israel from Hezbollah and the only reason why thousands do not die is because they defend themselves. With your logic, I guess when the bombs fall on your head you will say oh, I refuse to be a warmonger so I will do nothing to defend myself. Hamas started five wars with Israel but I guess Israel is a warmonger for fighting back. It is very easy to sit safely and theorize when you are not in that situation. If you really want to understand this war, read Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef.
Also, I find it the height of arrogant ignorance to tell Iranians who are being tortured and killed in their country for standing for freedom that they should not identify with Israel and the victims of Oct 7th because you know better than them.
I don't tell Iranians anything - maybe you have to read my comment again. Identifying with Israel or the vicitims of Oct 7th won't d anything for tortured Iranians. All three parties in this conflict are out of control and this argument - Hamas started it all - is also stupid. Of course they started this horrible attrocity. But many things happened before. Where do you start? Maybe 3000 years ago when some of the Jews thought God has chosen them? Or 1400 years ago when Mohamed founded Islam? Honestly, I have no idea and I don't care and I don't take any sides. I am not the one proposing we should pick one of the three mad systems as the better one. All I know that they are killing each other for much too long and it is the ordinary people that suffer. Making Israel the good guys just doesn't work anymore - can you not see that? Anyway, I don't convince you. You are entitled to your opinion. It won't change a damn thing. Powerful people want war and they get war and the the masses always suffer.
Ito be clear, you didn't say I understand how Iranians who are tortured killed for standing against an oppressive regime would identify with the victims of Oct 7th and with Israel, however, I think it's stupid. You said it was stupid to think that way.
And if course, I agree 💯 that war is horrible and it's the rich and powerful who benefit and the ordinary citizens who suffer. Who would not agree with this. I write about it often.
That does not discount the fact that if bombs are falling on your head, you expect your government to protect you. These are simple realities.
But on a deeper level, if you do not believe there is a spiritual battle, if you do not believe in good and evil and a battle between God and Satan, then of course, it is all stupid. For myself, I believe nothing will ever change until man acknowledges his spiritual condition and separation from God. That is where the heart of the matter lies and that is why nothing ever changes.
I appreciate the dialogue, as I also believe we need to keep lines of communication open.
And right on cue to the greed culture mentioned below, see this article by Racket News:
https://www.racket.news/p/at-trump-trial-de-niro-nails-de-niro
30 years ago, a new outlet did and experiment....they sent a refund checque over $1.11 to 56 very wealthy people, including Donald Trumps and an arms dealer......see what happened......nothing shows the greedy mindset of globocap more that this story.....as long we have people like that in power, war will be never ending......and his nothing to do with spirituality or who is right or wrong
Nice to find agreement and thanks for keeping the lines of communication open. Yes, it is a spiritual battle. But I am not a fan of the "good and evil" mantra - in my opinion these are moral terms, not spiritual terms.
I prefer desire and fear over good and evil. As long people act from a place of desire (greed) or fear (power and violence) there will be suffering and war in the world. The spirtual methods and teachings to combat this can be taught and encouraged on a social level and have been for thousands of years. But ultimately, each of us has to do the work internally. And it needs a critical mass of people doing so to change power structures and the culture of greed, power and fear.
If we side with any party in a conflict, we fuel and prolong the conflict.
It is very similar than being a good parent when our children fighting with each other. Good parenting doesn't mean we side with one of them because we never reallly know what caused the fight and who is right and wrong here. What they need is an adulat in the room that says: "You stop fighting now." and you take them apart until they calmed down without trying to solve the problem.
Only when they are calm again, they will be able to consider their strong emotions that led to the fight. We can gently help them with that too - each on their own until they understand their deeper pain. Then they can let go of some of it or sometimes all of it. And then they can start are more respectful relationship.
No one is wrong or right in the Middle Eastern conflict, no one is good or evil either. They are emotionally charged children fighting with each other and they have unhelpful, greedy, violent parents that fuel the conflict because the parent profit from the conflict, or think they profit from it, to be more precise.
🐂💩propaganda
So, the voices of those who live in the region, in particular those women of Iran who have been tortured and killed and who stand with Israel because they actually understand what Israel is fighting for, is just propaganda?
If you really want to understand this war, I encourage you to read Mosab Hassan Yousef's book, Son of Hamas to understand. He is the oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas. I've written other essays on this topic as well, but he says it better than anyone else because of who he is.
Here is a statement from Mosab:
Instead of validating and justifying the "Palestinian" violent resistance, the pro "Palestine" movement should focus its efforts on helping their new friends to adopt a nonviolent resistance.
70 years of "Palestinian" revenge and hatred brought us to this dark place. More revenge will lead to retaliation and the cycle of violence will go on for eternity.
If the Westerners don't want to see more bloodshed then they should help their new "Palestinian" friends to think like Gandhi. The solution is in coexistence, nonviolence, and normalization.
Blaming and delegitimizing Israel has been the "Palestinian" approach for decades, instead of falling into their trap, help them get out of it!
Enforcing a hostile and violent "Palestinian" state will not solve the problem.
Legitimizing the "Palestinian" cause should never be at the expense of an existing sovereign and developed state. This logic could lead to a regional and possibly a global war.
The new generation of "Palestinians" must learn from the mistakes of their ancestors.
Disarming "Palestinians" is a priority. This is what the IDF is doing in Gaza and the West Bank. A global effort of deradicalization must follow.
Financial and political support for "Palestinians" should be conditional. They must choose between aid or Violence. They can't have both.
The unconditional support for "Palestine" has been directly and indirectly contributing to violence.
I don’t find, despite the content of this article, any reason why I should be moved to support Israeli actions against civilians in Gaza.
I am instead led to think of a Russian friend who thought Pinochet’s Chile must be the coolest place to escape to, as an alternative to remaining in mid 1980’s USSR. Nothing is ever as black and white as it appears. Thanks for the article, all the same.
If you really want to understand this war, I encourage you to read Mosab Hassan Yousef's book, Son of Hamas to understand. He is the oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas. I've written other essays on this topic as well, but he says it better than anyone else because of who he is.
Here is a statement from Mosab:
Instead of validating and justifying the "Palestinian" violent resistance, the pro "Palestine" movement should focus its efforts on helping their new friends to adopt a nonviolent resistance.
70 years of "Palestinian" revenge and hatred brought us to this dark place. More revenge will lead to retaliation and the cycle of violence will go on for eternity.
If the Westerners don't want to see more bloodshed then they should help their new "Palestinian" friends to think like Gandhi. The solution is in coexistence, nonviolence, and normalization.
Blaming and delegitimizing Israel has been the "Palestinian" approach for decades, instead of falling into their trap, help them get out of it!
Enforcing a hostile and violent "Palestinian" state will not solve the problem.
Legitimizing the "Palestinian" cause should never be at the expense of an existing sovereign and developed state. This logic could lead to a regional and possibly a global war.
The new generation of "Palestinians" must learn from the mistakes of their ancestors.
Disarming "Palestinians" is a priority. This is what the IDF is doing in Gaza and the West Bank. A global effort of deradicalization must follow.
Financial and political support for "Palestinians" should be conditional. They must choose between aid or Violence. They can't have both.
The unconditional support for "Palestine" has been directly and indirectly contributing to violence.
"The unconditional support for "Palestine" has been directly and indirectly contributing to violence."
Just as the unconditional support for Israel is directly and indirectly contributing to violence...
I can and do hold the position that both sides have acted and continue to act reprehensibly, and I will support neither. My sympathies instead lie both with the innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians who are victims of this violence. You seem to be holding the position that there are no innocent Palestinians at all, which is a dehumanizing attack that will justify all manner of evil. Someone who gives blanket support to Jews should know better.
It is heartbreaking to see the innocent victims on both sides. No decent human being would say there are no innocent Palestinians. First and foremost, their oppressors are Hamas and a religion of extremism. The quote above is from Mosab Hassan Yousef, the person who I would say understands Hamas, the Palestinian people and the Israeli response better than anyone else--from a Palestinian perspective. That's why I quote him and I hope people who want to understand the war will read his book or at least listen to some of his talks. What is especially good about the talk I link here is that he answers questions at the end. His talk in this video starts at about 10 minutes in. https://youtu.be/6M---E9V9wg?si=csB4XExQk0Ypmpq5
Do you think the current IDF bombing campaign and displacement of millions of innocent Palestinians is helping or hindering their de-radicalization? Similarly, if a Palestinian refugee camp is subject to that bombing campaign, is retaliation against Israel justified?
If we really care to zoom out, we might notice that 99% of humanity are pawns on the chessboard, pushed in one direction or another by money powers. We continue to allow ourselves to be used as tools in agendas that we aren’t privy to.
I have no desire to dig that deep in the gutter. Your explanations are one more proof of how far people will go to justify their Jew hatred. Truth doesn't care about your desperate theories.
I will just add that you might want to review the definition of Pharisaism:
the doctrine or practices of the Pharisees, especially strict observance of the traditional and written law.
"Paul became a convert from Pharisaism"
This second definition might well apply to you:
the quality of being self-righteous or hypocritical.
"to place a heavier expectation on others than on ourselves is Pharisaism"
We disagree. I appreciate the conversation. I always prefer to keep comminication open. 🙏