What should Israel have done?

@stomachameleon that cartoon is deeply offensive. If you weren't intending to be offensive, then you might want to ask for the post to be taken down or edit it to remove the picture.

That cartoon was taken down by the Washington Post where it was first published for being racist and dehumanising Palestinians.

*peace, obviously

twitter.com/JCCAssociation/status/1732819317777907970

If you think they can finish Hamas by spring through indiscriminant bombing and slaughter and look forward to long term piece you are deluded.

how can Israel be a democracy when half the population are treated as second class citizens and denied their human rights?

the IDF is not a terrorist organisation

A rose by any other name…

Since Oct 7 they have ramped up illegally and violently clearing homes in the West Bank, up to and including killing residents who fight back or refuse to leave. They are destroying Gaza, actions which more and more commentators see as deliberate, done to render Gaza uninhabitable.

And of course they have killed thousands of children in the past few weeks and maimed and orphaned thousands more.

The IDF is not a terrorist organisation @WibbleWobbleFlop I think it’s important not to draw false equivalences. Israel is a legal nation - the only democracy in the Middle East and also the only country in the ME where Jews and Christians can celebrate their religious beliefs.

BUT I’m similarly non plussed - I wish Israel hadn’t responded as it did but on the other hand, Hamas are racist anti-Semitic terrorists who want to wipe all Jews from the face of the earth. Not just Israeli Jews.

im not Jewish but I have Jewish family and friends. I fear for their safety even here in Britain. I’ve seen them be racially harasssed in other countries and I find it sad that it’s now happening here.

@FreedomOfSpeechBelongToEveryone what is?

But it is true though.

Netanyahu knows his career is over, and it seems that because of that he doesn't care of any future consequences
That's a bad combination to have in the head of a state who is currently in charge of a war that is facing intense global scrutiny

I think Israel should have done exactly what it did do and to achieve peace now Hamas need to surrender .

If they don't, Israel will continue until they eliminate Hamas and the best outcome is that it's done sooner rather than later. Hopefully all be over by spring.

I'm going to come back to this and write out properly my thoughts but I think think the first thing that should have been done is Netanyahu should have been removed.
He played a part in this mess. He is corrupt, he cannot be trusted .
If he cannot be trusted with the affairs of Israel and to act in the best interest of Israeli civlians, then how does Israel expect the rest of the world to trust him to make decisions in the interest of palestinian civilians
He has shown through his actions the lengths he will go to, to preserve his own selfish interests and to hold onto his power

If many Israelis don't like and trust him, then it is more the reason for the other countries to also mistrust him.

@FreedomOfSpeechBelongToEveryone yes that's really ' hobest' and unbiased.

And yes, before anyone jumps on me, in Option A, any terrorist attacks on innocent Israeli citizens would be internationally condemned and the perpetrators sought out and punished. That should hardly need saying. But the accompanying long term strategy of winning hearts and minds would be what would achieve a more lasting stability. Children on all sides would no longer be taught to sing songs about killing their neighbours (have seen the videos, from both Gaza and Israel).

The way I see it, Israel’s long term strategy can depend upon how it sees itself going forward.

eg
Option A:
Israel is a civilised ME democracy with good relations internationally and with its neighbours. This will be very very difficult in the short and medium term. They will have to give back all the occupied and settled territories and agree to no more expansion. They will have to allow the international community to rebuild Gaza and cooperate with whatever government can be set up there with international agreement. There will admittedly be a very rough road ahead when Gaza’s current bereaved and severely traumatised children come of age, form Hamas 2 and seek revenge. Hopefully the US and the EU - but crucially also the Arab and other ME countries - will by then be willing to support Israel in weathering this. Long term, trust and good will and stability on all sides MAY eventually prevail.

Option B:
Israel will carry on pummelling Gaza until it effectively runs the place with an iron fist. It will need to continue to receive billions in defence funding from the US to ward off Hamas 2, 3, 4 and onward. In return for the cash it will function as America’s aircraft carrier in the Middle East. Everyone will go around armed and no Jewish families who have options elsewhere will want to live there long term.

Option C:
Israel goes its own way and doesn’t listen to anyone else, including the US. It takes over Gaza, becomes ever more extremist and begins to seek the territory “from the Euphrates to the Nile” that apparently a man 3000 years ago said belonged to them. Thus leading to God knows what amount of suffering and wider conflict which Israel will blame everyone else for.

UNIFIL has been a constant reminder to the Israeli public of the fecklessness of international forces in preventing an Islamist insurgent force like Hizbullah from carrying out terrorist warfare against Israel.

Interesting part of that article.....

The IDF are not terrorists. However, they are committing and have committed war crimes.

You are more than welcome to disagree. I would love to hear your opinions and what Israel should have done and should do moving forward to ensure peace and prosperity for all in the region?