Theories on why the US government are making themselves complicit in war crimes to support Israel

@Molymoly
I don't know enough about military tactics to know whether Israel is doing all it can to protect the human shields but I do know I don't support terrorists who invade, rape, mutilate, take hostages, kill civilians and take pride and joy in atrocities.

Why would people who don't agree with what Israel is doing in Gaza be supporting Hamas. Does this mean that people who support Israel agree with what they are doing?

Lying about what? They aren't lying. They just didn't know because their research is so superficial

Who are “they”?

Of course the majority of people in the UK support Israel. If they didn't they would by default support Hamas

Would they? Why?

Of course the majority of people in the UK support Israel. If they didn't they would by default support Hamas.
People don't want to shout about it because they don't want to be bullied by the Pro Palestinian lobby. Nor do they want to be associated with the terrible civilian casualties in Gaza.

How do people on MN KNOW people in the UK and the US do not support Israel? The noisy minority may, many people support Israel in both countries and do not believe the terrorist organisation Hamas’ lies.

Lying about what? They aren't lying. They just didn't know because their research is so superficial.

@SharonEllis regardless of that it is still considered under occupation because of the level of control by some.
Israel disputes this, but just because it does, it doesn't mean that those who say so are lying or that it's some form of conspiracy theory.
There are many organisations and countries who do consider Gaza as occupied

In my experience the complexity of the situation in Gaza isn't the issue. Again and again it turns out people didn't know Israel withdrew forces and settlements and does not have political control in any normal sense. That resides with Hamas because they defeated Fatah.

Do you not think @Leah5678 that it might be that, given how few 'rich and powerful'Jews there are, numerically, as I think you concede, that it's more a case of the interests of some of them (again, I suggest they dont all think the same way)aligning with US foreign policy objectives than actually driving them? Or do you see a parallel with Americans of other heritage driving US foreign policy? Rupert Murdoch is very powerful, has he advanced Australian geopolitical objectives in US foreign policy? Nigerians are among the most successful immigrants in recent times - I wonder how they are shaping US foreign policy? It's an interesting question given how Americans come from pretty much every nation in the world - who has the most influence? Or are they actually all broadly interested most in America's Strategic role?

@SharonEllis regarding the occupation of Gaza, it is not something that pro palestinians have pulled out of thin air that some are trying to portray as such.
Due to the nature and level of control of Gaza amongst other things, there are many organisations and countries who consider it occupied such as the European Union

Rich & powerful Jews, eh?

I believe you misunderstood what I said yes they're only 2.5% of the general population but if you just look at the richest most powerful Americans they make up a much higher percentage.
I must repeat before someone accuses me of antisemitism, that I don't think that's a negative thing, good for them for working so hard to get there.
And it does explain why the us supports Israel although the strategic position of Israel is also an explanation. There can be more than one reason for something

The Jewish population in the US is less than 2.5% of the total US population. Even if they were all 'prominent' and all thought the same way (which they certainly don't) it would not explain why the US supports Israel. It has a lot more to do with the strategic advantage of supporting the only democracy in the Middle East against Iran and the theocratic/dictatorial tendencies of many of the political actors in the region.

Sorry, I don't know anything sbout Sheldon Adelson - what is his legacy and its impact?

Edward Said on the other hand is one of the most important American cultural critics & public intellectuals of the last 50 years, as well as being a peace activist. He died in 2003 but his work is hugely influential beyond the academy still especially in postcolonial studies and around Israel-Palestine. We were asked for influential Palestinian-Americans. Thats why I mentioned him.

I just wanted to add another link to your post....

To argue that Gaza isn't occupied simply because there is not a military presence inside the wall is just semantics. It's been discussed and debated for years and the general consensus is that the level of control Israel exerts over almost every aspect of life in Gaza amounts to an occupation.

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/gaza-israel-occupied-international-law/

Why say "Sheldon adelson" is dead and then go on to mention someone who is also dead though? Sheldon adelsons legacy goes on just as much if not more so then the man you mentioned

The op asked a question "why does the USA government support Israel" and people are answering it, yes a lot of prominent Americans are Jewish the one dead Palestinian American you mentioned doesn't make up for that.
Israel is a Jewish country so of course it's relevant.
I'm not even saying it's a bad thing that Jews have done so well for themselves in the USA (so no need for you to call antisemitism) honestly well done to them.

@SuSussurations its alarming how unthinking people are about following their own party line. The number of times I've read that Gaza is 'occupied' or that Israel is a white settler colony. There is a great clip on twitter at the moment of a conversation in which anti-Israel activists learn that there are Arabs in Israel, including in prominent positions. They didn't know & can't compute.

@SharonEllis honestly I think that’s part of the problem. Some people, very upset, and understandably so, by what’s happening in Gaza, but who don’t know a great deal of history and are influenced by their general political leanings, pick up on talking points and proliferate antisemitic tropes without even knowing it.

Where is your evidence that Blinken has dual citizenship?
Sheldin Adelson is dead
Stephen Schwarzman & Wendy Sherman are Jewish, so what? And not sure they have dual citizenship anyway.
There are various prominent Palestinian-Americans, including Representative Rashida Tlaib & Edward Said (who remains hugely influential though dead) various other politicians at state level. The Palestinian American community is much much smaller than the American Jewish community.
But anyway, you misunderstand the nature of American society. All Americans are immigrants, apart from native Americans. The idea that they are all pulling strings for their country of origin, or a country that shares their religion is weird, and entirely wrong. Or are you saying that this applies only to Jews? You know the problem with that right? Like Norman Tebbit's cricket test?

That is exactly what they will do and try and force them to Egypt. They did it from the north to the south saying its safe. Now the excuse is hamas is there. Then it'll be hamas is in this region till they've cleared all of Palestine and killed all those possible. But we will still have people saying they don't have a choice.

I won't bother replying anymore to people who try to justify this genocide because that what it is. I will be taking part in the global strike tomorrow and urge those who support Palestine and have compassion to take part it in too.

This was an interesting poll in regards to American attitudes towards the way Biden has handled the conflict

Most Americans disapprove of Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Gaza war, CBS reports.

According to a new poll published by the US news outlet,

•46% of Americans believe that the Biden administration is making “no impact” on a peaceful resolution in the war.

•20% believe that the Biden administration is “more likely” to be making a peaceful resolution.

•34% believe the US president is “less likely” to be making a peaceful resolution.

Meanwhile, among Democrats
•38% believe that Biden is showing “too much support” for Israel, a 10% jump from a poll conducted in October.

•8% of Democrats believe that the Biden administration is not showing enough support, a 2% decrease from October.

•Fifty-four percent of Democrats believe that Biden is showing the “right amount of support”, an 8% decrease from October

Anthony blinken
Sheldon adelson and wife miriam
Stephen schwarzman
Wendy sherman
To name just a few. Quite disproportionate compared to the general us population.
Not all will have an Israeli passport but they could apply and easily get one

Do you care to name as many powerful Palestinian Americans? No probably because there is practically none

Unfortunately it is looking increasingly likely that the intention is indeed to wipe them out, and then to turn to the West Bank and wipe them out too (look at the increased violent settler action there since Oct 7th - they feel emboldened).

If Israel wanted all Gazans dead, they could do it more efficiently with a bombing raid (I feel a bit sick just writing that sentence). However, they are definitely committing domicide with so much of the enclave's infrastructure destroyed and it wouldn't surprise me if they want to "push" the Gazans into the North Sinai desert. Egypt really doesn't want that - Hamas would simply link up with the Muslim brotherhood and even if they didn't, 2 million refugees in an impoverished country would destabilise things anyway.

I support Israel's right to self-defence but this is wrong and deeply counterproductive. People are already dying from a lack of medicine, soon they will be dying from cold and malnutrition. Even if there is a ceasefire tomorrow, the level of need is so great that it's going to take an earthquake-level of emergency help to make a difference.