When does terrorism become war?

[mids2019]

Looking at the news this morning I think the media are finding it difficult to register Palestinian attacks as a terrorism event or simply an attack of one state against another.

I suppose whether you view 5000 tickets as a terrorist atrocity or a declaration of war is dependent on your views on whether Palestine can ever be a functioning state. We plainly in Europe would describe such events as terrorism in that civilian populations have been targeted but in the eternally challenged middle East the use of such a word has political connurtations.

Is this a terrorist attack on Israel?

The BBC has a long and ignoble history of blatantly antisemitic reporting, of which this is only the latest example.

Of course Hamas should be referred to as terrorists - it's impossible to argue that war crimes like hostage-taking and murdering civilians and rape as a weapon of war are not acts of terror.

It is only political bias and cowardice that prevents them from calling it what it is.

The number of Israelis massacred is now over 1,000.

For a country with a population of only 9 million, this is enormous.

For any country, to lose over 1,000 people in one day to terrorism is devastating.

We lost 56 people on 7/7, and 22 people in the Manchester bombing, to give a British comparison.

And our population is over 7 times as big.

If terrorists want to kill themselves in the process so be it. The Japanese air fleet was significantly weakened through its kamikaze pilots.

What is more relevant is the notion of cowardice when it comes to suicide fighters. Suicide bombers have nothing about desperation. Look at the 9/11 suicide pilots, rich, educated, drinking, druggies and hiring women for sex in the US. No need to put up a fight 'man to man' just die and go to glory. The sort of things of boys' stories and 'super heroes'. Suicide fighters are boys who never grew up.

ISIS proved to be a ramshackle bunch of rapists, robbers, slave traders and paedophiles. That is how they ran their camps. That is all they achieved - the worst kind of community. This is well documented.

I cannot answer your question directly but one thing that connects a significant number of Hamas, Al Qaeda and ISIS is cowardice and suppression of minorities in all societies. Their leaders are all cowards.

I have just watched a film of the bodies of Palestinian children being carried out for burial in shrouds. It is very upsetting. I abhor the Israeli citizens in the Haaretz article. Unequivocally I witnessed hate crimes. Those people should serve some prison time or re-education. I also abhor the ideology of Hamas, Al Qaeda and ISIS. The leaders of these people are cowards and pick on the weakest of their own communities to shed blood for their own aims. The parents of those children can only blame the leadership in Gaza for the deaths of their children.

Typical daily fail reporting, a meeting of approx 100 people NOT affiliated to Labour or attached to the conference. Don’t let the facts get in the way of a story.

Respected it may be, unbiased it certainly is not.

It's odd, I went through their most recent reporting and they are avoiding the word terrorists.

Fighters, militants, but no terrorists.

The article said that it was a left-wing event, NOT an official Labour event.

Where is the error?

@Truthisbetterthanlies ironic user name.

No, not ironic at all actually. This user has done an excellent job dismantling ridiculous and illegal posts by other users who are supporting Hamas, a proscribed terror organisation in the UK. I hope Mumsnet hand over the IPs of everyone who has made these horrendous pro-terror statements over the last 36 hours.

'Terrorist' is a loaded word. If you apply it to any paramilitaries not associated with an existing state, the French resistance would have been terrorists. If you apply it to any group committing horrific acts, the Russian army would be terrorists - in fact all armies would be. Generally it's a word used to discredit resistance groups.

Did you see the headline?

Labour, conference, terrorists?

To be anti-Zionist does not mean to be anti-Semitic. That would imply that all Jewish people are zionists when in reality not all are.

Hamas is a recognised terrorist organisation. It's proscribed in the UK under the Terrorism Act.

I'm in Israel, watching the never ending news. Current numbers: over 700 dead, 2200 injured, 130 taken hostage (100 by Hamas, 30 by Islamic Jihad - Hamas and IJ just announced those numbers).

Even the headline appears to be OK.

It said "alongside" the conference. If there is any doubt what that means, then the article explains it.

I'm guessing the event wasn't merely a coincidence, but rather deliberately timed as a non official fringe event. So "alongside" would capture that meaning.

300 of the injured are in a critical condition.

The timing is not a coincidence it’s linked to the Labour conference

The World Transformed is a project which grew out of Momentum, the movement formed in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s 2015 leadership campaign.

It's absolutely heartbreaking.
I'm Jewish. I have many family members and close friends there. My friend in Jerusalem is with her three young children unable to leave their apartment. Lots of people missing, uncontactable. The most unbelievably distressing images and videos shared on social media. I will never get them out of my head.
I've been physically sick several times today.
And to see people in my own home city (London) cheering and celebrating the brutal murders, rape and degradation of these young women, elderly people, babies... my heart is breaking.
I'm so sorry.

I've lived here for 27 years; I've seen some things. Never seen anything as bad as this, it's totally incomprehensible. My friend's elderly uncle was shot and killed on his kibbutz, her elderly aunt was kidnapped. My 18 year old son has lost friends. The kibbutzim in the area will probably disappear, who could live there now?

I'm so sorry for your losses; it must be devastating. Words are so inadequate.

Feel free to point out any lies or errors I've made.

I see you've posted nothing at all, but see fit to comment on others' posts.

Hamas is a recognised terrorist organisation. It's proscribed in the UK under the Terrorism Act.

It's still a loaded word.

During the War On Terror the concept was terrorism was used against a range of resistance movements including Chechens rebelling against Russia.

The Nazis called resistance movements terrorists.

America inflicted 'Shock and Awe' on Baghdad, violence to cause psychological pressure, and no one called it terrorism.

It's a word used by the powerful to describe smaller opponents.

So very very sorry for your losses.

No words...

I'm so sorry for this situation and your losses. Kibbutzim are such a fabulous part of Israel's rich cultural tapestry, and their losses in southern Israel will be felt everywhere. I think many people seem to incorrectly think they are settlements - I'm sorry people comment without knowing.

The BBC has been doing that for a few years now. Even their "Once Upon A Time In Northern Ireland" not only doesn't use it, but they FAIL to confront PIRA members and supporters on the very issue.

Glorification of terrorism is illegal in the UK.