I think the issue is that many of the posters responding to this thread—particularly those based in Europe or North America—are so comfortable in their own relative peace and privilege that they’re unable to grasp the nature of a conflict like this. On their continent, conflict resolution typically involves diplomacy, negotiation, and dialogue. The idea of war, let alone this type of warfare where terrorist cowards hide behind their own women and children, is something they observe from a distance, not something they truly understand.
As a result, when they witness violence and death—horrific as it is—they lack the context and knowledge to distinguish between the brutal realities of war and the intentional, systematic extermination that defines genocide. And because many have internalised a narrative in which Israel is portrayed as a symbol of oppression and evil—a narrative that dates back a long time to Soviet-era propaganda and is today being amplified by Pan-Arab media, especially outlets like Al Jazeera—they reach simplistic and distorted conclusions. In their view, 2 + 2 equals 5, and suddenly, BAM, they’re crying “genocide.”
Consider the contrast: when the U.S.-led Coalition flattened Raqqa and Mosul in the fight against ISIS, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties, there was barely a whisper. No protests, no outrage. And who was in that coalition? Britain, France, Canada—countries now quick to condemn. Yet when Israel responds to the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust—an atrocity that also claimed the lives of Arabs, foreign workers, and international students—and does so while issuing warnings to civilians to evacuate, the outrage is immediate and deafening. The double standard is glaring.
It honestly seems like some of the most extreme anti-Israel voices in this thread would have preferred Israel to do nothing in response to October 7th. They’d rather the hostages—who are being held in inhumane, underground conditions akin to concentration camps—be abandoned. They expect Israel to politely wait for the next inevitable terrorist attack rather than defend its citizens. Get real. You wouldn’t accept a bunch of genocidal maniacs invading your country - raping, maiming, torturing, burning and murdering as they go. And neither should Israelis.