Israel is not committing genocide. Not by any reputable definition of genocide. Israel is waging war against an enemy who in fact clearly states their intention to genocide the Jews.
You are correct to be angry about the amount of people dying in this war. But you should direct your anger to those responsible for both starting the war and for directly endangering those people.
“Look what you made me do” is what you’re saying, but Israel could stop attacking Gaza today and not suffer a single material attack from Gaza for a long time. Way, way more Palestinians have died since October than Jews. Israel has no need to keep on its current course. It has made its point and is now making a completely different point—that it is a cruel nation incapable of self restraint.
Nobody can force you to self reflect. Nobody can spare you the consequences if you refuse.
> “Look what you made me do” is what you’re saying, but Israel could stop attacking Gaza today and not suffer a single material attack from Gaza for a long time.
No, "Look at what you made the Arabs do" is what Westerners say to Jews to excuse kidnapping and murdering babies and elderly. Nobody here says that. Gaza could have stopped attacking Israel any time between 2005 and October 6, 2023 and not suffered a single attack from Israel. And from October 7, 2023 they could have returned our children and our parents and our sisters, and the war would have ended immediately.
> Way, way more Palestinians have died since October than Jews.
So your argument is that the side with more casualties is in the right? Or that not enough Jews have died?
Where you advocating for the Jews on October 8th, while the body count from the current conflict was still more Jews than Arabs?
> Israel has no need to keep on its current course. It has made its point and is now making a completely different point—that it is a cruel nation incapable of self restraint.
Israel has not "made its point" because the hostages are not yet home. Israel is cruel? The Gazans freely sacrifice their own children _and_ our children in the name of a religious war, and we're the cruel side? I believe that you know very little of Gazan or Muslim culture, and probably less of Israeli or Jewish culture.
> Nobody can force you to self reflect. Nobody can spare you the consequences if you refuse.
Reflect on what? Wanting our children back home? What consequences do you think could possibly be worse than having our children captive?
How sure are you that if the hostages were returned, that the war would end? Netanyahu needs this war to continue to stay in power, I don't think he has an exit plan, I think he intends to have this war last as long as possible. 60% of all buildings in Gaza have been destroyed, when will it be enough? When the last building is destroyed, will they start blowing up the rubble piles? Do you think there's an exit plan?
When there’s hostage situation, nations normally don’t skip straight to genocide. There should be an escalatory response. Genocide is way, way out there and most people wouldn’t advocate genocide even if it was their own family who was captured. The fact that you don’t even realize you’ve skipped past all reasonable responses and settled on the most extreme, insane response, is why I’m asking you to self reflect.
Obviously, it was horrible for the hostages. I feel bad for them and I’m glad that many have been released.
But Israel’s response shows how insecure they are, how immature and dangerous they are.
Let’s be honest. All you have to do is admit Israel is committing genocide and is wrong to do so and start advocating for more peaceful measures, and by doing so you’ll discount the neonazis. I’m being really blunt here. Because right now your position is so extreme, so unwilling to truly change, that all your doing is making people who hate Jews look correct. Is that what you want?
In light of all that, please self reflect. I’m being your friend, I apologize for how painful this conversation is for you, but you have got to learn because you’re right, the stakes really are high, you are just playing by the wrong rules.
You just want him to concede your point so you feel better. You are not being his friend. Israel is under no definition committing genocide. Please self-reflect and admit this to yourself. Alas your position is too extreme and unwilling to change.
It would be disingenuous if it weren’t for the fact that tens of thousands of innocent bystanders that Israel deemed subhuman are dead. That bloody smoking gun seems to be escaping you both.
Even if you don’t think Israel’s neighbors deserve life, you have to recognize that the entirety of western civilization and the Islamic world both see what Israel is doing as reprehensible.
Now I’m not asking you to say they’re right because they’re the vast majority (that would be subjective), what I’m asking you to agree with is that Israel needs to stop making everyone hate them, because it will be worse for Israel if everyone hates them.
That is an objective fact I hope we can agree on, regardless of the value you place on human life.
You are correct to be angry about the amount of people dying in this war. But you should direct your anger to those responsible for both starting the war and for directly endangering those people.