In the last 20 years, I’ve read only one mostly fair and balanced unpacking of the fundamentals behind the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. It was this one, by Max Fisher. It’s 8 years old, but still mostly current.
I urge everyone, especially you GenZs who are new to this ongoing tragedy to read it. It’s important to know what’s real, what’s myth, and what’s complete bullshit. Dare I say it? “On both sides.”
“The 11 biggest myths about Israel-Palestine”
https://www.vox.com/2015/5/14/18093732/israel-palestine-misconceptions
@shoq @gaurav Myth #7 seems debatable to me. Israel has thumbed its nose at any strings the US has ever sought to put on its aid because they believe their position in US politics to be effectively unassailable. Any US party or politician that seeks to earnestly impose conditions, to the point of denying aid should those conditions fail to obtain, runs a potent political risk.
Thus, perhaps it’s fair to say the myth is true, but not for the reasons stated.
@donaldball @shoq @gaurav
I would tend to agree with this assessment, and I also feel like, more generally, the article tends to gloss over the enormous power differential between the Israeli government/IDF and the Palestinian people, Iran's cynical support of Hamas notwithstanding.
Also, I will never forget an interview I saw with Netanyahu shortly after he first became PM in 1996, in which he all but came right out and said that his intent was genocide of the Palestinians "for the sake of our children". Very like the "14 words" of white supremacists, and it's clear that he has never wavered from that.
Which is not to say that the article doesn't make some very good points, but I do feel like some reassessment and a harder look at some history and the current major players is in order. As the author said, the apathy has left fertile ground for extremist views to proliferate, and I feel like that's happened, particularly among a patently criminal ruling class.
@ianmnoone @shoq @gaurav The central question about which I endlessly, uneasily circle is, I think: what are the ethical responses available to the victims of crimes against humanity in the absence of justice?
What Hamas has done this week shocks the conscience and consists, in significant parts, of indefensible crimes against humanity, but it's... incomplete, even offensive to sit in judgment when no effective alternatives are at hand.
@donaldball @ianmnoone @shoq @gaurav this is uneasily close to the reasoning for Russian casus belli for Ukraine - you guys are baddies for genociding ethnic Russians in the region, with no political solution in sight, so we gonna topple your government and make some hard justice.
Hawkish factions gonna hawk... 
