Just to be clear, are you applying the apartheid point to the treatment of the Palestinians or the treatment of Israeli Arabs? — BitconnectCarlos
any Arab or Jew and the timeline becomes in the thousands of years because that's how long there's been a Jewish presence in the area which began with a Kingdom in around 1000 BC. The Muslims built the Dome of the Rock on the ruins of the Second Temple. — BitconnectCarlos
Yeah, useless religious crap I really don't give a shit about. As if any of that would even remotely justify anything happening now. — Benkei
Alright, so lets let the "impartial" observers handle it then. And who would those be? Americans? Europeans? Which ones? Do Indians have a say? How about the Chinese? If Israel obeys some in the West and loosens security, who pays the price when blood is spilled? It's all very well and good to say that Israel shouldn't blockade Gaza, but who pays the price when heavy weaponry is imported from Iran? In any case I'm fine with the West stepping in to help with the process and make suggestions, but we'd like a say too. — BitconnectCarlos
I have the self-awareness to admit that I'm partial; I just wish that that the West would realize that they approach the issue through their own biased cultural lenses as well. The Middle East geopolitically should not be treated like Europe. It is not analogous to the struggle between the British and the IRA. It is an extremely complicated issue with a very long history, intense hatreds, constantly shifting borders, and religious fundamentalism thrown in the mix. The stakes are extremely high and I don't have the luxury to take a step back from my own people. If your people were being attacked and under constant threat, I would not tell you to take a step back. — BitconnectCarlos
What you tell us to do is entirely uninteresting because you do not matter one bit. (neither do I). What might be relevant is whether you are right in your advice or not and if so why / why not. You seem to have some odd idea that the truth value of an argument is dependent on who utters it.If your people were being attacked and under constant threat, I would not tell you to take a step back. — BitconnectCarlos
Israel's neighbors have used this type of language constantly since Israel's inception. It's luckily simmered down a little now and progress has been made, but historically this was a very big concern. The environment in the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s - Israel's formative years - was different from today (but how much have things really changed? Who knows.) — BitconnectCarlos
No, I just don't acknowledge religious claims or ancient ones for that matter. — Benkei
What would you say if I told you the cut off was 150 years and anything before that was too far back and doesn't matter. I don't know much about Dutch culture, does the land you're on mean anything to you? — BitconnectCarlos
What about 1948 for the people of Palestine ? Completely asymmetrical application of principles. — fdrake
What I was trying to demonstrate with my example was that you can't really draw a proper cut off year for when a claim stops being valid. — BitconnectCarlos
If deprivation of your people's historic home is the benchmark for being justified to return there, it applies equally as well to the Palestinians ousted or displaced by the policies of the state of Israel. — fdrake
Jewish culture and religion is centered around the land of Israel, particularly Jerusalem. — BitconnectCarlos
Nothing in that post is in any way shape or form a justification for Israel committing war crimes. — Benkei
Jews were returning well before WWII, and didn't need to kill, oppress or annex land to do it. — Benkei
So, while Jews may feel they have a special claim to or association with the region, others may reasonably feel that they don't or that they themselves have a similar claim. For me, as I don't think God conveyed real estate to anyone, it follows from this that the claim it is the Jewish "homeland" isn't persuasive and forms no basis or justification for the existence of Israel. Therefore, it shouldn't be a consideration in any conflict between Israel and anyone else. Do you think it should? — Ciceronianus the White
That's one good way how to think of it.Israel's strategy is baffling except as an attempt to maintain the conflict for as long as possible as cover for expansions of settlements, expulsions, and further encroachments. — Baden
What is the actual difference between Palestinians and Israeli Arabs than a passport?
Haste try to divide et impera? — ssu
Passing judgment on situation X is something different then solving situation X. In a philosophy forum the purpose is to discuss the ethical merits of a given situation or solution, not solving that situation. — Tobias
but the question remains whether Israeli actions are right or wrong. — Tobias
What you tell us to do is entirely uninteresting because you do not matter one bit. (neither do I). What might be relevant is whether you are right in your advice or not and if so why / why not. You seem to have some odd idea that the truth value of an argument is dependent on who utters it.
— Tobias
"I think you misinterpret the position of your adversaries in this thread. I do not think anyone holds Israel to be 'an evil entity'. What they criticize are the actions and policies of Israel." — Tobias
So, you would be happy for ANTIFA to burn down your house as long as you're given a warning. Off-topic. But, ok, check. — Baden
Which war crime do you want to talk about in particular? I have nothing against condemning war crimes when they actually occurred: Deir Yassin, for instance -- I condemn that fully. — BitconnectCarlos
The main, practical intention of the state of Israel is simply to prevent things like this. — BitconnectCarlos
When it comes to matters of national security, e.g. whether Israel was justified in their pre-emptive strike on Egyptian airfields in '67 applying an ethical analysis of the issue seems out of place. If an enemy mobilizes and surrounds your camp are you allowed to strike? Is that "ethical?" — BitconnectCarlos
There are somethings I can certainly say are wrong - massacres, for instance. Security measures such as house raids or bulldozing suicide bombers homes are not so clear. — BitconnectCarlos
You could crucify any group or any country like this. Was the North in the American Civil War squeaky clean morality-wise? Of course not. Sure, we can talk about what they did wrong but to only focus on their wrongs and not the crimes of the South does seem dubious. You'd get a very slanted picture of the Civil War if that's all you were presented with. — BitconnectCarlos
Part of the problem is also that philosophers like to conceive of morality as ahistorical and this results in 21st century people sitting on their nice couches or chairs behind computer screens judging individuals in an environment and historical circumstance that they just do not know and will never know. I guess this is a question of responsibility or blame which is different from morality. These issues are obviously closely related though. — BitconnectCarlos
And even beyond this - which morality are we to judge them by? Utilitarianism? Ethical Egoism? Whether the country is "being nice?" — BitconnectCarlos
Could you expand on this a little? I know that I've gravitated towards a certain relativism here. I wasn't sure that I went that far but I might have so please let me know. — BitconnectCarlos
There are posters who have waddled into that territory. In my mind there's no real difference between "constantly does evil" and "is evil." There are plenty of posters who have described Israel as being essentially a constantly evil force. Posters here have accused Israel of genocide constantly which is the epitome of evil in my book. Scroll back a little and you'll see plenty of these Israel-Nazi comparisons. — BitconnectCarlos
And of course the real issue is that these Palestinians, who officially aren't even called Palestinians but Arab israelis, do face discrimination in the country even if being citizens.From a legal standpoint, one is an Israeli citizen entitled to Israeli legal rights and the other is not. — BitconnectCarlos
Every time they collectively punish Palestinians, every time they annex land. In other words, more or less continuous. — Benkei
Lasting peace is not established under the heel of a boot. Israel could be the saviour of Palestinians too and have true lasting peace and an ally in the region - if it would concern itself with a just solution. Since that will never happen in a country where over 50% think non-Jews are inferior, we'll be stuck with this unless the international community intervenes. My hope is there and the Irish statement is a good beginning. — Benkei
And of course the real issue is that these Palestinians, who officially aren't even called Palestinians but Arab israelis, do face discrimination in the country even if citizens. — ssu
You frequently throw dozens of potential issues out there for me to address and it's just not worth it for me. When I address one you just move onto something else. — BitconnectCarlos
Why can't you understand that the problem doesn't solely lay with Israel? — BitconnectCarlos
Also source on the 50% figure? — BitconnectCarlos
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) published reports documenting racism in Israel — Benkei
One group is oppressed the other isn't. — Benkei
The latest attacks on Gaza was collective punishment, which Israeli does almost every time in an escalation. — Benkei
Israel cannot impose peace. It is not possible. The leadership of both parties must sign on to the agreements. It must come from both sides. The attitude that all of Palestine must be reclaimed for the Palestinians is widespread among Palestinians and serves as a significant obstacle for peace, do you agree? It is not just the Israelis. — BitconnectCarlos
The latest attacks on Gaza were in response to Hamas launching thousands of rockets at Israel. — BitconnectCarlos
No, I don't agree. It's quite clear the 1967 borders are acceptable to a majority of Palestinians, even Hamas hardliners, which already includes plenty of land stolen through conquest. There's a difference between wanting and compromising. — Benkei
That's no justification for a war crime. — Benkei
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