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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gave the final go-ahead last Monday in Beirut
Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas’s Saturday surprise attack on Israel and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut last Monday, according to senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group.
Officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had worked with Hamas since August to devise the air, land and sea incursions—the most significant breach of Israel’s borders since the 1973 Yom Kippur War—those people said.
Details of the operation were refined during several meetings in Beirut attended by IRGC officers and representatives of four Iran-backed militant groups, including Hamas, which holds power in Gaza, and Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group and political faction in Lebanon, they said.
It’s amazing to me that people think they aren’t being antisemitic to simply criticize Israel, but, then military actions are taken against them during the holiest days of Judaism. Yeah, tell me more about how you aren’t antisemitic.
There is one Jewish state in the whole world, and people are intent on destroying it.
The same could be said on Israel for attacking Muslims on Eid at Al-Aqsa, the third holiest site in islam.
You realize the people who attacked them are also semites right? Semite doesn’t equal Jewish. Israel doesn’t equal Judaism.
There are Jews in the US who are critical of the nation state of Israel. Curious how that fits in your framework. You think they are just ethnomasocists?
I see you didn’t address that they attack on holy days. Interesting omission.
I don’t see how it is relevant, but if that is very important to you then you should also know that the Israelis attack the Palestinians basically every Ramadan.
This is basically what you just said, but I really don’t understand how you think there’s any country in the world that’s beyond reproach? Thinking that you can’t criticize a country ever for anything or you’re an antisemite seems like blatant propaganda for that country
It’s absolutely awful what happened, and it is the responsibility of Hamas, and also Israeli policies toward Palestinians created the climate in which this sort of attack can be cultivated by bad actors. Unfortunately, when Israel kills a bunch Palestinian civilians, which happens often, it doesn’t typically make the front page
I didn’t say they couldn’t be criticized ever. In fact, I often am critical myslef. You’re the one that suggested they can’t be criticized ever. Also, this is much different than what you think should make the front page regularly.
You said this. What did you mean if not “criticizing Israel is antisemitic?”
I may have stated that poorly. It’s what people think. Which is fine. But then they don’t notice the fact that these attacks are coming on holidays. I don’t think these things are separate. To have a complete blind spot there seems to be a window for antisemitism. One that they aren’t even aware of themselves.
I’m Jewish and my take on the whole “criticizing Israel is antisemitic” thing is: Context Matters.
Are you criticizing the Israeli government/military for an action they took? You’re not being antisemitic.
Are you criticizing all Israelis for the actions of the Israeli government/military? You’re being antisemitic. (For an example here, would you blame all Americans for the actions of Trump even though over half of them voted against him?)
Are you criticizing all Jews, regardless of where they live, for the actions of the Israeli government/military? You’re definitely being antisemitic. I’m an American Jew and have about as much pull in Israeli affairs as a random citizen of the UK has in US affairs.
Time and empathy also matter. If you heard of the slaughter of 700 civilians and said “Israel is to blame for this” or “this is an appropriate response given what was done to the Palestinian people,” then - yes - I’d consider that antisemitic. Not because it’s not allowed to show support to the plight of the Palestinian people, but because responding in this way minimizes the suffering of one group (Israelis) because another group is suffering.
To give an example in this case, imagine if you broke your leg and your friend said “you expect sympathy from me? People are dying of cancer and you only have a broken leg!” You’d probably be insulted that they were minimizing your pain and suffering. You could acknowledge that the people dying of cancer definitely have it worse and also warrant empathy, but empathy shouldn’t be reserved only for the group that has it worst.
Neither should a group be denied empathy because their government/military takes actions that are repugnant. If this is the case, then the Palestinian people should be denied empathy because of this attack. (A statement which I don’t support, but am using to prove a point.)
In short, context always matters. Criticizing Israel, like so many things in life and especially like the quagmire in the middle east, isn’t a black and white affair.
That’s just tactics. The best time to attack is when everyone sleeps outside. It’s gruesome, but the holiday itself may not be relevant, just the celebration of it.