Epistemic status: Weakly held opinions, and not super well informed. Sometimes the best way to learn is to be confidently wrong online so those in the know will correct you.
Hamas is a genocidal enemy and having them as neighbors has gone from bad to intolerable for Israel. Seems like Hamas is breaking all the rules, literally committing crimes against humanity, deliberately targeting civilians, taking hostages, using their own civilians as human shields. They’re acting just like ISIS. It’s all very illegal, even in war. But who is going to hold them to account for that? They’re already under a crushing blockade.
The obvious options Israel seems to be considering seem like war crimes themselves. The “total blockade” is an illegal collective punishment that will hurt civilians most of all. Unlike Gaza, Israel has a lot more to lose if the world decides to hold them to account. Seems like an impossible situation.
But the Gazans are not some alien species. They’re human beings, same as the Israelis. What makes them different is their radical indoctrination and probably ignorance about how things could be any different. It’s a war of memes, and until those are defeated, nothing will change.
So attack that problem directly. Spread the good memes and shame the bad ones. Destroy their mass media stations and broadcast your own propaganda PR from outside the borders. Institute compulsory education, including the women. That one might take an occupation to fully pull off. This is so threatening that one of the Islamic terrorist organizations chose to call themselves Boko Haram, “education is forbidden”. Teach them about all the other world religions. Teach them that terrorism is evil, and that Hamas committed crimes against humanity. Teach them that Hamas is responsible for their state of poverty. Give the children educated this way a path to citizenship in Israel. Make the men pass a test proving they know the good memes before they’re allowed to cross the border to work in Israel.
In the meantime, there’s a war going on. Israel will at least have to mow the grass. Assassinate the Hamas leadership. Use American drones if that helps.
Epistemic status: Weakly held opinions, and not super well informed. Sometimes the best way to learn is to be confidently wrong online so those in the know will correct you.
Hamas is a genocidal enemy and having them as neighbors has gone from bad to intolerable for Israel. Seems like Hamas is breaking all the rules, literally committing crimes against humanity, deliberately targeting civilians, taking hostages, using their own civilians as human shields. They’re acting just like ISIS. It’s all very illegal, even in war. But who is going to hold them to account for that? They’re already under a crushing blockade.
The obvious options Israel seems to be considering seem like war crimes themselves. The “total blockade” is an illegal collective punishment that will hurt civilians most of all. Unlike Gaza, Israel has a lot more to lose if the world decides to hold them to account. Seems like an impossible situation.
But the Gazans are not some alien species. They’re human beings, same as the Israelis. What makes them different is their radical indoctrination and probably ignorance about how things could be any different. It’s a war of memes, and until those are defeated, nothing will change.
So attack that problem directly. Spread the good memes and shame the bad ones. Destroy their mass media stations and broadcast your own
propagandaPR from outside the borders. Institute compulsory education, including the women. That one might take an occupation to fully pull off. This is so threatening that one of the Islamic terrorist organizations chose to call themselves Boko Haram, “education is forbidden”. Teach them about all the other world religions. Teach them that terrorism is evil, and that Hamas committed crimes against humanity. Teach them that Hamas is responsible for their state of poverty. Give the children educated this way a path to citizenship in Israel. Make the men pass a test proving they know the good memes before they’re allowed to cross the border to work in Israel.In the meantime, there’s a war going on. Israel will at least have to mow the grass. Assassinate the Hamas leadership. Use American drones if that helps.