Mohammed El-Kurd: How Much Palestinian Blood Will It Take to End Israel's Occupation & Apartheid?

[Uncle Joe]

Palestinian writer Mohammed El-Kurd says Western reaction to Israel’s assault on Gaza has once again highlighted the double standard when it comes to how Israeli and Palestinian lives are valued. Israel is bombarding the densely populated coastal territory in retaliation for Saturday’s Hamas attack on southern Israel, as well as tightening the existing siege even further. Israeli officials have vowed to wipe out Hamas despite warnings of massive civilian casualties inside Gaza. “One wonders how much bloodshed, how much Palestinian death is necessary for people to realize that violence begets violence and that the occupation and the colonization of Palestine, the blockade of the Gaza Strip needs to end for all of this violence to end.” El-Kurd also accuses Israeli officials and Western media outlets of using Islamophobic tropes by spreading as-yet-unverified claims of sexual violence and beheadings by Hamas fighters, while downplaying the documented death and devastation being inflicted on Gaza residents.

[The Magistrate]

1. Has He Thought, Sir, Of Recognizing the Futility Of Violence By Palestinian Militants?

If all this achieves is renewal of aerial attack, perhaps some reconsideration is in order?

That or recognizing, and owning up to, the fact that the strategy of Hamas consists of goading Israel into killing a great number of Palestinians, the more the merrier, from their point of view, in the hope that others will step in and save them from themselves.

[cab67]

4. This is why I'm concerned about how Israel is handling this.

Hamas clearly started this recent round of violence, and the organization must be destroyed. I don't question that at all.

But when was the last time a campaign targeting civilians (or causing severe collateral damage) prompted those being attacked to change their attitudes? The strategic bombing campaigns in the Second World War harmed German and Japanese war-making capacities, but they didn't weaken the resolve of German or Japanese civilians. If anything, their resolve was strengthened.

One can say the same about the British Empire's use of concentration camps during the Second Anglo-Boer War or Imperial Germany's practice of executing hostages in retaliation for sabotage during the First World War. For that matter, US actions in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq may have done a better job of targeting actual militants, but the level of collateral damage was enough to continually alienate the people we were (in theory) trying to help.

Please understand - I'm not alleging that the people of Gaza are somehow "owed" anything from the Israeli government, and again, I agree that the violence is fully on Hamas. But I worry some of Israel's actions might backfire.

[The Magistrate]

5. We Largely Agree, Sir

Israel's government makes its choices, just as do their foes.

It does not seem Israel is 'targeting civilians'. If that were their aim, they could kill many, many more than they have done. When a militant body makes the choice to use non-combatants as shelter for their positions, they make certain an enemy must, to engage them, do harm to non-combatants. Given the political hay militant bodies always made of such casualties, it is clear the death and injury of non-combatants is not so much a regrettable cost of doing business as it is one aim of their operations.

[cab67]

6. understood

I know the Israeli military isn't deliberately targeting civilian structures. The IDF (unlike Hamas) is using modern guided munitions that can more precisely hit a designated target, but as you pointed out, Hamas deliberately puts its military assets (if the term "military" applies to Hamas) among civilians.

Cutting off power to Gaza is, however, a de facto attack on civilians. (Or that's how I see it, anyway.). This is why the comparison with WW2 and VIetnam-era bombing raids is apt; the intended targets were military, industrial, or transportation, but because the bombs were mostly guided by gravity, there was a lot of collateral damage that, to some extent, cancelled out the damage to enemy military capacity.

[republianmushroom]

2. The end of Israel occupation of Palestine has been set back 50 or more years.

[nycbos]

3. When terrorists stop trying to kill Jews for being Jews.

The charter of Hamas calls for the killing of all Jews worldwide. Or as Golda Meir once put it when they love their children, more than they hate us?

And when it comes to "Palestinian blood" maybe if they didn't use their own people as human shields there would be less of it.

[Behind the Aegis]

7. "Jews Don't Count"

It is a very good book and lays anti-Semitism out bare, though it is mainly about British anti-Semitism; it still is applicable to other countries. Another one is "People Love Dead Jews " , also a great book and pretty much lays out many of the comments we are seeing.

[nycbos]

8. Yup

Absolutely.

[Uncle Joe]

9. Are ALL 2.4 million people 40+% of them being children living

in one of the most densely populated areas on Earth, the open air prison of Gaza terrorists?

[nycbos]

10. If you actually read what I said

is that Hamas uses their own people as human shields. They shoot rockets at Israeli civilians while their leaders hide underground in safe bunkers. They want to see those children die for propaganda. And they are parading the hostages they kidnapped in the streets so the adults at least support the terrorists.


Hamas calls for the killing of all Jews worldwide. After being hunted and killed for 5,000 years we just want to be left alone. But that isn't happening.

And if you support "Palestinians' right to self-determination" as I do (I am pro two-state solution) this has set that back 50 years.

Because the Israeli far right will now be able to say "See this is who they are. They aren't interested in peaceful coexistence they are trying to wipe us off the map." And under the guise of broken clocks are right twice a day they kinda have a point.

[Uncle Joe]

11. Israel has bombed hospitals and residences in one of most densely populated areas on Earth.

They enable Hamas with their draconian collective punishment against all of Gaza.

40+% of the 2.4 million people are children that have grown up in that open air prison, that's all they know.

[nycbos]

12. That's where Hamas puts their rocket launchers.

While their "leaders" hide in underground bunkers like a bunch of cowards.

When terrorists are shooting at your citizens, you have every right to shoot back.

[Uncle Joe]

13. Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas on Earth,

finding a space where people aren't could be a challenge in itself.

That's no excuse for blowing up a hospital or a high rise, with no doubt many innocent people living there.

“Good begets good; evil begets evil; and even if the good you give is met by evil, you have no choice but to go on giving better than you get. Otherwise-and these were Willy's exact words-why bother to go on living?”
― Paul Auster, Timbuktu

[nycbos]

14. There is a lot of empty desert in Gaza.

There is no excuse for firing rockets at civilians.

[Uncle Joe]

15. Yes, there is no excuse for firing rockets or bombs at civilians

on either side.

The current Israeli policy on Gaza is at a dead end serving only to politically enable and empower Hamas.

I believe the U.N should hold a peace treaty referendum for Israel and Palestine.

[nycbos]

16. There is one side on this.

If Hamas acknowledged Israel's right to resist and ceased terrorist activities none of this would be an issue.