Yes, I am sure protesters chanting “Death to Jews” and “Slit Jews’ Throats” were doing that because they thought that doing that will change Israel’s policies in response to their “criticism”.
You never know!
And again, rather a lot of people are suffereing in Syria at the moment, and as far as I know, quite a lot of ‘westerners’ are upset about it. Is it completely impossible for you that Palestinians may be included in that number?
?
There is plenty of coverage in Ireland about the crisis in Syria and there has been throughout the entire debacle.
This has been pushed out of the limelight by the Israel-Palestine issue in recent weeks, as that is seen as more immediate and a situation where political pressure is more likely to ameliorate suffering, but coverage has never stopped.
As for why Palestinians in Syria aren’t being highlighted as distinct from normal Syrians, well, there’s nothing special about Palestinians; they are just another group of humans.
Which is sort of the whole point.
EDIT: I think your misconception seems to be based on the idea that people think Palestinians are somehow special, or better than Israelis; they don’t they just want children to stop dying and for peace to break out, and, at the moment, Israel is looking decidedly unpeaceful.
It’s not that people hate Israelis or love Palestinians.
This is facile and fatuous.
Yes, there are antisemites involved in protesting Israel’s actions, and anyone who denies that is almost certainly an antisemite themselves. For example, in this thread, look at the antisemitic tendencies of the people who’ve denied that fact, such as…
…hmm…
okay, so NOBODY here denies that some antisemites have attached themselves like deer ticks to protests against Israel’s actions. So, error #1, straw-manning.
But to suggest that therefore all the protests against Israel’s actions are of the “Slit Jews’ Throats” variety is equally foolish, and is almost certainly a disingenuous implication. Broad brush, error #2. Of course the bulk of folks protesting Israel’s actions do so to put pressure on Israel: they want their own governments to put the pressure on Israel by seeing that a lot of citizens disagree with Israel’s actions. Doing so is a completely rational use of protesting.
And then we get to your error #3, comparing the protests of Israel’s actions to the protest of Syria’s actions. While Netanyahu has cause to worry about the opinion of European citizens, inasmuch as his country relies heavily on trade with Europe, Assad has no such cause. Protesting his actions would be completely fucking useless.
Edit: to clarify, the protests of Israel’s actions aren’t happening because Palestinians are awesome, they’re happening because we expect better of our allies.
Apparently that “children to stop dying” desire only finds its expression in public protests and demonstrations by thousands in the streets only when Jews are involved. But definitely not when Jews are dying - unless you can show me a demonstration or a protest in Europe against past Hamas suicide bombings?
Show me that Hamas is a formal ally of a European government and therefore subject to the force of protests, and I’ll show you what you’re asking for. I’ll also show you a pony that farts daffodils at the same time.
USA is, arguably, an ally of Israel. These are not actions of allies.
Show me that Israel is a “formal ally” of a European government? Or hell, an “informal ally” will do.
And yes, European governments can definitely influence Hamas, if they wanted to. For one, stop funding Hamas and Hamas’s handmaiden - UNRWA.
You do realize that your own article states that Israel gives Hamas almost as much money as the EU, right? Not sure this is the kind of funding we’re talking about.
You know, maybe Israel should take that advice. From your first link:
[Quote=Forbes]
Incredibly, Israel also supplies Hamas with cash. It began transferring truckloads of cash to Gaza after Hamas’ violent takeover of the territory in June 2007. The first transfer of more than $51 million (delivered in Israeli shekels) was purportedly to strengthen the influence of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Gaza Strip and pay the salaries of 35,000 Palestinian Authority employees then allegedly loyal to him. Among those employees, however, were Ismail Haniya, the Hamas-appointed prime minister in Gaza, and Mahmoud Zahar, Hamas’ foreign minister.
[/Quote]
Anyway, I’m glad you’ve found such a simple solution to this knotty problem. I can’t understand why no one seems to be buying in.
Yes, it is obligated to do so by agreements signed (stupid agreements, but signed nevertheless). What is EU obligated by?
And what, no reaction to my request to show that Israel is a “formal ally”? Guess you were wrong.
So you’re saying Israel’s gone out of its way to arrange for such things, huh? Interesting.
You don’t know what “formal ally” means, do you? You need a formal treaty to be an ally. Like NATO treaty for example. Or EU treaty. Can you point to one between any European country and Israel?
Again, as I pointed out in the OP, I am not asking about empty statements by governments, not backed up by any action. I am asking about popular protests/demonstrations in the streets. Were there any, ever, about “Palestinian children” being killed by Arabs when Jews were not involved? Killed in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, etc. etc.?
You said “informal ally” would do. I have no interest in quibbling over whether “ally” or “partner” or “best bud” or whatever is the correct terminology; you choose the terminology that applies to the situation, in which the EU has very close ties with Israel and wants even closer ties, whereas they treat Hamas as a criminal organization. Popular protests are generally done when one’s allies/buddies/pals/whateveryouwannacallthem do something bad, not when foreign criminals do something bad. You should know this.
I didn’t offer that quote to show there were similar protests, Terr. I offered it for exactly the opposite reason: to show why there are NOT similar protests by Europeans against Hamas.
How close is the EU’s economic, political, etc. ties with Jordan? Lebanon? Syria? Iraq? Etc.? Etc.? If the ties are nowhere near as close, of course you won’t see similar protests.
You’re trying to find hypocrisy where there is none.
I’m still puzzled that the US is only “arguably” an ally of Israel.
Perhaps if Obama agreed to fellate Netanyahu and public the US would prove itself.
Because, AFAIU, there is no treaty of alliance between the two countries. US designates Israel as its “Major non-Nato Ally”, it’s a designation, and not a treaty, and doesn’t obligate the parties to anything at all.