There is no genocide

There is a popular saying, "Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth, at least in the minds of people." This is also true when it comes to Israel. So, here are six reasons why there is no genocide:

1. Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005 of their own accord. They withdrew their military presence and evacuated all 21 Israeli settlements and 8,000 settlers, some by force. Gaza was allowed to self-govern and select who governed it. So, what happened? In 2006, the Palestinians elected HAMAS, a terrorist organization. Later that year, militants capture an Israeli solider, Gilad Shalit, leading to Israeli military operations. From 2008 to 2022, there was a repeated cycle of rocket fire from Gaza, Israeli military operations, and ceasefires. That ultimately culminated in the 2023 October 7th attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. This was the sole reason why the Israeli military went into Gaza, and all the previous times, not the wanton destruction of an entire populace.

2. Israel's method of operation isn't to target civilians, their war is with Gaza. To the contrary, they have shown considerable restraint and a desire to avoid or limit civilian casualties. They have given advanced warning of an attack by sending text messages, dropping leaflets, and using media and social media, all to their own detriment. They use precision-guided weapons, smaller munitions, and inert munitions to minimize damage to nearby civilian structures. They have planned their attacks for times of day when there are few civilians nearby and have even aborted attacks due to too many civilians in an area.

In any military conflict, civilians will get hurt and killed; that is impossible to completely avoid, but Israel has made the attempt. On the other hand, Hamas has a reputation for targeting civilians, including their own. It has been documented that Hamas intentionally fire rockets around civilian buildings such as schools and hospitals. For example, there is evidence that Hamas built a tunnel network beneath Al-Shifa Hospital, stored weapons there, and used parts of the hospital. Some Israeli hostages were even taken there after the October 7th attack.

3. Israel has provided humanitarian aid to Gaza in the form of food, medicine, and shelter. They have provided medical support and medical evacuations for the people in Gaza. They have repaired infrastructure, water pipelines, and communications. They supply Israel with water, electricity, and fuel. Gaza is not self-sufficient and would not be able to function if Israel permanently halted all water, electricity, and aid that it provides. The continual flow of aid and support is inconsistent with the actions to eliminate an entire populace.

4. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Gaza's population has increased from 1.9 million in 2015 to 2.41 million in 2026. That's a 20–25% increase over the decade. Populations don't generally go up during a genocide; they go down. These statics are incompatible with a mass genocide.

5. There are 2.1 million Palestinians and Israeli citizens that make up 21% of Israel's population. They are able to serve in everything from Israel's government to military. If the goal was ethnic cleansing, allowing Palestinians to live in Israel proper would be counterproductive and thus not indicative of such a narrative.

6. There are 7.1–7.3M Jews living in Israel proper. There are a combined 7.5–7.7M Palestinians living in Israel proper, Gaza, and the West Bank. The continued presence of such a large, proportional Palestinian population would logically argue against a policy of displacement or elimination.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Judeo-Bolshevism myth

Anyone who has spent a fair amount of time on the internet has invariably encountered some form of anti-Jewish rhetoric.  In many ways, it has become fashionable to hate on the Jews again.  It’s a phenomenon that isn’t just on the right or the left, contrary to popular belief, but reaches across the entire political spectrum.  The difference now is that it’s no longer relegated to the fringes, but has gone mainstream. Anti-Semitism is certainly nothing new.  In Europe’s Middle Ages, Jews were blamed for everything from the crucifixion of Christ to spreading diseases by poisoning wells.  Blood libel accusations asserted that Jews routinely kidnapped children and murdered them to use in their blood religious rituals. According to historian Walter Laqueur, “Altogether, there have been about 150 recorded cases of blood libel (not to mention thousands of rumors) that resulted in the arrest and killing of Jews throughout history, most of them in the Middle Ages. ...
Read more

Addressing the (Ashkenazi) Jews are not really the Jews accusation

I hear this accusation quite often, and it's usually directed towards Ashkenazi Jews.  Ashkenazi Jews are simply Jews who migrated or were taken against their will to Europe after the Diaspora, which for the Jews began around 70 AD after the destruction of the Second Temple (the Diaspora actually began much earlier, but that was when they began migrating to Europe). Jews have always been an insular people, but they did mix with the local populace once there, likely Europeans who converted to Judaism. That explains why they have a lighter skin tone, but that doesn't make them any less Jewish. It wasn't uncommon even in Biblical days for the twelve tribes to intermix with the local populace. Moses, for example, married a Black Ethiopian/African woman. And Joseph, Jesus' earthly father, had several gentile ancestors in his ancestry. There are many different types of Jews: Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, Sephardi, Ethiopian, etc. All groups share a significant Levantine (ancient Israel...
Read more

The Eschatological Case for Israel

Does the modern state of Israel matter? There are a lot of opinions out there about Israel that are shaped by one's political or  eschatological beliefs. My experience is that those Christians they do not have an eschatological framework or reject it, are less inclined to support Israel. However, I want to give my eschatological perspective why I think Israel is important and provide theological reasons for supporting it. To address this properly, we need to go back in time. Ancient Israel was often compared in the Bible to the unfaithful wife who cheated on her husband, in their case, Yahweh. Time and time again, God (Yahweh) called on Israel to repent and promised that if they do, they will be forgiven: Zec 1:3 Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you , says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.’ Other scriptural support: Jer 3:12-14, Jer 31:34, Eze 18:21-22, Isa 43:25, Isaiah 44:22, Joel 2:12-13,...
Read more