A unilateral Israeli ceasefire is a surrender
19 April 2024
An Israeli ceasefire, under the terms proposed by many Palestinians and their supporters, is tantamount to an Israeli surrender to the Palestinian government in Gaza (Hamas), leading to the ultimate destruction of Israel.
Right now, the Palestinian government of Hamas has no restraints to its goal of destroying the State of Israel except for the Israeli military. Although it was elected by the Palestinian people in Gaza, it is not answerable to them - there are no future elections scheduled. Furthermore, the Palestinian people, whether in Gaza, the United States or elsewhere, have shown little concern about the actions of their government, even though:
The Palestinian government has engaged in continuous terrorist or military activities that predictably lead to an aggressive Israeli response that kills or injures a large number of Palestinians (āsuicide by proxyā).
The Palestinian government has used the Palestinians of Gaza as human sacrifices for Israelās response to Palestinian terrorist or missile attacks and is proud to sacrifice āmartyrsā:
In the wake of Hamasās Oct. 7 massacre, Hamas is counting on human shields and the effect of their deaths on international opinion as their best way to restrain, if not halt, Israeli military force. Hamas considers two million Gazan civilians, including children, as martyrs, whether they want to be or not.Ā
āWe are called a nation ofĀ martyrs,ā said another top Hamas official, Ghazi Hamad.Ā āAnd we are proud to sacrifice martyrs.ā He promised more attacks:Ā āThere will be a second, a third, a fourth.ā When asked whether he sought the annihilation of Israel, Hamad matter-of-factly replied, āYes, of course.ā
This is not simply terrorism, which is the use of illegal violence to achieve political objectives. It is cold-blooded human sacrifice, andĀ on a scale that evokes the ritual slaughters of ancient times. Ā The Hill
The Palestinian government has aggressively used humanitarian aid to construct weapons to be used against Israel and to construct a massive tunnel complex to hide Palestinian leaders and to launch weapons.
Although Palestinians regularly protest against the United States and Israel, there have been few protests against the Palestinian government of Gaza:
As for tolerance? One canāt help but wonder, no matter what oneās opinion of Israel, or its despicable government under Benjamin Netanyahu or the particulars of its military response, why one rarely hears pro-Palestinian demonstrators condemn the terrorist organization Hamas, which has controlled Gaza without an election since 2006. Or why those who wish Israelās military campaign in Gaza to end donāt likewise urge Hamas to end the fighting, which it could easily do by freeing the hostages it took during its Oct. 7 rampage.
Lofty, unrealistic goals, all. But no more unlikely than the wholesale eradication of Israel that many of these protesters seem to advocate above all else. As far as I could tell, the word āpeaceā was notably absent in the student display at Columbia. The New York Times
This unilateral ceasefire would restrain Israel from further action to hunt down the Palestinian leaders who committed acts of terror against Israelis and would make it more difficult for Israel to respond to any further aggression. On the other hand, it will leave the Palestinians free to continue their terrorist and military activities without any fear of retribution. It allows them to pursue their frequently stated goal of destroying Israel.
The solution is for the Palestinian people and their supporters in Gaza and worldwide to:
Pressure the Palestinian government in Gaza to release the hostages and stop their military offensive.
Undertake the difficult task of establishing a nonterrorist, relatively noncorrupt State in Gaza and the West Bank. This will require close collaboration with other Arab nations, the United States, other Western nations and Israel.
Take responsibility for their own actions and future and stop blaming their problems on Israel, the United States and Jews.
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"An Israeli ceasefire, under the terms proposed by many Palestinians and their supporters, is tantamount to an Israeli surrender to the Palestinian government in Gaza (Hamas), leading to the ultimate destruction of Israel."
------------> How absurd! "Tantamount" means "virtually the same as." In what Wonderland is "ceasing to slaughter Palestinians" virtually the same as "destroying Israel? Israel is far more likely to be destroyed if it continues to alienate all the nations of the world, which have come to view what's going on there the way I do, and the way most Americans now do. With the exception of those who steadfastly refuse to see reality.
<<Right now, the Palestinian government of Hamas has no restraints to its goal of destroying the State of Israel except for the Israeli military.>>
----------> That may well be Hamas' goal. But what is actually occuring here, in the world of reality that you can't seem to accept, is that "right now the Israeli government of Netanyahu has no restraints to its goal of destroying the Palestinian people," and won't have any such restraints unless and until the United States stops facilitating genocide.
<<Although it was elected by the Palestinian people in Gaza, it is not answerable to them - there are no future elections scheduled.>>
-----------> True. Criticism of Israel is not tantamount to defense or even acceptance of Hamas. But Israel has now murdered more Palestinian noncombatants than any estimate of the number of Hamas fighters. Israel's war is perhaps 5% directed at Hamas, and 95% directed at civilians. Who will correct this nightmarish situation? Who is Netanyahu accountable to? What elections does HE have scheduled?
<<Furthermore, the Palestinian people, whether in Gaza, the United States or elsewhere, have shown little concern about the actions of their government>>
-----------> Israel is slaughtering the Palestinian people. What concern do you expect Palestinians to show towards those who are attempting to defend them?
<<The Palestinian government has engaged in continuous terrorist or military activities that predictably lead to an aggressive Israeli response that kills or injures a large number of Palestinians (āsuicide by proxyā)>>
-------------> How many Israelis - and please count separately the IDF and the civilians - has Hamas killed since October 7 through its "continuous terrorist or military activities"? It's Israel that will destroy itself by its "predictable aggressive response."
<<The Palestinian government has used the Palestinians of Gaza as human sacrifices for Israelās response to Palestinian terrorist or missile attacks and is proud to sacrifice āmartyrsā.>>
----------> Those who denounce Israel also denounce Hamas. It's true that neither government cares about the Palestinians much, but the number of "human sacrifices" or "martyrs" pales into insignificance next to the total number killed by Israeli action. Acknowledge, please, that Israel prevents 99% of Hamas missle attacks through the U.S.-funded Iron Dome, while the Palestinians have no such defense and die accordingly when Israel is proud to launch many, many times as many missles and bombs into Gaza.
<<In the wake of Hamasās Oct. 7 massacre, Hamas is counting on human shields and the effect of their deaths on international opinion as their best way to restrain, if not halt, Israeli military force. Hamas considers two million Gazan civilians, including children, as martyrs, whether they want to be or not. >>
-------------> I am surprised that you know what Hamas is "counting on" - "human shields" given the same apparent weight as the force of international condemnation - and what Hamas "considers." Are you privy to their meetings, Nat? Or don't you need factual evidence, as a rational analyst would?
<<āWe are called a nation of martyrs,ā said another top Hamas official, Ghazi Hamad. āAnd we are proud to sacrifice martyrs.ā He promised more attacks: āThere will be a second, a third, a fourth.ā When asked whether he sought the annihilation of Israel, Hamad matter-of-factly replied, āYes, of course.ā>>
-----------> Stopping Israel does not in any way preclude stopping Hamas. In fact, stopping Israel is a PRECONDITION of stopping Hamas.
<<This is not simply terrorism, which is the use of illegal violence to achieve political objectives. It is cold-blooded human sacrifice, and on a scale that evokes the ritual slaughters of ancient times. >>
-----------------> Can you say with a straight fact that this describes what HAMAS rather than ISRAEL is achieving? Over and over you demonstrate the truth of the old saying, "None so blind as those who will not see."
<<The Palestinian government has aggressively used humanitarian aid to construct weapons to be used against Israel>>
-------------> WHAT???? You mean they're using food, water, antibiotics, sutures, and bandages to make weapons? Rube Al-Goldberg must be working for them.
<< and to construct a massive tunnel complex to hide Palestinian leaders and to launch weapons.>>
--------------> Yes. They aren't putting their leaders outside with big targets on their backs. How shameful of them! And they're launching weapons back at those who are launching weapons at them? Unbelievable!
<<Although Palestinians regularly protest against the United States and Israel, there have been few protests against the Palestinian government of Gaza:>>
-----------> Protests against the US and Israel can reduce casualties. Protests against Hamas (which you persist in calling "the Palestinian government of Gaza," to conflate the guilty with the innocent) can not.
<<As for tolerance? One canāt help but wonder, no matter what oneās opinion of Israel, or its despicable government under Benjamin Netanyahu or the particulars of its military response, why one rarely hears pro-Palestinian demonstrators condemn the terrorist organization Hamas, which has controlled Gaza without an election since 2006.>>
------------> See above.
<< Or why those who wish Israelās military campaign in Gaza to end donāt likewise urge Hamas to end the fighting, which it could easily do by freeing the hostages it took during its Oct. 7 rampage.>>
-----------> Again, you seem to know Israeli policy better than Israel does. When did Netanyahu say "We will 'end the fighting' as soon as the hostages are freed"? He has no more intention of ending the fighting (which allows him to postpone elections and stave off losing his job and going to jail) than Hamas does.
<<Lofty, unrealistic goals, all. But no more unlikely than the wholesale eradication of Israel that many of these protesters seem to advocate above all else. As far as I could tell, the word āpeaceā was notably absent in the student display at Columbia. The New York Times>>
----------> I thought it was a ceasefire that would destroy Israel, but now I see it's student protestors at Columbia. Thanks for that clarification.
<<This unilateral ceasefire would restrain Israel from further action to hunt down the Palestinian leaders who committed acts of terror against Israelis>>
---------> The number of dead Palestinians is approaching 40,000. How many "Palestinian leaders who committed acts of terror against Israelis" have been "hunted down"? You know math - extrapolate whatever number answers my questions to the entire leadership of Hamas. How many dead Palestinians will there be by then?
<< and would make it more difficult for Israel to respond to any further aggression.>>
-----------> Israel is always free to continue apartheid and genocide, or not, as long as it exists. You prefer to think that Israeli choice is 100% determined by Hamas, but that really isn't true, you know.
<< On the other hand, it will leave the Palestinians free to continue their terrorist and military activities without any fear of retribution. >>
-----------> Even most pacifists make an exception for protecting their own lives and the lives of their loved ones. The fear of retribution can never be eliminated, except between two democracies. There is no longer even one in the Middle East, Israel having declared its non-Jewish citizens to be second-class.
<<It allows them to pursue their frequently stated goal of destroying Israel.>>
-------------> As though there were no alternative to genocide in restraining Hamas. Al Capone probably had as many people killed as were killed on October 7; maybe the US should have started killing every Italian-American until they got Capone and his henchmen. What, that's just stupid? Think about it.
The solution is for the Palestinian people and their supporters in Gaza and worldwide to:
<<Pressure the Palestinian government in Gaza to release the hostages and stop their military offensive.>>
---------> Right. And the Russians under Putin should exert that kind of pressure, and the North Koreans under Kim Jong Il, and the Germans, in the '40's, against Hitler. VERY effective! You REALLY understand how authoritarian governments respond to citizen pressure, Nat.
<<Undertake the difficult task of establishing a nonterrorist, relatively noncorrupt State in Gaza and the West Bank. This will require close collaboration with other Arab nations, the United States, other Western nations and Israel.>>
------------> True enough. But that difficult task can't even begin until the Palestinians are no longer in a constant state of war.
<<Take responsibility for their own actions and future and stop blaming their problems on Israel, the United States and Jews.>>
-----------> If you were a Palestinian you would understand 75 intolerable years of oppression and 17 intolerable years of imprisonment. I know it's not your being Jewish that blocks this understanding, because I'm Jewish and I get it. So what IS it?