In todays news...

[irie]

This link to a Times of Israel article (interestingly published on 4th October 2023 just 3 days before Israel was attacked by Hamas) shows the sort of weaponry used by Islamic Jihad just a few days later.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/islamic-j ... e-in-gaza/

It is obvious that the weapons used by Islamic Jihab and others are deployed in a totally different way and are far more powerful than the ordnance you say you have personally experienced in your ME service.

For goodness sake man, make a point.

The link shows that you don't know what you're talking about.

[Dodgy69]

I see the UK prime minister giving his full backing and support to Israel on the news tonight. It would of been nice to hear his support for an end to the killing of innocent men, women and children on either side. Imo.

[Mr Moofo]

I see the UK prime minister giving his full backing and support to Israel on the news tonight. It would of been nice to hear his support for an end to the killing of innocent men, women and children on either side. Imo.

Have Hamas released the hostages yet?

[irie]

Given ...

1. The USS Gerald Ford and USS Dwight Eisenhower are now deployed in the Eastern Med.

2. The latest US worldwide terror warnings to American citizens.

3. Unconfirmed reports that Biden has given the go-ahead to an IDF offensive in Gaza.

... the IDF offensive looks set to be on a sabbath - either Muslim, Jewish, or Christian.

[Yambo]

I'm a tad confused by the reported deaths at the Gaza hospital. I expected to see a multi-storey hospital building in flames/ruins/collapsed but all I've seen are photos of a car park.

Were all the people who died in the car park? Is the hospital itself undamaged? I don't know but I guess it suits somebody's narrative to say a hospital was attacked.

[Docca]

Just catching up:

- I think constraint is key. We’ve already had established that even direct reports from mates who are journalists re: baby beheadings are not true.

-I do believe Hamas attacked Israel. I’m not sighted on the extent of the attacks.

-I am not pro-Hamas nor am I making a play for terrorism. There is the old adage though: one man’s terrors is another man’s freedom fighter. Wasn’t Nelson Mandela on the US’s most nasty terrorist bastard list until the mid ‘80s?

- I am pro Palestine in so much as I disagree entirely with the Zionist land-grab of the state of Israel.

-I am suspicious of the motives of Israel and how many civilians are going to die. Every bit of fake news/baby beheading that feeds into generating sympathy for mass genocide is overwhelmingly alarming.

-I’m not surprised by people who believe what is spoon fed to them through the main media outlets and don’t apply critical thinking to what they’re being told.

[Mr. Dazzle]

-I’m not surprised by people who believe what is spoon fed to them through the main media outlets and don’t apply critical thinking to what they’re being told.

Nothing to do with Israel, but I do feel like we've gone full circle inception on this attitude now Everyone has been told to not believe everything they're told and now nothing is to be believed, mostly because of what we've all been told.

[Count Steer]

Wasn’t Nelson Mandela on the US’s most nasty terrorist bastard list until the mid ‘80s?

Go a bit further back and you'll find Britain thought much the same about the Stern Gang/Lehi and Irgun.

It was ever thus. History often means looking back with the telescope used the wrong way round...atrocities are made to look smaller.

[Treadeager]

Wasn’t Nelson Mandela on the US’s most nasty terrorist bastard list until the mid ‘80s?

Go a bit further back and you'll find Britain thought much the same about the Stern Gang/Lehi and Irgun.

It was ever thus. History often means looking back with the telescope used the wrong way round...atrocities are made to look smaller.

And indeed Menachem Begin......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menachem_Begin

[JackyJoll]

I disagree entirely with the Zionist land-grab of the state of Israel.

What would you like to see done about that?

[Docca]

I disagree entirely with the Zionist land-grab of the state of Israel.

What would you like to see done about that?

It’s too late, Jacky. There is a good graphic somewhere showing the gradual reduction in the size of Palenstine - I would have preferred for that not to have progressed

Although through your style of questioning, I’d suggest you have a view.

[JackyJoll]

I disagree entirely with the Zionist land-grab of the state of Israel.

What would you like to see done about that?

It’s too late, Jacky. There is a good graphic somewhere showing the gradual reduction in the size of Palenstine - I would have preferred for that not to have progressed

Although through your style of questioning, I’d suggest you have a view.

We’d all prefer that lots of things hadn’t happened.

Today’s problems can only be addressed from now onwards.

[Count Steer]

What would you like to see done about that?

It’s too late, Jacky. There is a good graphic somewhere showing the gradual reduction in the size of Palenstine - I would have preferred for that not to have progressed

Although through your style of questioning, I’d suggest you have a view.

We’d all prefer that lots of things hadn’t happened.

Today’s problems can only be addressed from now onwards.

So, what would you like to see done in the future?

[JackyJoll]

It’s too late, Jacky. There is a good graphic somewhere showing the gradual reduction in the size of Palenstine - I would have preferred for that not to have progressed

Although through your style of questioning, I’d suggest you have a view.

We’d all prefer that lots of things hadn’t happened.

Today’s problems can only be addressed from now onwards.

So, what would you like to see done in the future?

I’m a bit baffled and somewhat pessimistic.

I expect we’d all like to see Palestine (even if it’s called Israel) be a respectable country, where people have equal rights and Arabs are not evicted or generally bullied. That may sound naive, but what other goal can there be? That one side or the other should disappear? I don’t think the Israelis will exterminate the Palestinians and the Palestinians fall a very long way short of being capable of exterminating the Jews.

Every event that reaches the news seems to deflect the course of history away from any settled, happy situation. The Moslems kill some Jews, the Jews smite them back and go further into a fortress mentality.

[irie]

What's happening now is also part of the struggle for regional dominance between Saudi (Sunni) and Iran (Shia).

Between 85 and 90 percent of Saudi citizens are Sunni Muslims.

Between 90 and 95 percent of Iran citizens are Shia Muslims.

[JackyJoll]

What's happening now is also part of the struggle for regional dominance between Saudi (Sunni) and Iran (Shia).

Between 85 and 90 percent of Saudi citizens are Sunni Muslims.

Between 90 and 95 percent of Iran citizens are Shia Muslims.

And Hamas are Sunni?

[Count Steer]

What's happening now is also part of the struggle for regional dominance between Saudi (Sunni) and Iran (Shia).

Between 85 and 90 percent of Saudi citizens are Sunni Muslims.

Between 90 and 95 percent of Iran citizens are Shia Muslims.

You are aware, of course, of the divisions in the Israeli Jewish population too. The Hassidim, the Sephardis and the Ashkenazis for example? There are many 'ethnic' Israelis that aren't happy with the fact that their government isn't errm..local people by origin and resent having to do national service (and that some don't have to) but a common enemy helps keep it all together. It's complicated. No doubt you have a solution.

[JackyJoll]

No doubt you have a solution.

The person with the solution should tell it to someone more important than us.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I expect we’d all like to see Palestine (even if it’s called Israel) be a respectable country, where people have equal rights and Arabs are not evicted or generally bullied. That may sound naive, but what other goal can there be? That one side or the other should disappear? I don’t think the Israelis will exterminate the Palestinians and the Palestinians fall a very long way short of being capable of exterminating the Jews.

Pretty sure Soloman, he of Judging fame, was Jewish right? He might even appear in Islamic scripture, I dunno.

More people should know about his story I guess.

[ZRX61]

You are aware, of course, of the divisions in the Israeli Jewish population too. The Hassidim, the Sephardis and the Ashkenazis for example? There are many 'ethnic' Israelis that aren't happy with the fact that their government isn't errm..local people by origin and resent having to do national service (and that some don't have to) but a common enemy helps keep it all together. It's complicated. No doubt you have a solution.

We just had a group calling themselves "Jews for a ceasefire" take over part of a US Govt building in DC... & US media described them as "Pro-Palestinian demonstrators"...