What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[The Minsky Moment]

The population of Gaza went from 5,000 to less than 1,000 under Hamas rule and there are plenty of reports of harassment, forced conversion and land theft by the PA.  So let's not pretend there is a "well tolerated" Christian community in Palestine.

Why don't you ask the Christian community in the West Bank who they fear more, and who harasses them more?  It's not even close. A few months ago, settler gangs carried out a pogrom (there is no other word to describe it) in a Christian village, burning houses to the ground, destroying cars, and murdering three residents. Depending on reports, the IDF either stood by or directly assisted.

In the Gaza war, the IDF bombed a 12th century Orthodox church, killing over a dozen. The only Catholic Church in Gaza has been attacked multiple times during the war: Israeli snipers murdered two unarmed women on church grounds, a school run by nuns on church grounds was bombed and destroyed, others were killed and the parish priest injured when Israeli tanks fired at the Church.  Gaza Christians have no love for Hamas, but it is the IDF that has put them in graves and forced them into refugee camps.

The indefensible remains indefensible.  When the Gaza war started, I took Israel's side, gave them every benefit of the doubt, defended their rights to retaliation under international law.  You can look it up; it's right here on languish.  I took them at their word that they were acting in good faith to ensure their security.  That position has long ceased to be tenable.  The attacks against civilians have been wildly disproportionate to any valid military purpose.  Israel took the opportunity to dismantle Hezbollah - good for them. Meanwhile, although Israel has taken out about half the Hamas senior leadership, the other half remains active, and according to US intelligence reports, Hamas has recruited between 10,000 to 15,000 new fighters since the war began, likely fully replacing its losses.  So the military operation has failed its primary objective.

[The Minsky Moment]

I'll do the best I can, but if you (or anyone else) weaponize people's disclosed mental health issues against them, I will step in regardless of who it is.  Frankly I think it's everyone duty to do that, it's one of the most sacred norms we have to upkeep here.

+1

Raz's take on the I-P conflict may be wrong, but it's hardly unusual, either in the position taken or the vehemence with which it is held.  Attack the argument, not the man.                                                                     

[Admiral Yi]

Dguller, pizza is inarguably great, right? Now do me a small favour and imagine yourself in a room with someone who insists on extolling the virtues of pizza nonstop and to the exclusion of all other topics. Worse still there are other people in the room too and anytime you try to have a conversation with them said person interrupts to talk about how great pizza is. How long before you find the situation annoying? A day, a month, the two years that have passed here on languish? And when you find it annoying is it because of your cognitive dissonance or because they won't shut the fuck up about pizza.

I don't get why you two are trying to find some subtextual layer to the blindingly obvious. For someone who purports to  endeavour to fact based discussion above all else your reasoning seems very emotional to me.

*edit* anyway, this is starting to become my own personal obsession it seems . I've said my peace, I tried to say something because I miss old Raz, but going in circles helps no one and I'm verging (already passed? ) on annoying others.

Talking can interrupt, text can't.  If you're talking with Shelf about your favorite beers and Raz starts ranting about antisemitism, you don't have to respond.  You can go on texting about beer.