It is very difficult to find the words to respond to the scenes of mindless and deliberate slaughter that unfolded in Israel on Saturday morning and continued across the weekend – and even more difficult in a country like Ireland where misguided and nevertheless militant support for the Palestinian “cause” is so entrenched.
What can be said, though, is this: For all those who have wondered for years why the Israelis build walls to keep the Palestinians out of Israel, or who have wondered why the Gaza strip has been blockaded, or has wondered why the Israelis are so assiduous about blocking most imports to Gaza, or who have described the actions of Israel as “apartheid” – this weekend you learned why they do that.
What unfolded, as countless videos shared gleefully by the attackers themselves show, was nothing more or less than an orgy of sectarian murder, and rape. Children were shot dead. Pensioners were shot dead. Young women were killed, raped, and then had their almost-naked corpses paraded through the streets as war trophies, even in one case a German woman who was in Israel to protest in favour of the Palestinians.
None of this was hidden. All of it was eagerly shared with the world, almost as if the perpetrators were seeing just how far they could push their western – and Irish – supporters in politics and the media before shame might compel them to silence.
The answer was pretty clear and endlessly depressing: They can push them a lot further yet.
— The Ditch (@wereontheditch) October 7, 2023
But this is what “Free Palestine” means, in real terms. Not in theoretical terms. Irish people, romantics to the last, have always indulged the damn fool notion that like the northern Irish conflict, all of this can simply be solved if the Israelis are a little nicer, and the Palestinians given their own state. It is nonsense, and has always been so.
Irish people sometimes make the mistake of thinking of the conflict as allegorical to that which unfolded in Northern Ireland, which is why the phrase “two state solution” appears to be mandated by law to be mentioned in every single Irish discussion of the issue. But the truth is that while Israel has always been open to a two state solution, Hamas is not: It believes in a one-state solution, which can be achieved only by the eradication of Israel and Judaism, which it sees as inextricably linked. This is what “from the River to the Sea, Palestine shall be free” means, after all: Just look at a map – a Palestine from the River to the Sea leaves no room for Israel, because it is not intended that Israel should exist.
It is oft forgotten, and oft deliberately forgotten, that the present territory of Gaza was granted self-government by a full and unconditional Israeli withdrawal in 2005, which included the forcible dismantling, by Israel, of many Israeli settlements in the area. The residents had a choice between investing in schools and industry, or investing in weapons and plotting war. Their response was to choose government by Hamas, a group which explicitly calls, in its charter, for the murder of every last Jew in Israel. The aims of Hamas are not a secret. They would perpetrate a Jewish holocaust, given the chance, on a scale larger than Adolf Hitler’s.
This weekend should make clear that they are also not a bluff. 600 people lie dead purely because they were jews, or were suspected of being jews.
Even now, though, the naivete will persist, as will the notion that the Israelis must be expected to open their borders and allow free movement throughout their country of millions of Palestinians, a goodly proportion of whom seem intent on killing Jews for the sake of killing Jews. Ironically, much such bleating will come from people on the so-called “right” of Irish politics who spend the rest of their time raving about the dangers of unfettered immigration into our own country, while most of it will come from the left who spend their time preaching liberalism and sexual freedom in the west, while never yet having found a murderous and repressive Arab regime they wouldn’t like to befriend.
In one of several similar incidents, one of the Hamas attackers who broke into the home of a grandmother in Nir Oz, near #Gaza, killed her, filmed it with her phone and uploaded the video to her Facebook – which is how her grand-daughter found out. pic.twitter.com/0Pi4QUE7xb
— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) October 8, 2023
In the coming days, innocent Palestinians will doubtless have their turn to die in a war that, like the innocent Israelis they will be joining in the afterlife, they had no part in starting. But there will be a difference that many Irish people refuse to acknowledge: While Hamas soldiers entered family homes to murder the innocent deliberately, a great many Palestinians will die because of how their leaders wage war: Placing weapons and missile systems inside schools, and hospitals, and mosques, and other residential and civilian buildings, and daring the Israelis to strike them. In some cases, if past is prologue, civilians will be compelled by Hamas to remain in buildings that the Israelis have issued warnings to before targeting. In some cases, the Israeli warnings will give Hamas time to move the weapons systems, and force the civilians to stay.
The fundamental difference between the two “sides” is the same as it ever has been, when facing down Islamic extremism: One side sees death as a tragedy, the other sees it as a joy.
Between these two combatants, there can never truly be any equivocation, or “both sides”-ing. One is a normal, democratic country like Ireland in which over two million Muslims live and have the right to vote, and in which Palestinians are the third largest group in parliament. The other is an explicitly sectarian death cult. There are no Jews in Gaza, for a reason.
And at home, here in Ireland, there can be no “both sides-ing” either. You either are the kind of person who views raping a civilian woman, murdering her, breaking her legs, and trailing her naked corpse as a trophy through the streets as an “act of resistance”, or you are not.
Palestinians hostage in criminal siege of Gaza for 17 yrs.Since 1948 Palestinians victims of ethnic cleansing, murderous occupation & apartheid. They have every right to resist. Shocking double standards of western leaders supporting Ukraine resistance but condemning Palestinian. pic.twitter.com/eo8LpzG0gI
— Richard Boyd Barrett (@RBoydBarrett) October 8, 2023
If this behaviour can be justified by Richard Boyd Barrett, and others, for people they dislike in Israel, then why would you ever be stupid enough to think they wouldn’t justify it for people they dislike here at home, in Ireland?
You are either a person of good character, or you support or excuse Hamas this weekend. There is no in between.
Loading ...
John did not mince his words but spoke clearly. Why has our government not shut the Mission of the State of Palestine in Dublin and given them 24 hours to leave Ireland for not condemning these deliberate, brutal attacks on civilians old and young? The numbers of dead in Israel are already over 800. It appears most are civilians. Are we now expected to welcome people from Gaza into Ireland who have no respect for the lives of those who differ from them? What of those who are already here? Do the authorities here know about their ideology? Are they going to be allowed to have hateful protests in favour of killing more civilians?
The history of that part of the world is not as simple as pro-Palestinians would have us believe. In 1854 Karl Marx – no lover of the Jewish faith – wrote: “the sedentary population of Jerusalem numbers about 15,500 souls, of whom 4,000 are Mussulmans (Muslims) and 8,000 Jews. The Mussulmans, forming about a fourth part of the whole, and consisting of Turks, Arabs and Moors . . .” Were the Turks, Arabs and Moors a homogenous group? Clearly Jews were not newcomers either in 1948 or in 1923 when the Mandate for Palestine became effective.
Why has the west only come alive with your virtue signaling crocodile tears when it is Israeli people… No one gives a shit when the palestinians are slaughtered year after year.
You conveniently ignore that nine in the top ten on the list of those worst persecuted by people of their own nationality and language are in Muslim countries. Islam is not a religion of peace as is proved in their treatment of their citizens in Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan who become Christians so why should these people give a damn about Jews?
Source: OpenDoorsUK World Watch List.
You conveniently ignore what Israel and the Zionists have been doing to the Palestinian people. This is not about religion this is an internationally recognised country behaving like they make the rules… The Hamas actions are disgusting I do not for one moment condone their barbarity. Israel can fix the middle east problem but unfortunately they never will unless they are forced.
Like the British who invented this Zionist experiment and supported it likecthey did South Africa Apartheid, they are all international bully boys. We need ceasefire and peace talks immediately..
Somewhere Norman Davies who wrote “Europe: A History” (1996) commented that history is really messy. It is far more about the mess and failures of people than about their achievements and successes. This is particularly so for some areas like the Middle East including Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian territories and down to Egypt. I think it wishful thinking that Israel can fix the problem or that the Palestinians would want to share the territory. Their world views are at complete variance.
“Israel can fix the middle East problem”.
What ? Erm no Israel does not have superpowers.
As far as I can tell no ody can fix the problems in the middle East. They are simply too many and too complex. The idea that Israel is in a position to ‘fix the middle East problem’ is disconnected from reality I’m afraid.
When you read a lot about Palestine/ Israel – you can see that easily the two sides could have lived together peacefully if if it were not for outside influence stirring up tension – keep the world divided and in constant war – as there is a lot of money in war – and very little money to be made in peace.
The poor children of Gaza are suffering their 4th war – I certainly would welcome a Palestinian orphan into my home, if they wanted to come.I honestly don’t understand why we are taking 100,000 from Ukraine – when 90% of Ukraine is perfectly safe – yet we take nobody from Gaza or Yemen. Not to mention the 10,000s of ‘refugees’ , we have take from Georgia, Albania & Nigeria.
No doubt the usual suspects will label you as an Israeli apologist but you are just describing things as they are. The Palestinians want all or nothing and nowhere in their agenda is there a place for the Israeli Jewish population. To them the Jews are Dhimmi at best and so would we be if they had their chance. The left are already ghosting the 700 or so victims of HAMAS and excuse the savagery. The migrant workers, Thai and Nepalese, who were slaughtered don’t make it into their consciousness at all. Those who orchestrated that attack knew exactly what the reaction would be and from now on we will see the pictures of bodies from Gaza. The Palestinians will wallow in their victimhood the way certain groups in this country do. Both groups of course have a history of callousness towards women, children and civilians in general.
And unfortunately we seem to be at a time in the world where there are very few leaders capable of moving towards peace. Having Netanyahu remain in power may be the worst of all worlds given his hard line, uncompromising approach. Biden has been a disaster in many ways and the EU is shaky largely because of leaders like Von der Leyen. Already powerful US forces are gathering and Iran could be a flashpoint with the possibility of the US and Russia moving beyond proxy wars. Scary times.
Those who believe the Palestinians are the only dispossessed group in the Middle East might do well to read this. No doubt some will label it Israeli propaganda but bear in mind there are other groups dispossessed by Arab and Muslim governments but who don’t have the same voice. The Expulsion of Jews from Muslim Countries (jcpa.org)
Western leaders in Ireland, UK, USA, Germany and more have bought into the lie that Islam is a religion of peace. Christians in Muslim countries are treated disgracefully and often brutally in contrast to their fellow citizens who are Muslims. Converts suffer worse and Muhammad had no compunction in seeing them put to death. Note the contrast to the teaching of Jesus: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” (Luke 6:27-28). I will leave the readers to judge which of the two is the religion of peace or who to believe.
That is just not true – first – it was their land to begin with when they were ethnically cleansed – most supported the two State solution but Israel had no intention of implementing that agreement and grabbed 95% of the land. Most Palestinians – I live there for a period – so I have spoken to many – don’t want all or nothing – they want an equal say – they want to be treated like human beings – they don’t want their homes bulldozed etc… quite reasonable demands to make really.
Christians are the most persecuted group of people in the world today. This is a fact. Who are the perpetrators of this persecution?….…..Muslims and Muslim countries. What the palestinians are doing is naked terrorism. They have never historically had a country of their own unlike Israel. What do they want? Israel to hand over their land to them. Israel has been a kingdom / country since Biblical times with Jerusalem as it’s capital.
Full on psychopath here, Israel is land stolen from Palestinians.
No it’s not. The Jews have lived in Israel for thousands of years. Israel was part of both the Roman and then the Byzantine empire. The invaders are the Arabs who after the death of Mahomet in 630 AD launched a campaign of conquest. The invaders in Israel are the later murderous Arab arrivals.
What many do not realize is that they were living in the land for over a thousand years before the first Roman soldiers set foot in the land with direct links going back two millennia before Islam came into existence.
Hold on a second – before WW2 , the Palestinians live there peacefully -when the British signed the Balfour declaration to give Palestine ( a land that was not theirs) to a 3rd people – that is the Jews – how are the Palestinians invaders – when they have lived there for their whole lives – their parents, grandparents etc…
Well historically they lived in the country and presently 6 million of them still live in the country – what do you mean they never had a country – they had the whole of the country when 6 million moved in and ethnically cleansed them, no?
Ireland should not take one single Palestinian as a refugee, once Israel eradicates Gaza once and for all. Otherwise, it will be Irish women who are lying naked, raped and murdered on the back of a truck. Even Arab countries never leave these cretins in…
The Jews on the other hand, are an amazing people who have contributed more to human development than any other ethnicity per capita. They will always be welcome here!
GOD BLESS ISRAEL, THE LONG PROMISED JEWISH STATE. DO WHAT YOU MUST TO WIN THIS WAR
Eradicates Gaza – as in kills 2.2 million people – I mean that is just sick, sick , sick- you are morally sick person. You need help – why would you want 2.2 million people, including 500,000 & children to be eradicated?
Well said John. Muslims would happily annilihate all Jews given half a chance. They would love to finish what Hitler started. And when they’re finished with them, next all Christians and non-believers. Wouldn’t be surprised if Iran and Saudi Arabia were also behind this. MBS is even more two-faced than most.
And if they’re are any Palestinian refugees, bizarrely many will want to flee to Europe, part of what they call the Zionist, Imperialist West responsible for all their woes. Yet their fellow Muslim countries which should welcome their brothers with open arms will take none despite some of them being the wealthiest countries in the world.
Michael- ‘if there are any Palestinian refugees’ – there are millions of them – they are living in refugee camps having being ethnically cleansed out of their homes – they are in camps in Jenin, Syria, Lebanon – look at the stats – very few Palestinian are in non- Muslim countries – and significant minority of the Palestinian refugees are actually Christians.
“One is a normal, democratic country like Ireland in which over two million Muslims live and have the right to vote, and in which Palestinians are the third largest group in parliament.”
In which multiverse is this? Possibly some editing required …
Whatever side of the Israeli/ Palestinian debate one finds themselves on, it has to be admitted that this attack was different. To take hostages of mainly women and children, from the very young to the very old and to bring them across enemy lines. To rape, murder and parade a young woman’s naked body through the streets of Gaza, to break into homes and kill civilians? This is barbarism and cannot be justified.
Just to start by saying that l hugely enjoy the majority of John’s articles. His insights and ability to articulate his position are enviable. However, the above piece is depressing in both its predictability and one-sideness.
The horrors of the past few days speak for themselves however they cannot & should not be looked at in isolation from the injustices of the overall conflict, a conflict that has seen the rights of indigenous Palestinians trampled on by a deeply ethnocentric Jewish state.
Craven & sycophantic articles such as the above can only leave one wondering just how free & objective John’s opinion really is on this most incendiary of issues.
Le meas,
Pól
You seem ill informed as you conveniently ignore that of the 50 countries with the worst persecution of their own citizens, who become Christians, two thirds are in Muslim countries. What has and is happening to them every day, even as I write, should help you put into perspective what is happening in Gaza. The human rights organizations and politicians are stunningly silent about the ideology of these persecutors. They are also the ones instigating in Gaza and the West Bank.
See my link above.
With respect your “honesty” would be better served by using your real name as opposed to a dull moniker.
I might at least then take your whataboutery attempts at re-education a little more seriously.
I
The contrast between the paroxysms when someone shouted at a politician a few weeks ago with the relative silence when a sitting TD supports the action of a mass murdering terrorist organisation is truly frightening. The Government must stop being led by the nose by the far left or else we will be in danger soon.
You are justifying the unjust – bombing schools, homes, hospitals- there are 2.2 million people in the Gaza strip – Israel is not bombing schools, hospitals , mosques in self-defence – it is bombing them – because it wants their occupants to leave – it wants a Jewish State for a Jewish people and these Palestinians who refuse to leave their own homeland despite huge suffering must be killed. I don’t think millions of Palestinians want Israelis dead – the vast majority supported a two State solution – but there are not two States because Israel has annexed 95% of the land and left millions of Palestinians in tiny spaces, caged together like animals. What Hamas did was immoral – what Israel does on a daily basis is also morally wrong- killing , bulldozing homes, ethnically cleansing people from their homeland- all of it is morally wrong.
You either support Apartheid Israel for nearly 100 years of oppression or you dont John
Equating Israel with apartheid South Africa doesn’t work. There are large numbers of Muslims living and working in Israel. There are many of them elected to the Israeli Knesset.
Can you imagine Apartheid South Africa having large numbers of black people in their Parliament