For today’s light reading I turn to the Middle East.

All Civilian Deaths are Unacceptable

It’s a little over one year since Hamas committed their awful terrorist attack. About 1200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. I condemn the attack.

In the year since then, Israel have been using their military might to attempt to destroy Hamas. In the past month the war has widened to include attacks on Hizbollah in southern Lebanon.

Israel does have a right to self defense, but the toll on Palestinian civilians has been unacceptable.

• Over 41,000 Palestinians are dead and at least 2/3 are civilians. We know this because 2/3 of the deaths are women and children.
• 90% of Gazans are displaced.
• The Gaza strip has been turned to rubble – just look at any photos or video from the region.
• Aid has been blockaded by Israel, with people starving and unable to get medical treatment the predictable results.
• Over 100 journalists have been killed in Gaza

If you see what I did there, I condemned both sides for their poor actions. Hamas and the Israeli government and defense forces. I have sympathy for the civilians in Israel and Palestine. Unlike what some people suggest, you don’t need to pick one side or the other. In this case both sides’ military/governments have acted inhumanely and both can be rightly called out for it.

Biden’s Foreign Policy

The Biden administration’s response has been poor, in my opinion. Calling for a “humanitarian pause” – I’m not sure why no one can say ceasefire – and a path to peace on one hand. Pledging unconditional support to Israel and supplying it with all the bombs it can drop on the other. The US aid pier didn’t live up to the promise in the State of the Union address. It was closed almost as soon as it opened.

I will say the Biden administration’s policy is completely expected. It’s been standard US foreign policy for decades now. Unqualified support for Israel including arming them while calling for a path to peace between Israel and Palestine. If you think the status quo is bad, I agree. It will be more of the same under Kamala Harris.

Trump’s Foreign Policy

If you’re unhappy with the US’s current position on Israel and Palestine, casting a vote for Trump is Turkeys voting for Thanksgiving! Trump’s Middle East policy would be a disaster, not merely disappointing.

Trump believes in a single state – Israel. Gone is any talk of a path to peace. Gone is any condemnation of stealing Palestinian land or condemnation of Palestinian civilian casualties. There would be no criticism of Israel because in his worldview they are the good guys who can do no wrong. Or maybe his support for Israel is because his Evangelical base seem to love it. Either way it’s black and white and ignores all the grays.

The true craziness though is that despite being radically pro-Israel, Donald Trump is anti-semitic. His statements about an election loss being the fault of Jews not voting for him are a disgrace.

Let’s not let this madman divide us along lines of faith, as he’s attempting to do. We can be better than that.