Netanyahu brushes off calls for restraint, saying Israel will decide how to respond to Iran's attack
By JULIA FRANKEL and TIA GOLDENBERG
Today
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday his country would be the one to decide whether and how to respond to Iran’s major air assault earlier this week, brushing off calls for restraint from close allies.
Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack without saying when or how, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of unrest linked to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Israel’s allies have been urging Israel since the attack to hold back on any response that could spiral. These calls were repeated on Wednesday during visits by the British and German foreign ministers.
The diplomatic pressures came as Iran’s president warned that even the “tiniest” invasion of its territory would bring a “massive and harsh” response. Violence meanwhile surged on Wednesday between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, which fired a volley of rockets on northern Israel. The attack wounded at least 14 Israeli soldiers, six seriously, the army said.
Speaking to a meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday, Netanyahu said he met with both ministers and thanked them for their countries’ support. But he said Israel would make the call on its own on how to respond despite “all sorts of suggestions and advice” coming from Israel’s allies, some of whom — including the U.S., U.K. and France — helped Israel repel Iran’s drone and missile assault.
“I want to be clear: we will make our decisions ourselves. The state of Israel will do whatever is necessary to defend itself,” Netanyahu said.
Despite the tough rhetoric, Israel appears unlikely to attack Iran directly without at least the support of its top ally, the U.S. But it could resort to more covert methods such as targeting senior Iranian commanders or Iran-backed groups in other countries, or launching a cyber attack.
It’s unclear how Iran might respond given the heightened tensions. Any miscalculation by either side risks setting off a regional war.
President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday announced new sanctions on Iran and has worked to coordinate a global rebuke of the attack while urging all sides to de-escalate. U.S. officials said earlier this week that Biden told Netanyahu that Washington would not participate in any offensive action against Iran.
Over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in response to an apparent Israeli strike on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed 12 people, including two Iranian generals.
Israel says it and its partners successfully intercepted nearly all the missiles and drones. A 7-year-old girl was wounded in the attack, which did not cause any deaths or major damage.
Israel and Iran have waged a shadow war for decades, but the strike over the weekend was the first direct Iranian military attack on Israel.
With tensions surging, Israel’s allies have reinforced a message of restraint.
Earlier on Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who were on separate visits to the region, each appealed for calm.
Cameron said “it’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act” against Iran, but he hoped they would do so “in a way that is smart as well as tough and also does as little as possible to escalate this conflict.” He spoke after meeting with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, whose office is mainly ceremonial.
Baerbock said Germany stands “in full solidarity with Israel” but called on it to exercise restraint.
“Everyone must now act prudently and responsibly. I’m not talking about giving in. I’m talking about prudent restraint, which is nothing less than strength,” she told reporters. “Because Israel has already shown strength with its defensive victory at the weekend.”
The ministers said they would push for further international sanctions on Iran.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi warned Israel against any retaliation as he addressed an annual army parade, which had been relocated to a barracks from its usual route and was not carried live on state TV — possibly because of fears that it could be targeted.
In remarks carried by Iran’s official IRNA news agency, Raisi said Saturday’s attack was limited, and that if Iran had wanted to carry out a bigger attack, “nothing would remain from the Zionist regime.”
Regional tensions have soared since the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel launched by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Palestinian armed groups supported by Iran. The attack killed some 1,200 Israelis, and the militants took around 250 hostages. Israel responded with one of the deadliest and most destructive military onslaughts in recent history, killing nearly 34,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count but say most of the dead are women and children.
Israel has withdrawn most of its forces from Gaza after major offensives that left its two biggest cities — Gaza City and Khan Younis — in ruins. But Israeli officials say the war is not over and that they plan to send ground forces into the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah, where more than half the territory’s population of 2.3 million people have sought refuge from fighting elsewhere.
Hamas is still holding around 130 hostages, a quarter of whom are believed to be dead, and international efforts to broker a cease-fire and hostage release have made little progress.
Hezbollah, another close Iran ally, has traded fire with Israel along the border on a near-daily basis since the war began, in a low-intensity conflict that risks igniting all-out war. Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria have also launched attacks, and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have targeted international shipping in the Red Sea, portraying it as a blockade of Israel.
___
Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, Jill Lawless in London and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
So now Israel has struck back. Where is this headed? Or are we there already? I have this uneasy feeling again lately...
no confirmation I have seen. Its possible another country in the region benefits from the implication that Israel is behind it. Or it could simply be internal, groups looking to ukraine or some russians and how they are disrupting putin?
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
A child is injured or killed every ten minutes in Gaza..
I can't even imagine the horrors.
The whole region has been in chaos for as long as I can remember (or longer than I've been alive, really). And when it all escalates, I can't help but think we're yet again on the verge of widespread catastrophe.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
A child is injured or killed every ten minutes in Gaza..
I can't even imagine the horrors.
The whole region has been in chaos for as long as I can remember (or longer than I've been alive, really). And when it all escalates, I can't help but think we're yet again on the verge of widespread catastrophe.
Another generation will grow up with hate in their hearts.. both sides..
Athens 2006. Dusseldorf 2007. Berlin 2009. Venice 2010. Amsterdam 1 2012. Amsterdam 1+2 2014. Buenos Aires 2015. Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022 EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
A child is injured or killed every ten minutes in Gaza..
I can't even imagine the horrors.
The whole region has been in chaos for as long as I can remember (or longer than I've been alive, really). And when it all escalates, I can't help but think we're yet again on the verge of widespread catastrophe.
Another generation will grow up with hate in their hearts.. both sides..
and thats been the goal of leadership. both sides.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
A child is injured or killed every ten minutes in Gaza..
I can't even imagine the horrors.
The whole region has been in chaos for as long as I can remember (or longer than I've been alive, really). And when it all escalates, I can't help but think we're yet again on the verge of widespread catastrophe.
Another generation will grow up with hate in their hearts.. both sides..
A child is injured or killed every ten minutes in Gaza..
I can't even imagine the horrors.
The whole region has been in chaos for as long as I can remember (or longer than I've been alive, really). And when it all escalates, I can't help but think we're yet again on the verge of widespread catastrophe.
Another generation will grow up with hate in their hearts.. both sides..
and thats been the goal of leadership. both sides.
I'm afraid you're both probably right. Religious fanaticism makes resolving their differences and finding peace nearly (if not virtually) impossible.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
A child is injured or killed every ten minutes in Gaza..
I can't even imagine the horrors.
The whole region has been in chaos for as long as I can remember (or longer than I've been alive, really). And when it all escalates, I can't help but think we're yet again on the verge of widespread catastrophe.
Another generation will grow up with hate in their hearts.. both sides..
A child is injured or killed every ten minutes in Gaza..
I can't even imagine the horrors.
The whole region has been in chaos for as long as I can remember (or longer than I've been alive, really). And when it all escalates, I can't help but think we're yet again on the verge of widespread catastrophe.
Another generation will grow up with hate in their hearts.. both sides..
and thats been the goal of leadership. both sides.
I'm afraid you're both probably right. Religious fanaticism makes resolving their differences and finding peace nearly (if not virtually) impossible.
thin veil of religion. pure power hunger. little to do with god. just a means to an end.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
A child is injured or killed every ten minutes in Gaza..
I can't even imagine the horrors.
The whole region has been in chaos for as long as I can remember (or longer than I've been alive, really). And when it all escalates, I can't help but think we're yet again on the verge of widespread catastrophe.
Another generation will grow up with hate in their hearts.. both sides..
A child is injured or killed every ten minutes in Gaza..
I can't even imagine the horrors.
The whole region has been in chaos for as long as I can remember (or longer than I've been alive, really). And when it all escalates, I can't help but think we're yet again on the verge of widespread catastrophe.
Another generation will grow up with hate in their hearts.. both sides..
and thats been the goal of leadership. both sides.
I'm afraid you're both probably right. Religious fanaticism makes resolving their differences and finding peace nearly (if not virtually) impossible.
thin veil of religion. pure power hunger. little to do with god. just a means to an end.
Exactly!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Speaking of which, what do you call it when a couple of mass graves are found in Gaza outside of a hospital?
You mean the mass graves that the Palestinians dug and buried the bodies in? Yeah the constant anti-semitism in this thread is disgusting. @Sea needs to come and lock this thread
Speaking of which, what do you call it when a couple of mass graves are found in Gaza outside of a hospital?
You mean the mass graves that the Palestinians dug and buried the bodies in? Yeah the constant anti-semitism in this thread is disgusting. @Sea needs to come and lock this thread
Perhaps you could flag the anti-semitic posts and not make an accusation because you're not happy with the criticism of Israel? Being critical of Israeli military actions does not equal anti-semitism.
henceforth there can be no criticism of the government of the United States. There are Jewish members of Congress and the Senate, any criticism should then be rightly called antisemitism
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Speaking of which, what do you call it when a couple of mass graves are found in Gaza outside of a hospital?
You mean the mass graves that the Palestinians dug and buried the bodies in? Yeah the constant anti-semitism in this thread is disgusting. @Sea needs to come and lock this thread
Take a look at the two ATM topics, one of which being Russia and the other Ukraine. Over the last three months, zero comments. Zero. The only items posted are news articles.
Look at this page alone above. Tons of comments and direct criticism of Israel. Not saying that some of it might be warranted, but They didn’t start this war. Let the whataboutism begin.
How about all the lying and violence on American college campuses by the pro Palestinian people? How could you even possibly “free Palestine” when it’s an authoritarian state?
Also, let’s ask our friends, where was all the outrage with the Syria war? Did we even have a meanwhile back in Syria thread? Maybe one day they’ll see the antisemitism. I wouldn’t put any money on it .
Speaking of which, what do you call it when a couple of mass graves are found in Gaza outside of a hospital?
You mean the mass graves that the Palestinians dug and buried the bodies in? Yeah the constant anti-semitism in this thread is disgusting. @Sea needs to come and lock this thread
Take a look at the two ATM topics, one of which being Russia and the other Ukraine. Over the last three months, zero comments. Zero. The only items posted are news articles.
Look at this page alone above. Tons of comments and direct criticism of Israel. Not saying that some of it might be warranted, but They didn’t start this war. Let the whataboutism begin.
How about all the lying and violence on American college campuses by the pro Palestinian people? How could you even possibly “free Palestine” when it’s an authoritarian state?
Also, let’s ask our friends, where was all the outrage with the Syria war? Did we even have a meanwhile back in Syria thread? Maybe one day they’ll see the antisemitism. I wouldn’t put any money on it .
why didn't you start a thread on syrian war? i didn't see you on here outraged about it.
please. people can be critical of the likud party and netanyahu and not be antisemetic. that narrative and accusation is old and tired and it is based on convenience, not fact.
the idf, at the order of bibi himself, are committing war crimes. that is fact. the entire world sees it. people can call a spade a spade and at the same time have no hatred towards jewish people. i believe the mods understand that nuance. that is why these threads are left open.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
Speaking of which, what do you call it when a couple of mass graves are found in Gaza outside of a hospital?
You mean the mass graves that the Palestinians dug and buried the bodies in? Yeah the constant anti-semitism in this thread is disgusting. @Sea needs to come and lock this thread
where is your source on this?
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
people are allowed to voice their displeasure that their government is outright giving money and arms to a country that is committing atrocities in their name. unfortunately the government/police are trying to stifle that right, so of course people are going to get angrier and become violent.
the government can give our money and weapons away, but they can't take people's rights to speak out about it away.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
Speaking of which, what do you call it when a couple of mass graves are found in Gaza outside of a hospital?
You mean the mass graves that the Palestinians dug and buried the bodies in? Yeah the constant anti-semitism in this thread is disgusting. @Sea needs to come and lock this thread
where is your source on this?
Certainly not al-Jazeera or Hamas but since you asked:
Speaking of which, what do you call it when a couple of mass graves are found in Gaza outside of a hospital?
You mean the mass graves that the Palestinians dug and buried the bodies in? Yeah the constant anti-semitism in this thread is disgusting. @Sea needs to come and lock this thread
where is your source on this?
Certainly not al-Jazeera or Hamas but since you asked:
Speaking of which, what do you call it when a couple of mass graves are found in Gaza outside of a hospital?
You mean the mass graves that the Palestinians dug and buried the bodies in? Yeah the constant anti-semitism in this thread is disgusting. @Sea needs to come and lock this thread
where is your source on this?
Certainly not al-Jazeera or Hamas but since you asked:
So Israel and its military will be happy to allow UN war crimes investigators in to examine the scene and clear Israel of war crimes, correct?
Lmao the UN! I’m almost not shocked that instead of correcting your posting and position you doubled down and deflected. How many times has the Red Cross or the un visited the hostages? That’s right, I’m pretty sure the number is zero but Israel has to do everything and let everyone else in while Hamas, the UN, the Red Cross and others do nothing. At least @gimmesometruth27 was open to asking for a source.
If you want to see what balanced and neutral commentary looks like and coming from someone who is from Gaza, you should follow this guy. https://twitter.com/afalkhatib
Speaking of which, what do you call it when a couple of mass graves are found in Gaza outside of a hospital?
You mean the mass graves that the Palestinians dug and buried the bodies in? Yeah the constant anti-semitism in this thread is disgusting. @Sea needs to come and lock this thread
Take a look at the two ATM topics, one of which being Russia and the other Ukraine. Over the last three months, zero comments. Zero. The only items posted are news articles.
Look at this page alone above. Tons of comments and direct criticism of Israel. Not saying that some of it might be warranted, but They didn’t start this war. Let the whataboutism begin.
How about all the lying and violence on American college campuses by the pro Palestinian people? How could you even possibly “free Palestine” when it’s an authoritarian state?
Also, let’s ask our friends, where was all the outrage with the Syria war? Did we even have a meanwhile back in Syria thread? Maybe one day they’ll see the antisemitism. I wouldn’t put any money on it .
I can't believe some of this needs to be explained but here goes:
1. What does the amount of discussion of other world conflicts have to do with being critical of Israel and its policies? Does being critical of Israel equate to anti-semitism? Can you only criticize Israel if you have first criticized Russia, Syria, Iran, China, US, France, North Korea, etc. first?
2. They didn't start the war and were what happened was horrible. Many believe so. However, when does the bloodlust end? When and at what cost is victory declared? What does that look like? You can't say and neither can or will Bibi and his government. The Israeli response has long ago shifted from a war of self-defense, Ukraine/Russia, and become a war of retribution and collective punishment of innocent civilians, mostly woman and children. Do you disagree? If so, why? When does Israel declare victory and withdraw?
3. Speaking of Russia and Syria, maybe the lack of comments and criticism is that some of us see them for the autocratic, brutal regimes that they are and are not surprised versus the declared "only democracy in the Middle East" acting more like an autocratic brutal regime, paid for with $4B per year in US tax dollars. Seems to some of us that Bibi is playing by "Hama Rules" and if you're not familiar, here's some info: . He came from the Alawi minority, a heterodox Shia sect that had long been persecuted in Syria and was elevated to privileged positions under the post–World War I French mandate.
In February 1982, Hafez al-Assad ordered the military to put down a Muslim Brotherhood uprising in the city of Hama with brute force. Syrian forces killed more than twenty-five thousand people there. For the regime’s opponents, Hama would become a rallying cry in 2011. For the regime, it provided Hafez’s son and successor, Bashar, with a template for responding to dissent.
Hafez al-Assad seized control from a Baathist military junta in 1970, centralizing power in the presidencyome a rallying cry in 2011. For the regime, it provided Hafez’s son and successor, Bashar, with a template for responding to dissent.
To claim Israel is blameless in what happened and why, and compare it to Russia invading Ukraine is either willful ignorance or denial. You can't expect that Israeli actions from 2006 and the rejection of democratically held elections in Gaza and the West Bank, the exploitation of the rift between the two political parties, Hamas/PLO, Bibi's and Likud's exploitation and funding of same, the long sordid history of illegal settlements and the growth of same, oppressive West Bank policies and brutal conditions in Gaza didn't contribute to what happened. For every action there is a reaction. Seems to me, Bibi's and Likud's strategy backfired. Might have been better to be honest brokers of a peace deal and two state solution?
4. How about the honesty of Jewish voices on US college campuses and what their views are? Or are they anti-semitic as well? Is the author a heretic and should they be cast out of their faith? Here's a few passages that struck me:
That’s because both Jewish and non-Jewish students, inspired by anti-Apartheid protests in Beinecke Plaza decades earlier, had gathered for a hwesrgiael is currently using in its war with Hamas in Gaza. The students were protesting under the Occupy Beinecke coalition, which includes Yale k-long sit-in to demand that Yale divest the portion of its endowment invested in the stocks of military contractors, which make the weapons IJews for Ceasefire, a group of Jewish students dedicated to fighting for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as sustainable peace and equality within the region.
Last semester, I lit Chanukah candles outside Yale President Peter Salovey’s house each night of the holiday, followed by communal singing and praying until the candles finished burning. We were demanding that Yale call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and commit to protecting campus free speech after Columbia University banned pro-Palestinian student groups. This semester, students have gathered weekly on Friday afternoons in Beinecke Plaza as Jewish classmates led even more singing and prayer in protest of the war in Gaza.
Throughout this past week, large student groups of many faiths frequently joined in singing “Mi Shebeirach,” the Jewish prayer for healing, and “Olam Chesed Yibaneh,” which calls for building a world where compassion leads. Last Saturday evening, fellow students led those assembled in havdalah, marking the end of Shabbat. And Monday night, students and New Haven residents collaborated to lead the community in a Passover seder — all on Yale’s campus.
These experiences have been deeply meaningful for me, not just on a political level, but also on a fundamentally spiritual one. To see Yale protests once again swept up in accusations of antisemitism denies this experience and invalidates the Jewishness of those calling for an end to the violence in Gaza.
Indeed, Yale Jews for Ceasefire exists because of — not in spite of — our Jewish values. On the issue of divestment, for example, the Talmud teaches us that we may not sell weapons to those we suspect of using them criminally. Therefore, we have a duty to disrupt the manufacture and sale of military weapons that kill others, including those killing Palestinians.
More than 1 million people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation, according to a recent UN report, and aid workers are still reeling after seven World Central Kitchen workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month.
On Passover of all holidays, Jews are compelled to feel the suffering of oppressed people. We eat bitter herbs to remind ourselves of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt, and we dip parsley in salt water to symbolize the tears of our ancestors. The story of oppression is all too familiar to the Jewish people — and it is our duty to combat oppression in all its forms, for Jews and non-Jews alike.
5. Perhaps Israel should have worked toward a two state solution rather than play and fund one Palestinian political party off against the other. Maybe working toward reconciliation and a long term solution that isn't about expanding Israeli settlements and denying Palestinians basic human rights would have been the better approach? Maybe accepting the results of legitimate democratically held elections and working through your differences, rather than just rejecting and isolating a whole people would have lead to a better outcome. What is the post-Israeli invasion of Gaza's and the West Bank's political process going to look like now? Democracy is messy but its still democracy and there's an awful lot of hypocrisy and blame to go around (Iran, 1954; Allende in Chile, both US coups of democratically elected governments).
6. There's a ton of criticism and comment on Syria in these very forums. A quick search showed 800+ hits. A poster was even banned for posting the photo of a drowned Syrian refugee child washed up on the beach as their avatar. I don't recall any of the anti-Assad critics being called anti-Alawi religion or anti-Arab or anti-Muslim. I suppose that criticism of Israel and their government's actions gets you called an antisemite?
7. I do not blame the Jewish religion nor its adherents or the Jewish people for the horrors being inflicted upon the innocents of Gaza. I blame the State of Israel, Bibi and the Likud Party. I don't blame nor have I turned my back on my Jewish friends that I grew up with and remain in touch with to this day. I don't blame the synagogue, the Jewish Community Center, the Orthodox School nor the Jewish residents and friends I made in my former neighborhood. I don't blame nor do I boycott the Jewish shops. However, I do, as stated, blame the Israeli government for the policies that have contributed to where we are and the actions of its military.
The US has often acted as Israel is now. Both in response to terror attacks and as a matter of policy (hello Iran, South and Central America, etc.) and I have been critical of those policies, both here and in other ways. Some would call my opposition to the Iraq war and Afghanistan post Osama Bin Laden un-American. So be it.
So, if calling those opposed to Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza, regardless of who started it and how long ago this has been occurring, an anti-semite, then I guess I am anti-semitic, just as I am un-American. So be it.
Speaking of which, what do you call it when a couple of mass graves are found in Gaza outside of a hospital?
You mean the mass graves that the Palestinians dug and buried the bodies in? Yeah the constant anti-semitism in this thread is disgusting. @Sea needs to come and lock this thread
where is your source on this?
Certainly not al-Jazeera or Hamas but since you asked:
So Israel and its military will be happy to allow UN war crimes investigators in to examine the scene and clear Israel of war crimes, correct?
Lmao the UN! I’m almost not shocked that instead of correcting your posting and position you doubled down and deflected. How many times has the Red Cross or the un visited the hostages? That’s right, I’m pretty sure the number is zero but Israel has to do everything and let everyone else in while Hamas, the UN, the Red Cross and others do nothing. At least @gimmesometruth27 was open to asking for a source.
How about the Hague? Israel going to let them in? We don't seem to have the Israeli evidence of the UN workers who were alleged to have been Hamas operatives yet. Why would Israel dig up bodies and rebury them? What was the point of that? How many times has Israel blocked access and relief to Gazans? They control the "battle" space. And I'm the joke while you link to twits?
Comments
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday his country would be the one to decide whether and how to respond to Iran’s major air assault earlier this week, brushing off calls for restraint from close allies.
Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack without saying when or how, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of unrest linked to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Israel’s allies have been urging Israel since the attack to hold back on any response that could spiral. These calls were repeated on Wednesday during visits by the British and German foreign ministers.
The diplomatic pressures came as Iran’s president warned that even the “tiniest” invasion of its territory would bring a “massive and harsh” response. Violence meanwhile surged on Wednesday between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, which fired a volley of rockets on northern Israel. The attack wounded at least 14 Israeli soldiers, six seriously, the army said.
IRAN
The Latest | Iran president warns of 'massive' response if Israel launches 'tiniest invasion'
G7 ministers eye targeted sanctions on Iran and a message of restraint for Israel at Italy meeting
French president calls for tougher sanctions against Iran as EU leaders gather for a summit
Speaking to a meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday, Netanyahu said he met with both ministers and thanked them for their countries’ support. But he said Israel would make the call on its own on how to respond despite “all sorts of suggestions and advice” coming from Israel’s allies, some of whom — including the U.S., U.K. and France — helped Israel repel Iran’s drone and missile assault.
“I want to be clear: we will make our decisions ourselves. The state of Israel will do whatever is necessary to defend itself,” Netanyahu said.
Despite the tough rhetoric, Israel appears unlikely to attack Iran directly without at least the support of its top ally, the U.S. But it could resort to more covert methods such as targeting senior Iranian commanders or Iran-backed groups in other countries, or launching a cyber attack.
It’s unclear how Iran might respond given the heightened tensions. Any miscalculation by either side risks setting off a regional war.
President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday announced new sanctions on Iran and has worked to coordinate a global rebuke of the attack while urging all sides to de-escalate. U.S. officials said earlier this week that Biden told Netanyahu that Washington would not participate in any offensive action against Iran.
Over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in response to an apparent Israeli strike on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed 12 people, including two Iranian generals.
Israel says it and its partners successfully intercepted nearly all the missiles and drones. A 7-year-old girl was wounded in the attack, which did not cause any deaths or major damage.
Israel and Iran have waged a shadow war for decades, but the strike over the weekend was the first direct Iranian military attack on Israel.
With tensions surging, Israel’s allies have reinforced a message of restraint.
Earlier on Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who were on separate visits to the region, each appealed for calm.
Cameron said “it’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act” against Iran, but he hoped they would do so “in a way that is smart as well as tough and also does as little as possible to escalate this conflict.” He spoke after meeting with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, whose office is mainly ceremonial.
Baerbock said Germany stands “in full solidarity with Israel” but called on it to exercise restraint.
“Everyone must now act prudently and responsibly. I’m not talking about giving in. I’m talking about prudent restraint, which is nothing less than strength,” she told reporters. “Because Israel has already shown strength with its defensive victory at the weekend.”
The ministers said they would push for further international sanctions on Iran.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi warned Israel against any retaliation as he addressed an annual army parade, which had been relocated to a barracks from its usual route and was not carried live on state TV — possibly because of fears that it could be targeted.
In remarks carried by Iran’s official IRNA news agency, Raisi said Saturday’s attack was limited, and that if Iran had wanted to carry out a bigger attack, “nothing would remain from the Zionist regime.”
Regional tensions have soared since the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel launched by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Palestinian armed groups supported by Iran. The attack killed some 1,200 Israelis, and the militants took around 250 hostages. Israel responded with one of the deadliest and most destructive military onslaughts in recent history, killing nearly 34,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count but say most of the dead are women and children.
Israel has withdrawn most of its forces from Gaza after major offensives that left its two biggest cities — Gaza City and Khan Younis — in ruins. But Israeli officials say the war is not over and that they plan to send ground forces into the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah, where more than half the territory’s population of 2.3 million people have sought refuge from fighting elsewhere.
Hamas is still holding around 130 hostages, a quarter of whom are believed to be dead, and international efforts to broker a cease-fire and hostage release have made little progress.
Hezbollah, another close Iran ally, has traded fire with Israel along the border on a near-daily basis since the war began, in a low-intensity conflict that risks igniting all-out war. Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria have also launched attacks, and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have targeted international shipping in the Red Sea, portraying it as a blockade of Israel.
___
Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, Jill Lawless in London and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
and thats been the goal of leadership. both sides.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I'm afraid you're both probably right. Religious fanaticism makes resolving their differences and finding peace nearly (if not virtually) impossible.
thin veil of religion. pure power hunger. little to do with god. just a means to an end.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Exactly!
the organizers of religion are the bad thing.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
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Wednesday?
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I'm going to refrain from commenting.
There have been protests at Columbia University here in NYC and have been making the news. Here is the first article that came up for me.
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Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
How about all the lying and violence on American college campuses by the pro Palestinian people? How could you even possibly “free Palestine” when it’s an authoritarian state?
Also, let’s ask our friends, where was all the outrage with the Syria war? Did we even have a meanwhile back in Syria thread? Maybe one day they’ll see the antisemitism. I wouldn’t put any money on it .
please. people can be critical of the likud party and netanyahu and not be antisemetic. that narrative and accusation is old and tired and it is based on convenience, not fact.
the idf, at the order of bibi himself, are committing war crimes. that is fact. the entire world sees it. people can call a spade a spade and at the same time have no hatred towards jewish people. i believe the mods understand that nuance. that is why these threads are left open.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
the government can give our money and weapons away, but they can't take people's rights to speak out about it away.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1784208979083526234
https://twitter.com/amanpour/status/1782823328174027000
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1. What does the amount of discussion of other world conflicts have to do with being critical of Israel and its policies? Does being critical of Israel equate to anti-semitism? Can you only criticize Israel if you have first criticized Russia, Syria, Iran, China, US, France, North Korea, etc. first?
2. They didn't start the war and were what happened was horrible. Many believe so. However, when does the bloodlust end? When and at what cost is victory declared? What does that look like? You can't say and neither can or will Bibi and his government. The Israeli response has long ago shifted from a war of self-defense, Ukraine/Russia, and become a war of retribution and collective punishment of innocent civilians, mostly woman and children. Do you disagree? If so, why? When does Israel declare victory and withdraw?
3. Speaking of Russia and Syria, maybe the lack of comments and criticism is that some of us see them for the autocratic, brutal regimes that they are and are not surprised versus the declared "only democracy in the Middle East" acting more like an autocratic brutal regime, paid for with $4B per year in US tax dollars. Seems to some of us that Bibi is playing by "Hama Rules" and if you're not familiar, here's some info:
. He came from the Alawi minority, a heterodox Shia sect that had long been persecuted in Syria and was elevated to privileged positions under the post–World War I French mandate.
In February 1982, Hafez al-Assad ordered the military to put down a Muslim Brotherhood uprising in the city of Hama with brute force. Syrian forces killed more than twenty-five thousand people there. For the regime’s opponents, Hama would become a rallying cry in 2011. For the regime, it provided Hafez’s son and successor, Bashar, with a template for responding to dissent.
Hafez al-Assad seized control from a Baathist military junta in 1970, centralizing power in the presidencyome a rallying cry in 2011. For the regime, it provided Hafez’s son and successor, Bashar, with a template for responding to dissent.
Syria’s War and the Descent Into Horror (cfr.org)
To claim Israel is blameless in what happened and why, and compare it to Russia invading Ukraine is either willful ignorance or denial. You can't expect that Israeli actions from 2006 and the rejection of democratically held elections in Gaza and the West Bank, the exploitation of the rift between the two political parties, Hamas/PLO, Bibi's and Likud's exploitation and funding of same, the long sordid history of illegal settlements and the growth of same, oppressive West Bank policies and brutal conditions in Gaza didn't contribute to what happened. For every action there is a reaction. Seems to me, Bibi's and Likud's strategy backfired. Might have been better to be honest brokers of a peace deal and two state solution?
4. How about the honesty of Jewish voices on US college campuses and what their views are? Or are they anti-semitic as well? Is the author a heretic and should they be cast out of their faith? Here's a few passages that struck me:
That’s because both Jewish and non-Jewish students, inspired by anti-Apartheid protests in Beinecke Plaza decades earlier, had gathered for a hwesrgiael is currently using in its war with Hamas in Gaza. The students were protesting under the Occupy Beinecke coalition, which includes Yale k-long sit-in to demand that Yale divest the portion of its endowment invested in the stocks of military contractors, which make the weapons IJews for Ceasefire, a group of Jewish students dedicated to fighting for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as sustainable peace and equality within the region.
Last semester, I lit Chanukah candles outside Yale President Peter Salovey’s house each night of the holiday, followed by communal singing and praying until the candles finished burning. We were demanding that Yale call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and commit to protecting campus free speech after Columbia University banned pro-Palestinian student groups. This semester, students have gathered weekly on Friday afternoons in Beinecke Plaza as Jewish classmates led even more singing and prayer in protest of the war in Gaza.
Throughout this past week, large student groups of many faiths frequently joined in singing “Mi Shebeirach,” the Jewish prayer for healing, and “Olam Chesed Yibaneh,” which calls for building a world where compassion leads. Last Saturday evening, fellow students led those assembled in havdalah, marking the end of Shabbat. And Monday night, students and New Haven residents collaborated to lead the community in a Passover seder — all on Yale’s campus.
These experiences have been deeply meaningful for me, not just on a political level, but also on a fundamentally spiritual one. To see Yale protests once again swept up in accusations of antisemitism denies this experience and invalidates the Jewishness of those calling for an end to the violence in Gaza.
Indeed, Yale Jews for Ceasefire exists because of — not in spite of — our Jewish values. On the issue of divestment, for example, the Talmud teaches us that we may not sell weapons to those we suspect of using them criminally. Therefore, we have a duty to disrupt the manufacture and sale of military weapons that kill others, including those killing Palestinians.
More than 1 million people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation, according to a recent UN report, and aid workers are still reeling after seven World Central Kitchen workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month.
On Passover of all holidays, Jews are compelled to feel the suffering of oppressed people. We eat bitter herbs to remind ourselves of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt, and we dip parsley in salt water to symbolize the tears of our ancestors. The story of oppression is all too familiar to the Jewish people — and it is our duty to combat oppression in all its forms, for Jews and non-Jews alike.
Opinion: I’m a Jewish student at Yale. Here’s what everyone is getting wrong about the protests | CNN
5. Perhaps Israel should have worked toward a two state solution rather than play and fund one Palestinian political party off against the other. Maybe working toward reconciliation and a long term solution that isn't about expanding Israeli settlements and denying Palestinians basic human rights would have been the better approach? Maybe accepting the results of legitimate democratically held elections and working through your differences, rather than just rejecting and isolating a whole people would have lead to a better outcome. What is the post-Israeli invasion of Gaza's and the West Bank's political process going to look like now? Democracy is messy but its still democracy and there's an awful lot of hypocrisy and blame to go around (Iran, 1954; Allende in Chile, both US coups of democratically elected governments).
6. There's a ton of criticism and comment on Syria in these very forums. A quick search showed 800+ hits. A poster was even banned for posting the photo of a drowned Syrian refugee child washed up on the beach as their avatar. I don't recall any of the anti-Assad critics being called anti-Alawi religion or anti-Arab or anti-Muslim. I suppose that criticism of Israel and their government's actions gets you called an antisemite?
7. I do not blame the Jewish religion nor its adherents or the Jewish people for the horrors being inflicted upon the innocents of Gaza. I blame the State of Israel, Bibi and the Likud Party. I don't blame nor have I turned my back on my Jewish friends that I grew up with and remain in touch with to this day. I don't blame the synagogue, the Jewish Community Center, the Orthodox School nor the Jewish residents and friends I made in my former neighborhood. I don't blame nor do I boycott the Jewish shops. However, I do, as stated, blame the Israeli government for the policies that have contributed to where we are and the actions of its military.
The US has often acted as Israel is now. Both in response to terror attacks and as a matter of policy (hello Iran, South and Central America, etc.) and I have been critical of those policies, both here and in other ways. Some would call my opposition to the Iraq war and Afghanistan post Osama Bin Laden un-American. So be it.
So, if calling those opposed to Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza, regardless of who started it and how long ago this has been occurring, an anti-semite, then I guess I am anti-semitic, just as I am un-American. So be it.
anti-Semitism
noun
anti-Semitism Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
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