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[Vire]

It's pretty hilarious actually. Hamas was categorized as a terrorist organization because they aimed to kill civilians yet it's the Israelis racking up those civilian casualties.

How is that hilarious?...

Nothing about this situation is remotely funny.

 

[RustyNails]

Don't be a dick. Vire is capable of acknowledging what's going on. If you want to assume the worst of the people you're arguing with, we'll never get anywhere.



Everything is connected. Both sides are capable of representing the Palestinian people. They can't both have full control. Which party do you want to be more powerful, both in terms of resources and mindshare?

Israel has the power to influence that. They've chosen not to exercise it by cutting off relations with the PLO after they announced their joint government.

You want to see what should have happened? Look at the quote below and follow along.



Hamas may have had a bunch of rockets underground, but that's all they had. They were in a weak position in April. That's why they came crawling to the PLO. The PLO has renounced violence, and they've backed that up in the West Bank. They even carry out joint operations with the IDF there against Hamas. The PLO is about as ideal a negotiating partner as Israel is likely to find, and they had all the leverage in a relationship with Hamas. Without the money, they can't govern their territory. The PLO planned to make a unified government with Hamas, one that abides by all the security agreements and pledges that the PLO holds to.

Israel could have supported this unity government, giving the PLO incentive to keep Hamas in check, and allowing the PLO's influence to expand to Gaza. They could have forced Hamas into a position where they had to remain peaceful to stay funded and legitimate. They could have used that unified government as a way to build stable, lasting peace negotiations.

Instead they cut off relations with the PLO, hurting their legitimacy. And then they hurt it further with their response to the killings by arresting hundreds in the West Bank and demolishing homes. That gave Hamas the pretext they needed to claim injury by Israel, launch their rockets, provoke invasion, and get publicity that will bring them a new surge of money and recruitment.

Can you see how the course of action Israel chose was counterproductive for peace?

My hope is the unity government survives. It was my biggest relief to see it materialize, only to be overshadowed by this war. Do you know if the unity government is still in tact, or did Fatah and Hamas wash their hands clean?

 

[-COOLIO-]

How is that hilarious?...

Nothing about this situation is remotely funny.

i dont think he means that it's literally funny.

it's more like 'this crazy planet we live on'.

 

[sindbadthesailor]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/...lestinians-airtime_n_5606673.html?cps=gravity

someone decided to call out msnbc on thier media bias... and subsequently not get any more tv appearances

Unsurprising. The bias actually seems worse today than it did in previous years. I remember seeing at some least token attempts to cover the Palestinian side. At the moment, there's pretty much nothing.

And there wasn't nearly as much, if any at all, 'mistakes' of attributing the widespread destruction in Gaza to Israel.

 

[badb0y]

How is that hilarious?...

Nothing about this situation is remotely funny.

Perhaps 'funny' was the wrong way to explain it. 'Ironic' fits better.

 

[Vire]

"I don't like what reality looks like, let's talk about an imaginary scenario instead"

It's imaginary that Hamas sent thousands of missiles to kill innocent Israeli civilians in major cities?

The intent was the same on both sides. At least Hamas has the balls to call it what it is.

 

[NewEraBlood]

Absolutely.

Their translations aren't trustworthy in the slightest.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/aug/12/worlddispatch.brianwhitaker

Except the article says this: "Nobody, so far as I know, disputes the general accuracy of Memri's translations but there are other reasons to be concerned about its output."

So they're cherry-picking what they translate, but the translations are accurate.

 

[mid83]

I've been doing a lot of reading about this entire conflict over the last week. I've always followed it at a distance like most I'm sure, but I felt it was my responsibility to educate myself beyond just what I hear on TV or read on major news sites.

For starters, I've always been pretty supportive of Israel. I mean good people surrounded by blood thirsty terrorists (which is show it's portrayed by most US media) seems like a no brainer. Plus, with all the suffering the Jewish people have had in history, I felt like they deserved a place to call their own.

With all that said, all of my reading and research in the last week has definitely changed my view. Now, I still believe Israel has a right to exist and should be able to defend themselves, but the way they are going about it is pretty disgusting to be honest.

Hamas is a disgusting organization but that doesn't mean that the citizens of Gaza need to be suffocated like a bunch of prisoners. I literally had idea that people in Gaza are unable to leave or enter unless Egypt or Israel allow them. Also, regarding the blockade, while I can understand limiting items to limit the amount of weapons, restrictions on basic necessities and food are completely inhumane. It's obviously a ploy to force the people in Gaza to suffer so much that they finally give up and throw Hamas out. Making people suffer like that isn't going to achieve that goal. If anything, living conditions like that are going to drive people to take extreme measures, like joining a radical group like Hamas.

In any case, the Israel response in Gaza really is unexplainable. I can understand wanting to close the tunnels since that leads to opportunities for attacks in Israel. With that said, most of the attacks did nothing to further that goal. All we see are endless piles of innocent bodies and little to no legitimate reasons for those deaths. Israel has the training and capabilities to go into Gaza, blow up the tunnels and get out. No reason for 500+ dead. Disgusting. Like I said, I can support bombing the tunnels to close them up, but it's pretty obvious the deaths in Gaza having nothing to do with that.

Regarding the West Bank, it's sad to see no efforts of peace by Israel. I can understand now wanting to abandon all the settlements, as that is a lot of Israelis that would be displaced. I keep reading about discussions for even trades of land where Israel would take over settlement lands and give the Palestinians equal amounts of land instead. I think that would be a step in the right direction. Plus, stopping additional settlements would be a great start as well. Unfortunately, I don't see either happening.

TLR - My opinion of this conflict has really changed with all the research and reading I've been doing in the last week since this conflict has gone on. I've gone from a rather staunch Israel supporter to be rather disgusted by what has gone on in Gaza. I still support their right to exist and defend themselves, but 500+ civilian casualties is completely unnecessary and really completely disgusting.

 

[Orenhy]

It's pretty hilarious actually. Hamas was categorized as a terrorist organization because they aimed to kill civilians yet it's the Israelis racking up those civilian casualties.

Yes but hamas is specificaly shooting rockets, and other operations from within the civilian area, if jokes are funny about the surprise of them, cant see how many civilian casualties in such a case is surprising.

 

[Ashes]

Why are Hamas labelled as militants? And not Palestinian soldiers? They are the elected representative, no?

 

[Vire]

I've been doing a lot of reading about this entire conflict over the last week. I've always followed it at a distance like most I'm sure, but I felt it was my responsibility to educate myself beyond just what I hear on TV or read on major news sites.

For starters, I've always been pretty supportive of Israel. I mean good people surrounded by blood thirsty terrorists (which is show it's portrayed by most US media) seems like a no brainer. Plus, with all the suffering the Jewish people have had in history, I felt like they deserved a place to call their own.

With all that said, all of my reading and research in the last week has definitely changed my view. Now, I still believe Israel has a right to exist and should be able to defend themselves, but the way they are going about it is pretty disgusting to be honest.

Hamas is a disgusting organization but that doesn't mean that the citizens of Gaza need to be suffocated like a bunch of prisoners. I literally had idea that people in Gaza are unable to leave or enter unless Egypt or Israel allow them. Also, regarding the blockade, while I can understand limiting items to limit the amount of weapons, restrictions on basic necessities and food are completely inhumane. It's obviously a ploy to force the people in Gaza to suffer so much that they finally give up and throw Hamas out. Making people suffer like that isn't going to achieve that goal. If anything, living conditions like that are going to drive people to take extreme measures, like joining a radical group like Hamas.

In any case, the Israel response in Gaza really is unexplainable. I can understand wanting to close the tunnels since that leads to opportunities for attacks in Israel. With that said, most of the attacks did nothing to further that goal. All we see are endless piles of innocent bodies and little to no legitimate reasons for those deaths. Israel has the training and capabilities to go into Gaza, blow up the tunnels and get out. No reason for 500+ dead. Disgusting. Like I said, I can support bombing the tunnels to close them up, but it's pretty obvious the deaths in Gaza having nothing to do with that.

Regarding the West Bank, it's sad to see no efforts of peace by Israel. I can understand now wanting to abandon all the settlements, as that is a lot of Israelis that would be displaced. I keep reading about discussions for even trades of land where Israel would take over settlement lands and give the Palestinians equal amounts of land instead. I think that would be a step in the right direction. Plus, stopping additional settlements would be a great start as well. Unfortunately, I don't see either happening.

TLR - My opinion of this conflict has really changed with all the research and reading I've been doing in the last week since this conflict has gone on. I've gone from a rather staunch Israel supporter to be rather disgusted by what has gone on in Gaza. I still support their right to exist and defend themselves, but 500+ civilian casualties is completely unnecessary and really completely disgusting.

It's not that simple. Israel claims that these tunnels exist underneath civilian areas like schools, mosques and hospitals.

How are they supposed to remove these tunnels magically? This isn't a video game where you can just send in a strike team and fix the problem.

 

[Razgreez]

I've been doing a lot of reading about this entire conflict over the last week. I've always followed it at a distance like most I'm sure, but I felt it was my responsibility to educate myself beyond just what I hear on TV or read on major news sites.

For starters, I've always been pretty supportive of Israel. I mean good people surrounded by blood thirsty terrorists (which is show it's portrayed by most US media) seems like a no brainer. Plus, with all the suffering the Jewish people have had in history, I felt like they deserved a place to call their own.

With all that said, all of my reading and research in the last week has definitely changed my view. Now, I still believe Israel has a right to exist and should be able to defend themselves, but the way they are going about it is pretty disgusting to be honest.

Hamas is a disgusting organization but that doesn't mean that the citizens of Gaza need to be suffocated like a bunch of prisoners. I literally had idea that people in Gaza are unable to leave or enter unless Egypt or Israel allow them. Also, regarding the blockade, while I can understand limiting items to limit the amount of weapons, restrictions on basic necessities and food are completely inhumane. It's obviously a ploy to force the people in Gaza to suffer so much that they finally give up and throw Hamas out. Making people suffer like that isn't going to achieve that goal. If anything, living conditions like that are going to drive people to take extreme measures, like joining a radical group like Hamas.

In any case, the Israel response in Gaza really is unexplainable. I can understand wanting to close the tunnels since that leads to opportunities for attacks in Israel. With that said, most of the attacks did nothing to further that goal. All we see are endless piles of innocent bodies and little to no legitimate reasons for those deaths. Israel has the training and capabilities to go into Gaza, blow up the tunnels and get out. No reason for 500+ dead. Disgusting. Like I said, I can support bombing the tunnels to close them up, but it's pretty obvious the deaths in Gaza having nothing to do with that.

Regarding the West Bank, it's sad to see no efforts of peace by Israel. I can understand now wanting to abandon all the settlements, as that is a lot of Israelis that would be displaced. I keep reading about discussions for even trades of land where Israel would take over settlement lands and give the Palestinians equal amounts of land instead. I think that would be a step in the right direction. Plus, stopping additional settlements would be a great start as well. Unfortunately, I don't see either happening.

TLR - My opinion of this conflict has really changed with all the research and reading I've been doing in the last week since this conflict has gone on. I've gone from a rather staunch Israel supporter to be rather disgusted by what has gone on in Gaza. I still support their right to exist and defend themselves, but 500+ civilian casualties is completely unnecessary and really completely disgusting.

All we, not Palestinians, not Arabs, not Muslims but people, ask of you is to spread the truth and keep doing your research. As this thread, and many others, shows there are those who are vehemently opposed to the exposing truth and they all "just coincidentally" happen to be zionist supporters

 

[m_shortpants]

It's not that simple. Israel claims that these tunnels exist underneath civilian areas like schools, mosques and hospitals.

How are they supposed to remove these tunnels magically? This isn't a video game where you can just send in a strike team and fix the problem.

And what purpose do white phosphorous or flechette shells play as a part of that?

 

[mid83]

It's not that simple. Israel claims that these tunnels exist underneath civilian areas like schools, mosques and hospitals.

How are they supposed to remove these tunnels magically? This isn't a video game where you can just send in a strike team and fix the problem.

These are mile in a half long tunnels. There are ways you can close them without having to resort to bombing hospitals. Plus, the IDF isn't even really trying to claim that all those strikes are specifically to close the tunnels, which is what they said this whole operation was about.

 

[DECK'ARD]

It's not that simple. Israel claims that these tunnels exist underneath civilian areas like schools, mosques and hospitals.

How are they supposed to remove these tunnels magically? This isn't a video game where you can just send in a strike team and fix the problem.

Tunnels are everywhere, terrorists in every home, weapons in every basement.

Open-season really isn't it, giving justification to hit the entire population and its infrastructure.

Now what about the report that found none of the targets hit were valid military targets? If Israel is so sure of this how come they are fucking up so royally?

Because the price being paid is too high, far too high.

 

[Ashes]

It's not that simple. Israel claims that these tunnels exist underneath civilian areas like schools, mosques and hospitals.

How are they supposed to remove these tunnels magically? This isn't a video game where you can just send in a strike team and fix the problem.

Well actually. Er yeah. That sounds more reasonable than dropping bombs on children walking along the beach.

 

[RustyNails]

Hamas agrees to a 5 hour humanitarian ceasefire tomorrow, Israel has not agreed yet. Not sure on the details or who brokered it.

 

[Vire]

And what purpose do white phosphorous or flechette shells play as a part of that?

Zero part. It's despicable and rightfully draws anger out of people.

It's obvious Israel's intentions lie beyond just "destroying the tunnels". I've made it abundantly clear that they aren't innocent in all of this.

 

[Toxi]

Zero part. It's despicable and rightfully draws anger out of people.

It's obvious Israel's intentions lie beyond just "destroying the tunnels". I've made it abundantly clear that they aren't innocent in all of this.

Then why the fuck are you talking about the tunnels?

Why do you keep making excuses for something you readily admit is reprehensible and based on lies?

 

[Vire]

Then why the fuck are you talking about the tunnels?

Why do you keep making excuses for something you readily admit is reprehensible and based on lies?

Because that poster said that he would have no problem with them destroying the tunnels; it is naive to think they could get rid of them through non-violent measures.

I'm just explaining why that isn't feasible due to them being located below civilian territories.

 

[werks]

Israel's security isn't feasible without settlements, imprisonment without trial, complete blockade, indiscriminate killings and committing war crimes. Got it.

 

[mid83]

Because that poster said that he would have no problem with them destroying the tunnels; it is naive to think they could get rid of them through non-violent measures.

I'm just explaining why that isn't feasible.

I'm not claiming they can do it with non violent measures. Causalities are a sad fact of war. The point is the causalities of this conflict has far exceeded any sort of operation to close these tunnels.

 

[sonicmj1]

How are they supposed to remove these tunnels magically? This isn't a video game where you can just send in a strike team and fix the problem.

In fact, Israel's attempt to send in a strike team and fix the problem is what lead to the OP of this thread.

 

[oatmeal]

5 hours is so short...bleh.

What a shitty situation for everyone involved.

 

[RustyNails]

5 hours is so short...bleh.

What a shitty situation for everyone involved.

The temporary ceasfire plans are also used to hash out a comprehensive plan provided it's not violated.

 

[MisterFalcon]

In fact, Israel's attempt to send in a strike team and fix the problem is what lead to the OP of this thread.

There were quite a lot of 'why does Israel not send in ground troops rather then cowardly bomb from the air' posts in the previous thread and now you can see why that was such a bad idea.

The threat from the tunnels is nowhere near serious enough to send in troops into an urban battle which turns into the clusterfuck we're seeing now.

 

[RustyNails]

In fact, Israel's attempt to send in a strike team and fix the problem is what lead to the OP of this thread.

Are you sure Israel sent in just a strike team.

 

[oatmeal]

The temporary ceasfire plans are also used to hash out a comprehensive plan provided it's not violated.

I know, it just seems so short.

 

[Yaphett Kotto]

Does anyone know what was the purpose of the tunnels? I never caught that info.

 

[Ashes]

Does anyone know what was the purpose of the tunnels? I never caught that info.

Miltary tunnels: Smuggle arms.
Civilian tunnels: smuggle banned medicine, foods & supplies.

 

[mid83]

Does anyone know what was the purpose of the tunnels? I never caught that info.

It's a way Hamas fighters could sneak into Israel to launch attacks. It's a pretty scary security breach for them, and Hamas fighters are likely far deadlier up close with guns or bombs vs behind a wall with inaccurate rockets.

I don't blame Israel for wanting to close the tunnels.

 

[Yaphett Kotto]

Miltary tunnels: Smuggle arms.
Civilian tunnels: smuggle banned medicine, foods & supplies.

It's a way Hamas fighters could sneak into Israel to launch attacks. It's a pretty scary security breach for them, and Hamas fighters are likely far deadlier up close with guns or bombs vs behind a wall with inaccurate rockets.

I don't blame Israel for wanting to close the tunnels.

Thanks.

 

[RustyNails]

It's a way Hamas fighters could sneak into Israel to launch attacks. It's a pretty scary security breach for them, and Hamas fighters are likely far deadlier up close with guns or bombs vs behind a wall with inaccurate rockets.

I don't blame Israel for wanting to close the tunnels.

I have a genuine question.

Do these tunnels open up inside Israel's 49 armistice lines?

 

[zeroOman]

Palestine Is Still the Issue

John Pilger first made the film 'Palestine Is Still The Issue' in 1977. It told how almost a million Palestinians had been forced off their land in 1948, and again in 1967. Twenty five years later, John Pilger returned to the West Bank of Jordan and Gaza, and to Israel, to ask why the Palestinians, whose right of return was affirmed by the United Nations more than half a century ago, are still caught in a terrible limbo - refugees in their own land, controlled by Israel in the longest military occupation in modern times.

"If we are to speak of the great injustice here, nothing has changed," says Pilger at the start of the film, "What has changed is that the Palestinians have fought back. Stateless and humiliated for so long, they have risen up against Israel’s huge military regime, although they themselves have no army, no tanks, no American planes and gunships or missiles. Some have committed desperate acts of terror, like suicide bombing. But, for Palestinians, the overriding, routine terror, day after day, has been the ruthless control of almost every aspect of their lives, as if they live in an open prison. This film is about the Palestinians and a group of courageous Israelis united in the oldest human struggle, to be free."

Pilger distills the history of Palestine during the twentieth century into an easily comprehensible struggle for land - the loss of seventy-eight per cent of that belonging to Palestinians when the state of Israel was founded in 1948 and their claim to only the remaining twenty-two per cent, which had for thirty-five years been occupied by Israel.

In a series of extraordinary interviews with both Israelis and Palestinians, he speaks to the families of suicide bombers and their victims. He witnesses the humiliation of Palestinians at myriad checkpoints with a permit system not dissimilar to apartheid South Africa's infamous pass laws. One Palestinian woman tells of how she was stopped from passing through a checkpoint when she went into labour and had to return home to give birth with her mother-in-law using a razor to cut the umbilical cord. The baby later died. He goes into the refugee camps and meets children who, he says, "no longer dream like other children, or if they do, it is about death." He is shown round the Palestinian Ministry of Culture in Ramallah after a recent Israeli attack where he discovers faeces smeared on walls and floors and a room of children’s paintings vandalised.

U can watch the video here http://johnpilger.com/videos/palestine-is-still-the-issue

 

[TheStruggler]

was there any update on the Israeli soldier that was captured?

 

[Ashes]

It's a way Hamas fighters could sneak into Israel to launch attacks. It's a pretty scary security breach for them, and Hamas fighters are likely far deadlier up close with guns or bombs vs behind a wall with inaccurate rockets.

I don't blame Israel for wanting to close the tunnels.

Then why don't Israel do what Egypt did? Think about it. It's not hard to close tunnels if you know where they are e.g. caving in the entrance. Or just flood them?

It is unreasonable justification to drop 400 tonnes of bombs on the Gaza strip.

 

[Interceptor]

was there any update on the Israeli soldier that was captured?

Yes. It was just another Hamas lie.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

They said before they were playing devils advocate.
At this point they're trolling.

After reading through his post history, I genuinely do believe we've uncovered a legit JIDF member.

There's just no other rational explanation that I can think of. It's not playing devil's advocate any more, it's not trolling, it's not even him trying to rationalise it to himself as he earlier claimed, it's a wholesale attempt to try and excuse or justify the human suffering committed by IDF and Israel during the past two weeks.

 

[Vire]

After reading through his post history, I genuinely do believe we've uncovered a legit JIDF member.

There's just no other rational explanation that I can think of. It's not playing devil's advocate any more, it's not trolling, it's not even him trying to rationalise it to himself as he earlier claimed, it's a wholesale attempt to try and excuse or justify the human suffering committed by IDF and Israel during the past two weeks.

I can assure you I am not. I haven't wavered once on my position. I did not excuse the atrocities committed by Israeli government. The use of white phosphorus is downright deplorable. My central point was that the Hamas are no better in this equation and have no moral high ground since both parties are intent on killing innocent civilians.

That's all, really that simple.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

I can assure you I am not. I haven't wavered once on my position. I did not excuse the atrocities committed by Israeli government. The use of white phosphorus is downright deplorable. My central point was that the Hamas are no better in this equation and have no moral high ground since both parties are intent on killing innocent civilians.

That's all, really that simple.

It's a central point you're using to try and excuse the deaths caused by the seemingly random bombing of targets in Gaza.

There's little in the way of actual condemnation of the atrocities committed by the IDF in your posts, instead they try to paint a picture where everything is justified in your opinion because Hamas is just as bad.

You're constantly pointing to things and asking "what would you do" as a way to try and make people see the actions of IDF to be acceptable. I'm pretty sure you know you're doing this, which makes your attempts to try and claim you're not defending their actions pointless as it's pretty blatant.

If you don't know you're doing it, well that's pretty disturbing in its own right.

 

[Vire]

It's a central point you're using to try and excuse the deaths caused by the seemingly random bombing of targets in Gaza.

There's little in the way of actual condemnation of the atrocities committed by the IDF in your posts, instead they try to paint a picture where everything is justified in your opinion because Hamas is just as bad.

You're constantly pointing to things and asking "what would you do" as a way to try and make people see the actions of IDF to be acceptable. I'm pretty sure you know you're doing this, which makes your attempts to try and claim you're not defending their actions pointless as it's pretty blatant.

If you don't know you're doing it, well that's pretty disturbing in its own right.

Bullshit.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=122020558&postcount=1529

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=122023330&postcount=1546

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=122092687&postcount=1933

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=122100829&postcount=2024

I don't know how many fucking times I need to say it.

 

[EightBitNate]

What is it about these threads that gets people so irritable?

 

[MutFox]

What is it about these threads that gets people so irritable?

People hate seeing innocent people die.
Others are able to internally justify it and it upsets people.

 

[Boom Boom Pow]

People hate seeing innocent people die.
Others are able to justify it and it upsets people.

innocent people die all the time though. hell, 10x more have died since conflict began to other causes than this. but no one speaks up about them.

mainly diarrhea

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Bullshit.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=122020558&postcount=1529

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=122023330&postcount=1546

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=122092687&postcount=1933

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=122100829&postcount=2024

I don't know how many fucking times I need to say it.

You're not really condemning here, instead you're coming off as someone attempting to justify it by asking what else can they do?

 

[Vire]

You're not really condemning here, instead you're coming off as someone attempting to justify it by asking what else can they do?

This is just a blatant falsehood and downright slanderous.

I said they were despicable in their actions and that I don't condone them killing innocent civilians, stopping short of saying fuck Israel, I don't really know what you want me to say.

Your accusations are infuriating.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

This is just a blatant falsehood and downright slanderous.

I said they were despicable in their actions and that I don't condone them killing innocent civilians, stopping short of saying fuck Israel, I don't really know what you want me to say.

Your accusations are infuriating.

So you're not asking what else can they do after nearly evey condemnation?

I'm just trying to understand why a condemnation has to be followed by a what else can they do question that feels like an attempt to indirectly justify that action.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into your posts? Or perhaps the way they are worded is throwing me off?

 

[commedieu]

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/us-senate-panel-doubles-money-for-israel-s-iron-dome-1.293520

Not sure if news, but..

US Senate doubles money for Israel's iron dome.

US Senate panel doubles money for Israel's Iron Dome

Im sure that wont backfire against american citizens. Not one bit.

Israel doesn't have any money...? Is that what the government wants me to believe..? They bought a fleet of f35's.

 

[anonymous_abc]

Israel doesn't have any money...? Is that what the government wants me to believe..? They bought a fleet of f35's.

What goes around comes around. Money given to them then goes back to the US arms industry. Not as easy as directly giving the companies the money but more politically acceptable.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

I don't really get the point of this graphic. It would look identical if the Iron Dome did not exist.

Sorry, but I must be missing something here. Are you claiming that the numbers in this graphic would be unchanged if Iron Dome did not exist (ie still 2 Israeli civilians killed by Hamas) or that if Iron Dome did not exist, that the number of Israeli civilians killed during this period of fighting would be closer to the 406 the graphic estimates for the number of Palestinian civilians killed?