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Should Israel invade Gaza?

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How should Objectivists answer this question?

For Israel, a ground offensive against Gaza would be:

A: The only way to protect its population

B: A smokescreen to hide its domestic problems

C: A way to block creation of a Palestinian state

D: A tit-for-tat reaction

Edited by tripod fish
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Nothing short of obliteration on either side will end this on going conflict. If such Israel action you describe should take place, it would be interesting to see the response not of Hamas, but of the rest of the Arab world. If Israel wants to do anything, they should do it while the rest of the Arab states are battling internal conflict. Why can't we settle these things with a vigorous game of badminton?

On a side note, I just saw a reporter on Fox news covering the situation say "A popular saying here is 'all it takes to start a war is a rocket hitting a school'". How is that a popular saying? It's not succinct or clever.

Edited by WilliamColton
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A: The only way to protect its population

A is the answer. Do I get a prize? :thumbsup:

They better act fast though since it looks like Egypt is going to get in on the action pretty soon.

My advice would be for Israel to take back Gaza and the West Bank and now with Egypt rattling its sword, they should take back the Sinai Peninsula also.

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But we do, so it does. I'm all for Israeli sovereignty, but not at our expense.

So you are saying as long as our government gives aid to Israel, then it shouldn't defend itself? This is the same self-sacrificial argument (from Israels point of view) as those who say that Capitalists should not accept their Social Security checks.

The fact is: we have a mixed economy, partially free partially statist, but we still have to live.

Ultimately it would be in our self-interest to end all foreign aid. But what would also be in our self-interest is to defeat our enemies and Israel can help us do that. Ultimately we should ally with Israel, destroy Iran, bomb Pakistan, recommend Israel take the Sinai destroy Hezbollah and Hamas, warn everybody else what will come if they allow terrorists to operate from their territory. It would be quite easy for US and Israel to completely subdue the Middle East.

By the way, the Palestinians receive aid from us also, which is another good reason for Israel to take Gaza and the West Bank since at least the money we send to Israel is use against our enemies whereas the money we send to the Palestinians is used to support our enemies.

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How should Objectivists answer this question?

For Israel, a ground offensive against Gaza would be:

A: The only way to protect its population

B: A smokescreen to hide its domestic problems

C: A way to block creation of a Palestinian state

D: A tit-for-tat reaction

Neither, really, In the short term I doubt they would be able to protect their population if they did that. It's too late for any kind of a safe solution.

But it would of course be an appropriate reaction to the Palestinian aggression, and a (very costly) move in the right direction for Israel.

But we do, so it does. I'm all for Israeli sovereignty, but not at our expense.

The point is, your taxes being spent on US military aid to various countries (including Israel) has nothing to do with the OP's question, or with Israeli sovereignty.

Israel is and should be sovereign and acting in its own interest, no matter what they receive and from whom.

Edited by Tanaka
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So you are saying as long as our government gives aid to Israel, then it shouldn't defend itself? This is the same self-sacrificial argument (from Israels point of view) as those who say that Capitalists should not accept their Social Security checks.

The fact is: we have a mixed economy, partially free partially statist, but we still have to live.

Ultimately it would be in our self-interest to end all foreign aid. But what would also be in our self-interest is to defeat our enemies and Israel can help us do that. Ultimately we should ally with Israel, destroy Iran, bomb Pakistan, recommend Israel take the Sinai destroy Hezbollah and Hamas, warn everybody else what will come if they allow terrorists to operate from their territory. It would be quite easy for US and Israel to completely subdue the Middle East.

By the way, the Palestinians receive aid from us also, which is another good reason for Israel to take Gaza and the West Bank since at least the money we send to Israel is use against our enemies whereas the money we send to the Palestinians is used to support our enemies.

No, I'm saying we shouldn't treat Israeli as the 51st state, period.

But I'll take your point. Current practicality trumps long-term ideology at the moment. But if Israel were going to do anything substantive, with US aid in tow, they should take the cake and quell these long standing threats from the rest of the region. In that regard, I agree that taking back Gaza and occupation of the Sinai Peninsula is not only a favorable, but a very attainable goal for the Israelis.

In other news, Tripoli has fallen.

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Yeah, well. If the only reason to support Israel is the 'practical' one, rather cut her loose.

If the reasons are mutual principles and mutual self-interest, then the USA should uphold a long-term commitment to a friend, ally and trading partner.

Make no bones about it, Israel will and can defend itself without military assistance, and indeed prefers not to involve its valued ally. Financial restrictions would hurt, but this is not 'aid' as such, but solid investment in the future.

Remember too, that Israel has caught more flak from Muslim terror groups' propaganda for being America's friend, than vice-versa.

She is a true ally in the best sense of the word, and America could have done much better by following her lead in the M.E.- instead of unilaterally conducting its past and present terribly wasteful policies.

Dump the pragmatism, and go with morality.

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  • 2 weeks later...

On a side note, I just saw a reporter on Fox news covering the situation say "A popular saying here is 'all it takes to start a war is a rocket hitting a school'". How is that a popular saying? It's not succinct or clever.

I live in Israel, trust me, the school bombing was way after 14 years of which the rockets didn't stop coming from Gaza.

I truly feel sorry for the people that live in the area outside Gaza.

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