Capuchin comments

They have a much stronger weapon: Kidnapping people. - NB

Attempting to kidnap Israel out if existence seems rather counter intuitive.

Every nation that exists in the world deserves to live. - NB

Especially those who live under illegal occupations who have their most basic human rights and right to self-determination denied by a belligerent occupier.

“a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not give itself the aim of expelling populations.” - Yair Golan, IDF reserve major general, leader of the democrat party

The majority of the population are young. Israel has long had the means to "exterminate" the population. But it hasn't because its goal is to destroy Hamas, not the population. JeffLee

Israel certainly has the capability to exterminate the people of Gaza. It does, after all have a large stockpile of undeclared, unchecked nuclear weapons.

But killing every soul in Gaza is too impractical. Even a state that has remarkable levels of impunity like Israel has its limitations. Ethnic cleansing is the method of choice. Make Gaza incapable of sustaining human life. Destroy people's homes, schools, hospitals, places of worship, agriculture, sanctuary and community. Ungroud the land to make it incapable of producing food. Erase Gaza's present and its future.

This creates the conditions in which Palestinians will have no choice but to "leave voluntarily" as Israel likes to put it.

"Where should I go today? To west Gaza? There's bombing in west Gaza. To the south? They're killing people in Khan Younis. To Deir al-Balah? There is bombing. Me, my children and my family, where should we go?"

Israel has the answer and it's "Go away!"

Israel will exterminate Gaza by ridding it of its population through a process of ethnic cleanaing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is “no way” Israel will halt its war in Gaza

Netanyahu says he is committed to returning all the hostages, destroying Hamas and resettling much of Gaza’s population through what he refers to as “voluntary emigration.”

Israel has always had the military capability to destroy the Palestinians. The Palestinians after all have no army. Whilst Israel has the strongest military in the Middle East including a large stockpile of undisclosed nuclear weapons.

Israel has always been hamstrung by what it can do politically. With Trump's offer to "clear out" Gaza, Israel has been given the once in lifetime opportunity to ethnically cleanse Gaza. Israel is holding on to Trump's so called "plan" like a dog with a bone. Netanyahu got the green light and he has no intention of going back.

Israel is being frozen out of almost all U.S. diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.

They're being kept away from negotiations with Iran over their nuclear program, the U.S. negotiated a ceasefire with the Houthis that allowed them to continue direct attacks on Israel as long as they agree not to attack American ships. And negotiating the release of a hostage behind Israel's back and without their knowledge. Then there's big shiny plane Qatar is about to give Trump.

This has got have Netanyahu very concerned. He's so used to dictating U.S. foreign policy but now he's being frozen out.

If Trump figures out that Israel's endless warmongering isn't in fact in the U.S.'s interest and he decides not to keep sending billions of dollars of weapons then Israel could be in very serious trouble.

Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept Qatari Air Force One gift

When I started reading that sentence that's not where I thought it would go.

What would the tariff be on an imported jet costing hundreds of millions of dollars?

Unfortunately Israel's response in killing innocent women and children in Gaza is equally barbaric... - lincolnman

I don't see any equality in the situation. 34 children were killed on Oct 7th. Since then over 17,000 Palestinian children have been killed by Israel. That's an average of 30 a day or 1 child every 45 minutes for over 18 months.

This is also in the context of a brutal Israeli occupation and blockade of Gaza that has been in place since 1948.

There's no equality in that.

Today

Just as there is room in Central Europe for the Swiss nation, the Austrian nation and the Czech nation – there is room in the Middle East for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation.

May 9th

Just as there is room in East Asia for the Chinese (actually Chinese/Taiwanese) nation, the Korean nation and the Japanese nation – there is room in the Middle East for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation.

May 8th

Just as there is room in the South American continent for both the Argentinian nation and the Brazilian nation – there is room in the Middle East for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation.

May 7th

Just as there is room in the islands at the north-west of Europe for the Irish nation, the Scottish nation, the Welsh nation and the English nation – there is room in the Middle East for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation.

NB taking the idea of an ideological echo chamber rather literally. I'm excited to see what NB chooses to regurgitate tomorrow. India and Pakistan? Maybe not. . .

There is room in the land for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation. - NB

Just the daily copy, paste empty statement from NB.

What about the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza that Israel is pushing south towards to Egyptian that Israel plans to starve into "voluntarily leaving"? Is there room for them?

When the left broke the west will be how this era may go down. Yuck.

It’s a freak show mate. Plain as day. Own it. - Ricky Kaminsky13

Yes, because gay people singing pop songs is what's ruining the world.

Just as South Africa was boycotted and prevented from competing in the olympics during the apartheid, so should Israel from all international events for as long as its illegal occupation of Palestine persists.

Growing looting of community kitchens, stores of local merchants, and U.N. headquarters have prompted Hamas security forces to crack down on local gangs.

It's all a part of Israel's carefully engineered genocide. Destroy all essential infrastructure, schools, hospitals, agriculture, homes, shelters, cultural and religious sites. Then starve the population to the point of societal collapse. Remove the ability to sustain life.

Create the conditions so that the population will "leave voluntarily" and Israel's ethnic cleansing plan is complete.

Today

It would not be off topic to bring an example from another place.

Just as there is room in East Asia for the Chinese (actually Chinese/Taiwanese) nation, the Korean nation and the Japanese nation – there is room in the Middle East for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation.

The same principle applies for big nations and for small nations.

May 8th

t would not be off topic to bring one more example from another place.

Just as there is room in the South American continent for both the Argentinian nation and the Brazilian nation – there is room in the Middle East for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation.

The same principle applies for big nations

May 7th

It would not be off topic to bring an example from another place.

Just as there is room in the islands at the north-west of Europe for the Irish nation, the Scottish nation, the Welsh nation and the English nation – there is room in the Middle East for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation.

Yawn... Yes, yes it would be off topic. Does someone mind giving the propaganda machine a whack? I think it's malfuntioning.

It would not be off topic to bring one more example from another place.

Just as there is room in the South American continent for both the Argentinian nation and the Brazilian nation – there is room in the Middle East for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation.

We could talk about Argentina and Brazil but I'd be much more interested in hearing you talk about Israel's plans for ethnic cleansing. Or have Israel's actions become so indefensible at this point that you'd rather talk about Europe and South America?

Here is what has been published about the operation that was unanimously approved by Israel's security cabinet on May 4th.

Operation Gideon's Chariot

Phase 1: Preparations

All critical infrastructure including residential buildings in Rafah will be destroyed to create a "sterile" zone. Tents to facilitate the long term stay of Gaza's population of 2 million will be erected. Humanitarian aid will be distributed by private American contractors and limited to 60 trucks per day. Shin Bet and IDF will oversee who is allowed into the "humanitarian zone" and who will be allowed to receive aid. Phase 1 will continue until May 16th with the arrival of Trump in the Middle East.

Phase 2: Population Mobilisation

Israel will begin bombardment across the entire Gaza strip and demand all Gazan's move to the "humanitarian zone". This is to bring the population towards the coast and the Egyptian border where they will be encouraged to "voluntarily leave".

Aid will only be distributed in the "humanitarian zone". One representative from each family will be allowed to collect aid once a week "each representative of a Gaza family will receive exactly the amount that is sufficient for his family to prevent a situation of starvation."

Phase 3: Ground Manoeuvre

Israeli forces will send in a large ground force to clear out the rest of the Gaza strip. The remaining population will be moved towards the "humanitarian zone" and to "voluntarily leave" There will be no withdrawal from the areas Israel has annexed.

There have been no reports of Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea area since January.

"The agreement does not include Israel in any way, shape or form," Mohammed Abdulsalam, the chief Houthi negotiator, told Reuters.

So in other words it achieved nothing. That's Trump's "America first" diplomacy for you. Bet the Houthis had a good old chuckle about it afterwards.

As long as Trump gets to make his hollow, self-congratulatory announcements.

It would not be off topic to bring an example from another place.

Just as there is room in the islands at the north-west of Europe for the Irish nation, the Scottish nation, the Welsh nation and the English nation – there is room in the Middle East for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation. - NB

I agree 100%. Certainly Ireland have a great deal of empathy for the Palestinians as they see direct parallels between their own liberation from Britain's brutal colonization, occupation and repression. Just as South Africa see parallels between Israel's occupation of Palestine and its own system of apartheid under the Afrikaners.

It is an odd thing for you to point out though. I'm not sure you followed your own rhetoric to its obvious conclusions.

From Times of Israel....

Ultra nationalist Minister Smotrich says Gaza will be "completely destroyed " and the population " concentrated in a small area" - GuruMick

Concentrated in a small area? Like a camp perhaps? Hmmmm. . .

It came after Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that the Gaza Strip should be "entirely destroyed" and called for its inhabitants to "leave in great numbers to third countries" after the war.

Genocide and ethnic cleansing. They intend to destroy the entire region and remove its population. Can't be any less ambiguous.

Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin said the planned offensive approved by the cabinet would include "moving most of the population of the Gaza Strip... to protect them".

To "protect them"? From who? You mean you? A truly sickening comment. Psychotic, there's no other word for it.

There is room in the land (that land which is called "Palestine" or "Eretz Yisrael", or whatever) - NB

Look up a map of "Eretz Y'Israel". There is no Palestine or even Jordan on those maps.

It's a term used by extreme Zionists. Just so you know the ideology that's actually behind such "both sides" comments. There is no Palestine according to these people. It's just Judea and Samaria. The terms Netanyahu uses to describe the illegally occupied West Bank.

Kyodo News probably wants to create a flow of: ''I don't get married because I want to change my surname → Let's accelerate the discussion on separate surnames for married couples → Law is enacted → Chaos in Japanese society. - Agent_Neo

As pointed out by another poster there are many countries that allow for separate surnames and it has not miraculously caused their societies to crumble.

Only criminals would be happy about separate surnames for married couples.

At work, you can keep your maiden name even after marriage. There is no particular problem with the way it is now.

There are many reasons people might not want to change their surnames. Non of them criminal.

My Japanese wife maintains her last name and I retain mine. My son has my last name on his non-Japanese passport and uses his Japanese surname in Japan. Mainly out of concern for discrimination he might potentially face for having a foreign last name. Nothing criminal about it.

Conversely, my mother divorced my father after decades of marriage but kept his last name. Mainly for not having to deal with the hassle of changing her last name on all her documents, bank accounts, passport etc. Nothing criminal about that.

It's just an ineffective government run by a group of aged, out of touch politicians who fear change.

The fact that the missile was able to penertrate the Iron Dome system is a blow to Israel's sense of impunity and will be seen by many Israeli's as yet another security failure by Netanyahu.

This incident will be capitalized on to derail talks between the U.S. and Iran. Netanyahu is threatened by the U.S.' direct talks that have sidelined Israel.

Today  07:04 am JST

Posted in: Missile fired by Yemen's Houthis lands near Israel's main airport

May 3  06:10 am JST

Posted in: Desperate children and adults in Gaza struggle to get food as Israel blocks aid

Apr. 30  07:14 am JST

Posted in: Netanyahu vows to achieve victory in Gaza as Israel honors its dead

Apr. 29  06:37 am JST

Posted in: Israel's Shin Bet chief announces resignation

Apr. 28  03:53 pm JST

Posted in: Israeli jets strike Beirut's southern suburbs for third time since ceasefire

"There is room in the land for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation." NB

There is room in the land for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation. - NB

Oh just stop, please. Your lazy, copy paste comments are worthless. Nothing but an excuse to regurgitate your same talking points over and over again and not actually address the content of the article. Why mods don't simply remove these comments is a mystery.

*Imagine** if Hamas didn't exist and Israel was fully integrated regardless of religion? Think of all the prosperity that both Israels and Palestinians could have had the last 50 yrs. Imagine what a nice place the world would be for everyone in the region. - theFu*

No imagination required. Hamas was formed in 1987. Israeli occupation began in 1967.

What was a pre-Hamas world like for the Palestinians? Well they'd been living under dehumanizing Israeli occupation for 2 decades. They started the first Intifada, a non-violent uprising which was brutally suppressed and led to the deaths of over a thousand Palestinians with over 200 of them children.

This is what led to the formation of Hamas. Your facts are backwards. Hamas didn't create this conflict. Israeli occupation created Hamas.

Imagine a fully integrated Israel regardless of religion? I think you fundamentally misunderstand what Israel is. It's stated goal is a Jewish state for Jewish people. They're not seeking religious integration.

I don't think you have the most basic grasp of this conflict, its origins and its causes.

Donkey voting in budgie smugglers. Doesn't get much more Aussie than that.

BOTH nations deserve to live. This is a very simple concept. When the right of one nation to live is denied, the other nation dies too. - NB

ONE nation has occupied the other with its boot on its throat for decades and denied its most basic humans rights, freedoms, dignity and right to live. ONE nation is starving another to and plans to ethnically cleanse them. ONE nation is stealing land from the other. There's no "both" in this equation.

Israel has erased Gaza. Nearly every home, hospital and school has been destroyed, its agriculture destroyed, its entire population homeless and starving. It was occupation but now it's shifted gear to full fledged genocide. No excuses for it. It's simply genocide. You can either support it or oppose it.

There is room in the land for both the Palestinian Arabic nation and the Israeli Jewish nation. - NB

Stop copy, pasting the same hollow platitudes on every single article. What do you have to say about Israel starving an entire nation of people to death?

The treatment and status of Druze in Israel is a complex one. The men can serve in the Israeli army and there is a strand of the Druze community who are stringently pro-Israel.

But under Israel's 2018 "Nation State Law" no ethnic or religious minority have equal rights to the Jews. Druze communities receive far less investment than Jewish ones do and Israel frequently denies building permits which makes the Druze much more susceptible to fines and demolitions.

Israel has also used the seemingly benign act of getting people to sponsor the planting of trees to take land from the Druze communities and declare them national reserves.

Then there's the status of the Druze within the illegally occupied Golan heights. They have been offered Israeli citizenship but the large majority have refused. As a result they are a stateless community.

No doubt Israel's defense of the Druze in Syria is politically motivated to allow them to further cement their claim to the Golan heights. Create conflict between the Druze and the Muslims in Syria and Israel can claim it needs to annex the Golan heights to protect the "Israeli" Druze there.