Alexander Dolitsky: Israel-Gaza war would be over if Hamas surrendered, returned hostages. So why don’t they?

1. Simple. They’re animals.

   • Animals aren’t so cruel. They’re rabid.

2. If Israel stands down, this will just kick off again. And again. And again.

   In “the world’s” eyes, Israel and Jews are guilty of existing. That’s why so many support the animals of Hamas. They hope Hamas will succeed in the genocide so many want.

   • Exactly. And the psy-op of the Dems has backfired as the Hamas has taken control of the brainwashed.

3. Absolutely correct, Mr Dolitsky

4. Any traveled person who is capable of comprehensive history of the region would be in agreement. Our country’s role in all of this with the present leadership should be the only argument. Seems to be fostering more hatred. We are not short of our own problems, and incapable of continuing to be the world police.

5. Yes it is horrible what is going on. I am floored at the UN and World Court and their treatment of Israel.
   The other thing people don’t bring up is, there are many other groups as nasty as Hamas in Gaza. They also are shooting and bombing the Israelis, and some are holding Israeli hostages also. I don’t think Hamas knows where all the hostages are because they aren’t that organized.
   If other Arab countries wanted the Palestinians, they would be standing up. Instead the wall between Egypt and Gaza is even larger than the wall between Gaza and Israel.

6. Totally, totally on point!!! And to add with only online research, these Palestinians could be in fact, the very Philistines in the “forever’ fight with “Israel” the Jewish people at the time period of “David and Goliath” in the Bible and in history. From online research, the Palestinians are DNA proven not from the Judea are but from Crete, Macedonia and geologically from that area and may have moved into that area during the Iron age or earlier. And, they may not be Palestinians but of different geographical group, altogether, having nothing to do with Palestine which was a name given to the geography and not a people by earlier than the Roman era. They are mentioned in wars with Egypt, farther north of Israel in the time of Pharaoh, and more in the area of what is Turkey. So, this marching through geography war progress type of ownership has changed names as they fought their way to an easy mark in time, it being Israel. The Jewish people have always been willing to accept “strays” to care for and work with and live with because God shares his “goodness” with the world they were a part of in that time and today. Israel has always been an easy mark for the world because of the teachings and actions to “mankind.” And, here we are today.
   Same old problem that has been going on with “all” peoples of that area, geographically, by these confused, demeaning persons and groups with this identity, trying to still create another image of the same old aggression and hate. So, they have become the Palestinians who are “Hamas” bred, born and raised in radicalized learning promoting to the world this image of victimization, when they have actually set themselves up this way for generations with the consent and willingness of men, women and thier children.

7. Conversely, the war would be over if the Israeli’s capitulated. The Israelis won’t for the same reason that the Palestinians won’t: Right or wrong, they do not believe that it is in their best interest.

   • If Israel stopped right now Hamas would resume attacks on innocent children, women, and elderly. They’ve told us they will do so.

     Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s political bureau recently said “Will we have to pay a price? Yes, and we are ready to pay it. We are called a nation of martyrs, and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs.”

     Hamas has, as part of their stated goals to total and complete annihilation of Israel.

     Hamad said that Israel’s existence is “illogical” and that it must be wiped off all “Palestinian lands,” When asked whether this meant the complete annihilation of Israel, Hamad replied: “Yes, of course.”
     Speaking of the October 7th massacre Hamad said “We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do it twice and three times. The Al-Aqsa Deluge [the name Hamas gave its October 7 onslaught] is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth,”

     Hamad now says he wants a cease fire “So I think we are ready now to have complete compromise, complete a deal, in order to receive all the hostages, either military or civilians.” When asked how he could be calling for a cease-fire while also pledging to keep attacking Israel, Hamad replied: “What do you want us to do? To stop?”

     But you probably already knew all of that.

8. Israel is a pseudo Democracy that is a police State if you are Palestinian. The USA gives $Billions every year to Israel while far right Zionists settle in the West Bank. Hamas would get far less support if Gaza Palestinians were settled in the West Bank instead. You reap what you sow, there will never be Peace in the Middle East until the Palestinians can control their own land

   • Would Hezbollah allow Hamas or Hamas supporters in the West Bank, I doubt it. There will never be peace in the Middle East until Muslim extremists stop insisting upon the complete annihilation of Israel and Jews.

   • And from 2005 until October 7th Gaza was an open air prison with Hamas acting as the mafia, police force, judge, jury, prison guard, and executioner. Israel has somewhere north of 2,000,000 Arabian/Palestinian/Bedouin living in Israel proper with full citizenship and rights, more than 20% of the population. It’s remarkable that such a large population of essentially the same people can live in relative harmony in Israel while so many choose to live in terror while attacking Israel, including that 20+% of people who are their genomic brothers and sisters.

     So you can blame the Zionist Jews, right or left, or you can blame the terrorists and those who support terrorism. I do find it odd that you and Jeff align so closely on this singular issue. It’s almost as if a st4ong dislike or even hatred for a certain people transcends politics.

   • Frank! Heck yes, Israel demanded total compliance with their Jab Mandate and yet still experienced some of the highest Covid infection rates in the world.
     Is this your definition of a Police State?
     Oh wait, you were all in for that, right?

9. Interesting comparison, Gaza to Singapore; 75 years versus 200 years’ existence, one’s exports rejected by neighbors, the other’s exports welcomed by neighbors.
   .
   One condemns cultural diversity, murders its proponents, the other welcomes cultural diversity, wherein proponents flourish.
   .
   One appears incapable of existence without an ideological scapegoat, the other needs no scapegoat to maintain its prestige.
   .
   One encourages murders of Christians and Jews, the other welcomes Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, and Hindus.
   .
   One uses mass murder of women and children as a foreign-policy instrument; the other does not.
   .
   Peace with one is illusory, demands coexistence with evil, peace with the other does not.
   .
   In one, yetzer hara seems dominant, in the other, not so much.
   .
   Why it should be so, we respectfully suggest, is God’s business.

10. I’m halfway through my ninth decade and still don’t understand A is 12 times smaller than B.

11. Over several decades, the Gaza government has been receiving billions of dollars in aid and essential resources from the West to develop its infrastructure. But instead,

    My question is when will we stop giving them money? Obviously “buying” their friendship isn’t working.

12. Historian and anthropologist Dolitsky has focused here how Gaza and Singapore, comparable in size and population have chosen different paths: Disaster and poverty for Gaza — Prosperity and modernity for Singapore. He’s made informative, important points.

    He stated accurately that, “[Hamas is] funded and supported by the Gulf States and Iran”. However some additional depth is important.

    Before assuming that the Gulf States (mostly Qatar) are doing it to support Hamas terrorism it should be understood that much of this funding was with the support and coordination of Israel itself. What! Why? Israel knows that 2 million Gazans need to have a functioning government, schools, economy. Qatar money helped address these needs. That Gazans’ Hamas leaders wasted much of that money on insane tunnel construction and terrorism is a tragedy. Hopefully now enough Gazans are realizing the folly of this to take a different future road.

    See, 12/10/23 – NY Times – ‘Buying Quiet’: Inside the Israeli Plan That Propped Up Hamas ‘https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/10/world/middleeast/israel-qatar-money-prop-up-hamas.html – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gambled that a strong Hamas (but not too strong) would keep the peace and reduce pressure for a Palestinian state – Just weeks before Hamas launched the deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, the head of Mossad arrived in Doha, Qatar, for a meeting with Qatari officials. For years, the Qatari government had been sending millions of dollars a month into the Gaza Strip — money that helped prop up the Hamas government there. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel not only tolerated those payments, he had encouraged them.

    Finally, realize that Qatar, the country that hosts top Hamas leaders, also provides the site for America’s largest military base in the Persian Gulf: Al Udeid.

13. Mr. Dolitsky offers a invalid argument in response to my letter. Comparing Gaza, an occupied territory that has been invaded 9 times since 1949 and has been effectively held under siege for the last 16 years, with Singapore, a country that had a civil war in the 1950s but has been an independent country since 1965, is disingenuous bullshit.
    Mr. Dolitsky wants to peg the start date any discussion of the current bombing of Gaza to October 7, 2023 as if there were no Gaza history before then. It is inconvenient for him to admit that the political coalition ruling Israel refutes a two state solution to the issue and has a stated policy that Jewish people have an exclusive right to all of Gaza. It is inconvenient to mention that both the national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, and a defense minister, Bezalel Smotrich, have publicly supported the expulsion and elimination of all Palestinians. His suggestion that Hamas should just surrender and return the remaining hostages denies reality. Both sides are currently governed by entities hell-bent on destroying the other. My letter suggested that we should not be pouring gasoline on the fire by supplying Israel with $4billion in military aid annually while Israel’s military actions in Gaza violate international law. Israel is carpet bombing Gaza with U.S. supplied munitions, that is not in dispute. Within the past month the U.S. Secretary of State has authorized two large munitions sales to Israel (only sales greater than $25 million require reporting), one for 13,981 rounds of 120mm tank shells and the other for 57,021 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition. The Defense Department has acknowledged that there are “near daily” deliveries of U.S. military supplies to Israel. Why should we support Israel’s violation of international law?

    • To Craig Wilson: Mr. Wilson, you are a very poor historian, confusing dates, names, causes of the historic events and a critical judgement of who is right and who is wrong. I find it unproductive for me to take to pieces your narrow-minded comments. I hope other MRAK rational, patriotic and educated readers will respond to your convoluted assertions.

      I only want you to answer two questions: (1) Are you on the side of terrorists—Hamas? (2) Or simply on the side against Jews? If your answer “Yes” for the first question, then you are a terrorist sympathizer; if your answer “Yes” for the second question, then you are an anti-Semite. So, what is your answer? Who are you?

      • Mr. Dolitsky – I am on neither side. As stated in my original letter and my response to you, both sides are currently controlled by entities whose foundation is based upon the destruction of the other. You present an overly simplistic “which side are you on” argument, but both sides can be wrong. That Hamas is a corrupt terrorist organization is a widely accepted fact. That the current Israeli government is composed of a far-right coalition that advocates for the complete destruction of Gaza is also well documented. When the current Israeli government was formed last year over 100 former Israeli government officials signed an open letter saying that the coalition would lead to war in Gaza and the West Bank. The former head of the IDF stated a similar opinion.
        I am stating an opinion that the U.S. should not send more weapons into the conflict and should support a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. The U.N Security Council voted nearly unanimously in favor of a ceasefire and humanitarian aid, but the U.S. vetoed the resolution. The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a ceasefire, but the U.S. veto prevents any action.

      • Professor Dolitsky – I am sure you are smart enough to not equate criticism of Zionism ( a political movement) with anti-semitism. Please, don’t lose your integrity over this emotional and multi-faceted tragedy. There are many Jews who are NOT Zionists. In fact, some of the largest pro-Palestinian protests have been organized by Jews For Peace. To infer that they are anti-semites is preposterous!

        • FfF,
          Last week you claimed “criticism of Zionism is not necessarily criticism of Israel, or for that matter, Judaism” but failed to explain exactly how that works. I am, without a doubt, ignorant as to how one gets to the point wherein one spends so much effort parsing words to avoid the blatantly obvious. While lots of things aren’t necessarily anything, repeatedly claiming that criticism of Zionism has nothing to do with Israel, or for that matter Judaism is completely and utterly absurd.

          Because some Jews don’t believe in Zionism, the State of Israel, or Judaism doesn’t give free license for any and all leftwing Fascist, Communist, National Socialist, or Muslim Extremist to spout antisemitic nonsense. In fact Jews can be antisemites Karl Marx was a Jew and very much an antisemite, Adolf Hitler had Jewish blood and was an antisemite, history is full of antisemitic Jews.

          An obviously antisemitic commentator here demanded that I “Just admit it already: you are a Jew.” and later even questioned if I was a “self-aggrieved Jew” because I dare speak out against rabid antisemitism. While criticism of the Israel government, of certain aspects of Zionism, of certain aspects of Judaism does not necessarily make one antisemitic…as I’m sure you know, there are many antisemites who attempt to shield themselves using that fallacious line of reasoning. When a person bends over backwards to speak ill of Israel and Jews at every opportunity, that doesn’t necessarily make them antisemitic but it sure is a great big flashing sign with alarms going off. The words those who hold antisemitic beliefs use tell the tale, because words have meaning as much as some wish they didn’t.

    • Craig Wilson says “Israel is carpet bombing Gaza with U.S. supplied munitions, that is not in dispute.” I dispute that, because Craig Wilson very clearly does not understand what the term carpet bombing means. If Israel were carpet bombing Gaza for more than 100 days there would be no Gaza and there would be no one left living in Gaza, it’s as ignorant as claiming Israell is indiscriminately bombing Gaza. If you want to defend terrorists then defend terrorists, don’t make up demonstrably false nonsense to hide behind the way Hamas hides behind innocent Palestinian women and children.

      • The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 85% of the Gaza population has been displaced and over 60% of Gaza’s housing units have been destroyed (69,000 units) or damaged beyond habitability (290,000 units). In northern Gaza over 85% of the infrastructure has been destroyed. That level of destruction is on par with the carpet bombings of Dresden, Hamburg, Cologne, and Berlin during WW2.
        As noted in my original letter, the IDF has dropped over 29,000 bombs on northern Gaza in the past 3 months, which is more than the U.S. dropped on all of Iraq during the 2003 war.

        • Far-left media and neo-Marxist activists accuse Israel of excessive and disproportionate use of force against Gaza/Hamas in defending itself in today’s war initiated by GAZA. Historically, there have never been proportionate wars. None.
          On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including 68 civilians, and destroyed or damaged 19 U.S. Navy ships, including eight battleships.
          In response, on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 Japanese respectively, most of whom were civilians, and remain the only use of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict.
          The allied bombing of Germany from 1942-1945 almost completely ruined several major cities (Dresden, Berlin, Cologne), in bombing essential infrastructure and, in the process, killing thousand civilians. Nearly 27 million Soviets were killed during the war, including some of my relatives in Kiev, compared to nearly 9 million civilian and military Germans death by allied forces during the war.
          On the 9/11, 2001, the Arab terrorists cowardly attacked and killed 2,977 people and injured thousands at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In response, the United States and its allies invaded two countries — Iraq and Afghanistan — and, in the process, disproportionately killed and wounded tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel.
          The causes of the Oct. 7, 2023, heinous Gaza’s attack of Israel are deeply rooted in multi-faceted historic, religious and ethnic issues of global terrorism. Historically, terrorism has always been a complex problem for humanity and for peace-seeking nations. Only “united we win” again global terrorism.

          • Alexander .
            Any idea why none of my comments regarding this subject made it through the censorship? ( sent multiple- none post )
            I really think a balanced view would be more helpful to Israel in the long haul.
            I think you are making a major mistake by trying to categorize opponents to bombing into antisemites and pro terrorists .
            Bombs are indiscriminate by nature .
            I am highly pro Israel Pro Jew anti terrorist . im also extremely anti bomb .
            I consider bombs a terrorist go to tool that uses fear and intimidation combined with destruction that isn’t discriminate.
            = indiscriminate bombing no different than using it in a market place.
            Takes good people and bad people just the same . It’s against Jewish values and law .

          • “American”,
            I’m not sure why none of your comments make it through and get posted, the one I’m responding to did. Maybe you are writing something that is against the published standards for this site? I think if my comments were repeatedly denied I’d ask what I was doing wrong and maybe correct that, but that’s just me and my crazy sense of personal accountability.

        • Craig,
          If you were concerned with the lives of Palestinians you would demand Hamas surrender and return the hostages they’ve taken.
          If you were concerned with the lives of Palestinians you would demand Hamas stop hiding behind women and children.
          If you were concerned with the lives of Palestinians you would demand Hamas stop digging tunnels underneath schools, hospitals, and mosques.
          If you were concerned with the lives of Palestinians you would demand Hamas stop destroying the infrastructure to make weapons that serve one purpose and one purpose only, to kill Jews.

          Citing the UN regarding anything related to Israel at this point is a fools errand. When Iran was given a chairmanship on the UN Human Rights Council any semblance of impartiality went out the window, and that was after the UN Secretary-General blamed Israel for the October 7th massacres. The UN has spent decades feeding the beast with the UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, where we know antisemitism and the annihilation of Jews is taught to children the way we are taught 2+2=4 or how to spell.

          • Steve,
            Note i did ask why ?
            “I didn’t ask you though”
            Its fine you answered.
            Id prefer the site owners or Alexander answer.
            None of my comments contained foul language. Nor even unnecessary insults or meanness.
            They just dispute the party line .
            I figured perhaps whoever censors this site would answer.
            Never have they clarified whatever keeps them from posting.
            I wonder if the comments dont even make it past the automatic platform site algorithm.

          • “American”,

            This might help you.

            ‘https://mustreadalaska.com/a-few-words-about-mraks-ad-hoc-commenting-policy/’

            ‘https://akismet.com/privacy/’

14. Great article and lots of good information. Gaza is 1/12 the size of Juneau Borough (not, 12 X smaller, which is a mathematical impossibility)..

    • To Richard Russellan: Thanks. “Gaza is about 275 square miles, smaller than the State of Rhode Island and nearly 12 times smaller than City Borough of Juneau (3,255 square miles).” I just divided 3,255 by 275 and came out with 12. Readers got the point. Thanks.

15. To America: I don’t know anything about the status and censorship of your comments.

    I normally do not respond to your comments (until now) because I find them demagogic. Perhaps you should use your real name (e.g., Bob, Maria, Craig, etc.) instead of your pseudonym—American. If you have a courage to criticize authors and readers, or express your point of view, then have a courage to let them know who you are and your real name, as you know my name and names of other authors as well.

    • Alexander
      I invite you to dispute my opinions in my recent comments.

      Dear Mrs. Downing,

      Is the word press site format disposing of my comments? ( aprx 90% of comments)
      Or am I violating your policy in some way ?
      If so, please describe.
      I have a thick skin so feel free to be fairly specific.
      If I’m violating some rule I will do my best to change methods while getting my opinion across.
      I probably can’t change my writing quality to much because its an inherent weakness/ or difference in ability.
      Im listening and would like to know if im violating your policy and how or if im being stepped on by your platform subcontractor/ word press ect.

      Respectfully yours ,

      American

16. Alexander,
    Thank you for the reply. Appreciated.
    Perhaps it is some algorithm that keeps my comments off . I will look into it further.

    Alexander ,

    America has a long tradition of using pseudonyms. Benjamin Franklin Famously used “silence dogood” to get cutting edge ideas across.
    Many authors use pen names.
    Pseudonyms make the discussion more pure without preconceived judgments good or bad of the person. Women writers used them to sell books in more sexist eras .
    In this era of retribution/ constant police swatting / canceling/ harassing/ ect ,it serves a good purpose.

    Now regarding why you don’t reply to my comments “demagogic type speech”
    My opinion is it is not demagogic.
    Perhaps you could refute each point I make while commenting and show why it is . Perhaps we could have a valid discussion and get to the truth.
    I regard your speech as demagogic also because it whips up the masses for justification of deadly violence without true moral justification.
    Perhaps im wrong. Do the world a favor and bring us to the truth.
    ( thanks for the reply)

17. Alexander
    I should also add –
    Posting under what appears to be a real name is pointless because there is no documentation proving anyone on this site is using a real name.
    I could use a “real name” and it would be a pseudonym/ fake even if we put a picture of a drivers license with the name. Who knows if anybody on this site uses a real name?
    Any body could post under whoever’s name as there is no documentation proofing.

    So lets just discuss ideas on their merits and not worry about names.
    Its pure that way.

18. Alexander Dolitsky: Further engagement with “American” is pointless. Your research and writing time is too valuable to waste on further engagement. Thank you…

    • Ray ,

      He’s only partially “engaged” with me this one time out of many comments. Even then He has not tried to refute even one specific point.
      Therefore it’s illogical to say “further engagement is pointless” because he hasn’t engaged any of my arguments.
      Your statement “further engagement” is effectively false because there has been basically no engagement.
      He’s only politely addressed the issue of posts not posting . While claiming he feels my posts are demagogic without showing proof.
      He didn’t engage any of the core ideas.
      Ray do you have any proof to substantiate your statement? Or is it you just dislike hearing a range of views?

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