Ex-president says decision threatens to worsen humanitarian crisis, undermine peace effort and erode global support for Israel
Some of Israel’s decisions in its war against Hamas – including cutting off food and water for Gaza – could “harden Palestinian attitudes for generations” and weaken international support for Israel, Barack Obama said on Monday.
In rare comments on an active foreign policy crisis, the ex-US president said any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs of the war “could ultimately backfire”.
“The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population [in Gaza] threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis – it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies, and undermine long-term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region,” said Obama.
I mean, I do understand him saying: “don’t cut off water and power to over a million civilians, because it will be counterproductive in the long term”.
But what he should really be saying is “don’t cut off water and power to over a million civilians because that’s fucking evil”.
How did we get to this position where no leaders of the West will stand up and call this out for what it is?
I understand it’s a complex situation, but treating an entire people like they’re subhuman is morally unacceptable. And I can’t fucking believe that the sodding Israelis - of all people - don’t know this.
“Evil” is incredibly subjective and doesn’t convince people well enough. Next time you’re in an argument with someone, call them evil and see how quickly you’ve convinced them.
I saw an interview a while back where Obama said he makes these exact types of statements because if you want other countries to do things you perceive as “good” it’s more effective to convince them that it’s beneficial for them.
You’re probably right, but take a step back for a moment and think about how psychotic it is that “starving civilians is evil” is considered an unconvincing argument?
As soon as you have to explain why starving civilians is evil, or how not starving civilians will be a more beneficial, profitable, or productive outcome for the non-starved, you’re already living in a dystopian hellhole that doesn’t deserve to exist.
Denouncing Israel would be bad for business. And money rules.
That a d it would circle back to the fact the only reason Israel exists in its present form is due to the US militarily propping it up, so it’s a problem the US has ensured continues with its policy decisions, and the equipment killing civilians in the west bank right now are us funded.
This clip of Biden tells you everything about why America supports Israel.
Take a victory lap, you are on fire lately.
Thanks. Would you be my friend on MySpace? :)
I’m not on Myspace, had a falling out with Tom. I did track down your LiveJournal though, so I’ll add you on the ol’ LJ, as the kids say.
Can I add you on friendster?
elftown anyone?
Also, in this case, some mostly unreasonable people in this country would love to yell “B-B-B-BLACK MAN IS ANTISEMITIC!”
And possibly more than a few supposedly more reasonable people would find themselves voting for Jill Stein again over it.
How is it bad for business?
Appeasement is a tactic used by the west in the hopes that authoritarian genocidal cunts will just stop doing what they are doing. It has always worked.
You dropped your ‘/s’
It has
alwaysnever worked.I try to help
You see why calling someone evil before asking them to do something might not elicit the desired effect, right?
People are generally more receptive to arguments that benefit them than arguments that don’t, unfortunately. Governments… doubly so.
Is this antisemitism? 🤔👉🦋
Excellent work; I’m gonna have to add this to my emoji meme collection (which up until now has consisted entirely of one meme)
“wait, it’s all projection?”
“Always has been”
🌎 👨🚀 🔫 👩🚀
Man, idk, I like this meme too but if everybody involved knows the meme, I think the open hand plays better. Good one, though… I’m going to use: Is this _____ ? 🤔🫴🏻🦋
Yeah it’s definitely improvable, what with the glasses and the book… Perfection demands mucho toil as they say… probably somewhere
🤓📕🫴🦋
👨🏫🫴🦋
Ooo, I like the first one even better, thanks
The US led Coalition procedures for a siege are more or less what Israel is doing. (if you want to read about Fallujah the US military procedure includes firing white phosphorus at tunnel entrances to smoke out the people in the tunnel by consuming all the oxygen. Even Israel thinks that’s fucked up to do and restricts White Phosphorus to its legal usage as range finding for artilery during the current Gazan war.)
There are US military advisors OKing the plans and have been for a while.
Fact of the matter is urban sieges fucking suck and the govs of the world all undertake them in what the UN labels as fucked up. Ukraine blew up a major energy pipeline for the rest of Europe causing a lot of people to struggle to pay their bills to keep their homes warm in winter.
Even critical leaders like Macron flipped their tune and are now pushing for an international coalition. The context that Israel was always on the hook for Gaza’s Water and Power situation before thousands of bombs started falling on the area is important. The Israeli water and power workers can and have striked when asked to go into Gaza to fix their power lines after Gazan rockets blew them up (high failure rate remember). There is a very real “hostages thing” amongst the tribes and people native to the region, such that even the Unions will continue to strike while there are hostages even after the IDF has agreed to a ceasefire. The water situation was exacerbated by Hamas and associated groups digging up pipes to turn into rockets.
Hamas posted hype videos of them turning humanitarian aid pipes into rockets. https://youtu.be/MvvqBcA-9yA?si=EUH85MQeaR8IQkbt
Concerns about fuel were confirmed when Hamas stole an estimated 6 days worth of running the Gazan water system from the UN.
How did we get to this position where no leaders of the West will stand up
Colonialism. That’s how. You know… that thing “western civilization” cannot exist without?
Evil is unfortunately a word and concept that a lot of people don’t like being brought up today.
Capitalism (and the military by proxy that protects it) is like a big ship. You can make small adjustments easier (like drone strikes and invasions) than bigger adjustments like long-term planning and developing nations. Obama understands that a ground invasion in the short term benefits the interests of capital (defense contractors). But he also understands that lasting peace takes long term planning. He is trying to thread the needle, like he always has, between short-term profits and long-term development. He still hasn’t learned that capitalism doesn’t allow long-term thinking. This has always been his shortcoming.
CEOs frogs are turning a blind eye to the world coming to a boiling point because shareholding frogs want to profit a little more.
Since when do we have anyone worth calling a leader around here?
Bernie would have made a great leader. I mean, he wouldn’t have been able to get anything done, but he would have swayed public opinion in the right direction, and that counts for a lot.
That’s fair.
He already has, then
It’s not that complex… Israel is a fucking apartheid state and seems a little too eager for the excuse to cut off basic necessities
But did he condemn Hamas? /s
No, but while doing some tours in Iowa, he instead implied that all Muslims are terrorists, and that we would need to lock up our immigration from their countries and deport any immigrants he didn’t like at colleges here to prevent an attack on US soil from terrorist Muslims.
Just kidding, that was Trump a few hours ago. He also praised the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as “very smart.”
You’re doing god’s work by watching Trump. I have an allergic reaction now. He praised Hezbollah, wtf.
You do realize that the first country to acknowledge the existence of the place where Trump is from is Muslim itself. That basically created the longest unbroken friendship between two countries to this day. It would be a shame if he suddenly breaks it when he gets a 2nd term simply because it’s Muslim. But apparently visa restrictions are still imposed on it.
I gave you enough hints, the country in question is Morocco.
It baffles me that most Americans have never heard of that place.
But did he really mean it? /s
Thanks, Obama!
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The right to self defense is universal
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Starving millions of innocent civilians is not a form of self defense
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Apparently Obama’s antisemitic!
/s
He’s got that Kanye in him.
No, no, he’s got Kenya in him.
Good for Obama. Food and water should be there.
Damn is Biden small in his shoes
It is easy to make these statements when you are no longer Prez as you don’t have to actually do anything.
If Obama was in the big chair now, would the USA’s actions and lack of action there be any different?
I seriously doubt it. Obama spoke a great game before he was elected. Once in power his foreign policy was no different than the president that preceded him.
While it is easier to armchair govern, at least he didn’t start an international conflict. Continue it, sure, but he didn’t start it.
He did massively increase the scale of the conflict and basically started the use of drone strikes.
For the USA, internally, there is a great difference between R and D.
For the rest of the world, the foreign policy is exactly the same.
Full text of Obama’s statement, taken from his instagram post:
It’s been 17 days since Hamas launched its horrific attack against Israel, killing over 1,400 Israeli citizens, including defenseless women, children and the elderly. In the aftermath of such unspeakable brutality, the U.S. government and the American people have shared in the grief of families, prayed for the return of loved ones, and rightly declared solidarity with the Israeli people. As stated in an earlier post, Israel has a right to defend its citizens against such wanton violence, and fully support President Biden’s call for the United States to support our long-time ally in going after Hamas, dismantling its military capabilities, and facilitating the safe return of hundreds of hostages to their families. But even as we support Israel, we should also be clear that how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters. In particular, it matters - as President Biden has repeatedly emphasized - that lsrael’s military strategy abides by international law, including those laws that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations. Upholding these values is important for its own sake because it is morally just and reflects our belief in the inherent value of every human life. Upholding these values is also vital for building alliances and shaping international opinion all of which are critical for Israel’s long-term security. This is an enormously difficult task. War is always tragic, and even the most carefully planned military operations often put civilians at risk. As President Biden noted during his recent visit to Israel, America itself has at times fallen short of our higher values when engaged in war, and in the aftermath of 9/1, the U.S. government wasn’t interested in heeding the advice of even our allies when it came to the steps we took to protect ourselves against AI Qaeda. Now, after the systematic massacre of Israeli citizens, a massacre that evokes some of the darkest memories of persecution against the Jewish people, it’s understandable that many Israelis have demanded that their government do whatever it takes to root out Hamas and make sure such attacks never happen again. Moreover, Hamas’ military operations are deeply embedded within Gaza - and its leadership seems to intentionally hide among civilians, thereby endangering the very people they claim to represent. Still, the world is watching closely as events in the region unfold, and any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire. Already, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the bombing of Gaza, many of them children. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes. The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies, and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region. It’s therefore important that those of us supporting Israel in its time of need encourage a strategy that can incapacitate Hamas while minimizing further civilian casualties. Israel’s recent shift to allow relief trucks into Gaza, prompted in part by the Biden administration’s behind-the-scenes diplomacy, is an encouraging step, but we need to continue to lead the international community in accelerating critical aid and supplies to an increasingly desperate Gaza population. And while the prospects of future peace may seem more distant than ever, we should call on all of the key actors in the region to engage with those Palestinian leaders and organizations that recognize Israel’s right to exist to begin articulating a viable pathway for Palestinians to achieve their legitimate aspirations for self-determination - because that is the best and perhaps only way to achieve the lasting peace and security most lsraeli and Palestinian families yearn for.
Finally, in dealing with what is an extraordinarily complex situation where so many people are in pain and passions are understandably running high, all of us need to do our best to put our best values, rather than our worst fears, on display. That means actively opposing anti-semitism in all its forms, everywhere. It means rejecting efforts to minimize the terrible tragedy that the Israeli people have just endured, as well as the morally-bankrupt suggestion that any cause can somehow justify the deliberate slaughter of innocent people. It means rejecting anti-Muslim, anti-Arab or anti-Palestinian sentiment. It means refusing to lump all Palestinians with Hamas or other terrorist groups. It means guarding against dehumanizing language towards the people of Gaza, or downplaying Palestinian suffering whether in Gaza or the West Bank as irrelevant or illegitimate. It means recognizing that Israel has every right to exist; that the Jewish people have claim to a secure homeland where they have ancient historical roots; and that there have been instances in which previous Israeli governments made meaningful efforts to resolve the dispute and provide a path for a two-state solution - efforts that were ultimately rebuffed by the other side.
It means acknowledging that Palestinians have also lived in disputed territories for generations; that many of them were not only displaced when Israel was formed but continue to be forcibly displaced by a settler movement that too often has received tacit or explicit support from the Israeli government; that Palestinian leaders who’ve been willing to make concessions for a two-state solution have too often had little to show for their efforts; and that it is possible for people of good will to champion Palestinian rights and oppose certain Israeli government policies in the West Bank and Gaza without being anti-semitic. Perhaps most of all, it means we should choose not to always assume the worst in those with whom we disagree. In an age of constant rancor, trolling and misinformation on social media, at a time when so many politicians and attention see kers see an advantage in shedding heat rather than light, it may be unrealistic to expect respectful dialogue on any issue - much less on an issue with such high stakes and after so much blood has been spilled. But if we care about keeping open the possibility of peace, security and dignity for future generations of lsraeli and Palestinian children - as well as for our own children - then it falls upon all of us to at least make the effort to model, in our own words and actions, the kind of world we want them to inherit.
TLDR - Obama is afraid that the genocidal white supremacist colonialist state he handed hundreds of billions of dollars to to be more effective at being a genocidal white supremacist colonialist state is acting too much like a genocidal white supremacist colonialist state and is showing everybody that they, in fact, happens to be a genocidal white supremacist colonialist state.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
In rare comments on an active foreign policy crisis, the ex-US president said any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs of the war “could ultimately backfire”.
“The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population [in Gaza] threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis – it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies, and undermine long-term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region,” said Obama.
Gaza, a 25-mile strip of land that is home to 2.3 million people, has been ruled politically since 2007 by Hamas, an Iran-backed Islamist group.
The Obama administration sought – but ultimately failed to broker – a peace deal in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Since taking office in early 2021, Biden has not tried to resume long-stalled talks, saying that leaders on both sides were too intransigent and the climate was not right.
In his statement on Monday, Obama acknowledged that the US had itself “fallen short of our higher values when engaged in war”, especially after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
The original article contains 405 words, the summary contains 196 words. Saved 52%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This fool would have doubled down compared to Biden and probably run his own media campaign on why supporting Israel militarily is good.
Basically gave zero craps in Afghanistan pulling the same stuff with drone collateral
Ah yes, the erudite Trump is so much better.
I never mentioned nor endorsed Trump bruh.
All I said is Obama’s comment doesn’t mean anything because he would not have pressured Israel at all just like how Biden isn’t doing the same.
Biden’s foreign policy practically started as a copy paste from Obama because he was vice president.
oh the poor poor “palestinians” who are “denied food and water and medical attention” each and every fucking time Hamas and PIJ have attacked Israel, and Israel has responded, for the last 18 years, and done absolute jack fucking shit to change their own governance in Gaza, because they support the terrorists. 2 weeks after thousands of “palestianians” stormed Israel, raped, then slaughtered then burnt nearly 2 thousand Israeli men, women, and children, they’ve got morons like this saying “but but food, water and hospitals” fuck em.
i voted for obama a number of times, fuck his terrorist excusing, “palestianian” apologizing ass too
israel is going into Gaza and going to annihilate Hamas, PIJ, anyone else standing in their way, increase the buffer zone between the Arabs and their borders, and not stop before it’s accomplished come what may.
“palestinians” were given gaza to do with what they liked, they made it a terrorist disneyland with which to attack, terrorize and kill jews.
it will now be remade.
we got the us strike force in the eastern med and ready to take on all fucking comers.
These bloodlust comments are something else. Innocent civilians are being deprived of basic necessities and bombed constantly. Get help dude. If you can’t see the glaring humanitarian issues you have serious problems
What about the Palestinian civilians who are killed indiscriminately every day? I wish you could go there one day and live through the horrors, normal people are put through there.
RIP humanity.
A “terrorist Disneyland”? Is there any other nation so cartoonishly evil, in your worldview?
You good dude?
Shhhh, don’t ask, let em be.
You could have just said “collective punishment is okay” and gotten your point across in way fewer words.
