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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 2, 2024

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denouncing the obvious atrocities in Gaza.

Can you list a few of these?

This is not a "shOw mE yeR fActs!" post. I am quite simply looking for basic data here.

Main stream outlets call someone having a bad hair day in Gaza an "atrocity', so I am hopeful the Motte can deliver actual data.

https://www.reuters.com/graphics/ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/GAZA-HUNGER/myvmakwxrvr/

Cooper's argument is that Israel has taken on the responsibility to feed these people by removing any infrastructure to feed them and actively murdering those trying to deliver food supplies.

One hell of a bad hair day, if you ask me.

Again, wasn't try to be bait or be combative. Just looking for facts - which you have provided. Thank you.

I didn't take your post as bait. I think it's fairly obvious that bad things are happening in Gaza, some of them to good people, or at least to more or less neutral people. One can still argue that Gaza, and Gazans, "deserve" it, or that it is necessary, or at least that it is productive.

(I happen to believe that it isn't necessary, or even productive)

But it is beyond debate that bad things are happening, and that as a result of those bad things happening people are upset with Israel. Israel, and Jews in America, need to grope with that reality when making policies. Because people who are upset with Israel are going to start agreeing with people who have always hated Jews when they make the same points.

What is the actual number of starvation deaths. We’ve seen large scale famine deaths before, mountains of bloated and distended corpses, and everyone in Gaza has a smartphone - the evidence just isn’t there that large numbers of civilians are starving to death.

As far as I know it is not the responsibility of a belligerent in wartime to feed enemy civilians not under their direct control.

How are they not under Israel's direct control? There is no other government which exists and exercises any territorial control or monopoly on violence. Nor is it at all clear under what circumstances a new government could be formed that would be allowed to govern Gaza. If any citizen's committee of Gazans formed to try to function as a government in Gaza, it is not clear the Israelis would accept it, or would instead murder the leaders.

There is no other government which exists and exercises any territorial control or monopoly on violence.

Yes, Hamas is not technically a government. This is sophistry.

What territorial area does Hamas currently exercise government control over, with a monopoly on violence?

The tunnels?

Fair enough.

Israel clearly doesn’t have a monopoly on violence in Gaza either, or there wouldn’t still be very regular fighting.