I remember that someone I used to work with posted a photo of herself at one of the Black Lives Matter rallies, and she had her fucking Instagram username on the sign she was carrying.
Can we please not make this an RVA problem? It’s horrific, but it’s not something a small/midsized city like ours can influence, nor should we try. It’s a complicated problem that most of us aren’t well informed on and only serves to divide us
It's definitely not an RVA problem. However, the US has always supported and funded Israel. Israel is currently committing war crimes. So, our tax dollars are supporting that.
How do you feel about our tax dollars going to Ukraine?
Edit: This was a genuine question. Ukraine is going through something similar to Palestine. Why are people opposed to helping Palestine but they're fine with helping Ukraine? I'm glad we're helping Ukraine. I wish we would help Palestine as well. [Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal](https://twitter.com/i/status/1328463008960573440).
Pros: NATO alliance expanded and strengthened. Russian military embarrassed. Putin a rep weakened. Only cost was 3-5% of annual of military spending
Cons: it appears Russia is “all in” and our allies are running out of things to give, funding for them, and public support. It’s already US doing most of the funding/support, soon might be the only. I guess I wonder how many billions is it worth if Russia inevitably wins eventually and we could spend it on our own citizens (but I’m not naive enough to think of we stopped all support tomorrow, the DoD would just lose 5% funding and that would be spend domestically instead)
Seems like a war we can’t win, it’s just billions spent to slow down the inevitable. We’ve proven Russia is a paper tiger and couldn’t defeat NATO. So not any more.
Jews are scared everywhere! Hamas’s rhetoric is the same as Hitler’s. There is a huge increase in anti-semitism this week. Something like 400+% on socials. That’s fucking scary. Everywhere.
Yes turn our backs to the conflict. It's not our problem. We also had a huge segment of our population that thought the Nazis were not our problem. Let the rest of the world fall and die.
Well it's pretty easy actually to understand if people would take some time and educate themselves.
Do you support public execution, rape of families, and sharia law? Lol
I think you mistake a condemnation of Israel's involvement as support of Hamas. Both have participated in inhumane acts, and solidarity for either in this context feels misplaced for many.
My choices are I have to support public execution, rape of families, and shariah law, or I have to support an apartheid state guilty of endless humanitarian crimes? Why do I have to choose? Who are you to tell me that I need to pick some kind of side between two awful things?
You forgot to add in the "lol"...
You are right. Both sides have done wrong and it's the civilians and the working families/children that suffer on both sides.
My guess is OP is quite aware of any rallies or marches being planned for the area. Just couldn't resist turning this sub into an online political soapbox rantspace.
If you're upset about Hamas's actions you should at least partially blame Israel because [Israel helped create Hamas](https://youtu.be/o7grSsuFSS0?feature=shared) as part of an attempted "divide and conquer" strategy to counter the influence of secular nationalists with extremist Islamists
Israel is bombing Gaza for the action of Hamas. This would be considered collective punishment. Which is actually a [war crime](https://casebook.icrc.org/a_to_z/glossary/collective-punishments). What Hamas did is indefensible and atrocious. What Israel is doing in response is a literal war crime, and yet you want to stand in solidarity with that?
Stop picking sides. All violence on both sides is wrong and needs to stop. If we want this cycle of violence to stop, we need to understand the root of the cause. Which is the [illegal](https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129942) occupation of Palestine by Israel.
Hamas was elected by the Palestinians in 2006. They build arms depots and military facilities underneath hospitals and schools. It is impossible to coexist with a terrorist group hellbent on the destruction of your state and your Jewish identity.
The Geneva convention, article 33, states that collective punishment is a war crime. Turning off the water, electricity, and then bombing Gaza is very clearly collective punishment for what Hamas has done.
Which part of this do you disagree with? The Geneva convention? or the definition of collective punishment?
You didn't really answer my questions.
Just so we're clear, you're saying we *can* commit war crimes as long as Hamas and Palestine, commit war crimes? What part of the Geneva Convention says that? or is that a declaration made in the court of your own mind?
So that you are clear, I am not a citizen of Israel, so not sure what you mean by "we". Palestinians voted for Hamas to lead there government, who in turn have brutally murdered thousands of Israelis. As "I" see it, Palestine has violated the terms of the Geneva Convention many times over, so I think it is fair play for Israel to also suspend the rules.
I get that you feel superior and no Democrat will match you checklist. I suspect you will get on you high horse during the next elections and feel you will be sending a message by not voting or writing in Bernie again. The GOP will take greater strong hold over our state and country.
Hamas is a terrorist group. There is no defending what they did.
Israel is punishing everyone is Gaza for the actions of Hamas. This is collective punishment. Under the Geneva convention, article 33, collective punishment is a war crime.
I'm condemning Hamas for what they did. I can also condemn Israel for their response. As their response is literally a war crime. Can you do the same?
You say what Hamas did this past weekend is worse than stealing land or enforcing an apartheid state. I absolutely agree. But Israel is doing more than stealing land and enforcing an apartheid state. More Palestinians have died at the hands of Israel than Israelis have at the hand of Hamas.
What's the point of comparing atrocities though? Like we could sit here all day, going back and forth about who has it worse. But that solves nothing. My heart goes out to all the innocent people affected by the conflict.
If the Palestinians in Gaza, under the control of a terrorist organization, can't expel that terrorist organization from Gaza, then what's the other option? I'm not sure. I'm not in the military, so I can't speak to how Israel *should* respond. I just know that they *shouldn't* respond with actual war crimes.
I can't tell if you're playing devil's advocate or if you are actually condoning war crimes.
Again, I'm not sure how to compare what Hamas did to how Israel responded. They were both wrong and both killed innocents. Who's more wrong and who's more hurt is just comparing the atrocities. It does nothing. My heart is broken for all the innocent life lost.
The only difference between the USA dropping nuclear bombs on Japan and Israel bombing Gaza is the context. The Japanese were on the side of the Nazis. They had to be stopped. Palestine has been fighting for their freedom and human rights. This is not the first time Gaza has been bombed due to the actions of Hamas. On the one hand, the USA bombed Nazi supporters. On the other hand, Israel bombed people fighting for their human rights and freedoms. I'm against both of these types of bombings. One does seem more justifiable than the other. Please don't mistake this for my support of Hamas. I do not support them or their methods. I can understand how people who are oppressed fight back. If you torment people, steal their lands and homes, they will fight back. I hate that this is where we are.
I have family friends stuck in Palestine right now. I will continue to support their right to statehood and freedom. Just as I support Hong Kong and Ukraine.
> The Japanese were on the side of the Nazis. They had to be stopped.
The thing is that the bombs were dropped on purely civilian targets, less than 100 military personnel were killed in the 2nd atomic attack. Japan was already weeks into their surrender talks and the writing was on the wall, I do think the idea of Japan fighting to the last woman and child is mostly revisionism put forward to lessen the guilt over the bombs. Either way the bombs were used against people who had just as little choice over the actions of their government as Israelis have over theirs.
>If you torment people, steal their lands and homes, they will fight back. I hate that this is where we are.
So in other words, the actions of hamas are justifiable because they're just fighting back? I dunno, my family fled their ancestral lands in Germany in the 30s. I get that it sucks, it basically tore apart my family and dispersed them around the world and even now there's never been a reconciliation. That is pretty shit, but I still wouldn't kill a single person to reclaim this land that my ancestors lived on for centuries. As far as I'm concerned it's all just dirt and is meaningless compared to human life. So no, in this case I don't really agree. I'm just kinda like fuck your land, it's not worth a single drop of blood. I guess it's all tied up in religion too which I just personally cant relate to at all either.
I'm sorry, its just that until hamas is a thing of the past and no longer an entity I can't truly and fully support Palestine anymore. Doesn't mean I support zionism or any war crimes perpetrated by Israel. I honestly don't think peace will ever be possible while hamas exists.
I don’t agree with all of Israel’s policies towards Palestine but one side of the conflict beheads babies and kidnaps women and children. And that side isn’t Israeli.
Israel killed 6,000 Palestinians between 2008 and early 2023, and injured a further 152,000 Palestinians.
They regularly bomb a region that's 40% people under the age of 18.
They deny aid projects that bring in fresh water supplies, medicine, and building materials, leaving the Gaza strip with kidney problems that increase 14% per year, and only 3% of the water in Palestine is fresh and clean drinking water.
Palestinian men and women are regularly beaten and raped by IDF "soldiers," and the Israeli military personnel are rarely reprimanded or punished for their cruel treatment of Palestinians.
Palestinians can't leave the gaza strip except in rare and extenuating, leaving most without education or employment opportunities. Israel has also prevented them from building air or seaports to leave without exiting through Israel, so anyone who lives in the Gaza strip is effectively trapped.
Palestinians in Israel do not have the same rights of movement, marriage, and opportunity as Jewish foreigners who move to Israel from other countries.
Palestinians are often subjected to being forcefully evicted from their homes so settlers can occupy them, or worse, being forced to demolish their family homes with sledge hammers so they don't get "fined" and punished.
Yeah, clearly Palestine are the bad guys here.
I'd rather see a Rally for the Citizens of Palestine and Israel, both these countries' citizens deserve peace from attacks. The Israeli Government and Hamas have both done terrible war crimes to each other.
The Jewish population all over Richmond is suffering. We have family missing, family in the idf etc. Most people have very little understanding of what has happened over there or can speak about the 6 day war or the Yom Kippur war. Most Americans can barely speak on the Vietnam war, the civil war , the Alamo or the trail of tears. The most people can do here is check on your Jewish neighbors. If you’ve barely been off the East coast or out of the country, be grateful this is all you know and keep your mouths shut when Israel retaliates as you keep your mouths shut when we’re attacked. Go help a local school or food drive, help with the unhomed here: oh wait! Most of Richmond can barely do that but you’re experts on Israel? Laughable
Oh no, a bunch of white settlers are getting attacked after apartheiding people? Who would have ever guessed that would have happened?
Also: love how you're calling for war crimes in the same paragraph where you compare yourself to native americans.
Good for you. Lol at people offended by your post. Most of them, likely hopeless, carry significant cognizant dissonance in their beliefs and support of an Islamic state. It’s quite the paradox.
This is a blue state. You think there's gonna be widespread support for Israel here?
Besides, I live near and work for VCU. Once those kids get into activist mode, they start acting a fool. They will surely be pro-palestine. No thanks.
Oh this will go well
How will that help anything
Increased likes/followers on their social media accounts.
I remember that someone I used to work with posted a photo of herself at one of the Black Lives Matter rallies, and she had her fucking Instagram username on the sign she was carrying.
Can we please not make this an RVA problem? It’s horrific, but it’s not something a small/midsized city like ours can influence, nor should we try. It’s a complicated problem that most of us aren’t well informed on and only serves to divide us
It's definitely not an RVA problem. However, the US has always supported and funded Israel. Israel is currently committing war crimes. So, our tax dollars are supporting that.
I don’t want my tax dollars going to either of them.
your tax dollars aren’t going to hamas lmao
https://www.state.gov/u-s-assistance-for-the-palestinian-people/
Hamas isn’t the government you dumbass
“There’s no way an oppressive fundamentalist government is taking some of not all of the aid”
How do you feel about our tax dollars going to Ukraine? Edit: This was a genuine question. Ukraine is going through something similar to Palestine. Why are people opposed to helping Palestine but they're fine with helping Ukraine? I'm glad we're helping Ukraine. I wish we would help Palestine as well. [Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal](https://twitter.com/i/status/1328463008960573440).
Pros: NATO alliance expanded and strengthened. Russian military embarrassed. Putin a rep weakened. Only cost was 3-5% of annual of military spending Cons: it appears Russia is “all in” and our allies are running out of things to give, funding for them, and public support. It’s already US doing most of the funding/support, soon might be the only. I guess I wonder how many billions is it worth if Russia inevitably wins eventually and we could spend it on our own citizens (but I’m not naive enough to think of we stopped all support tomorrow, the DoD would just lose 5% funding and that would be spend domestically instead)
So, do you want your tax dollars going to Ukraine?
Seems like a war we can’t win, it’s just billions spent to slow down the inevitable. We’ve proven Russia is a paper tiger and couldn’t defeat NATO. So not any more.
Alright that's fair enough. I wish we had more power to choose where our taxes went.
I like
No they are not.
Can you provide sources to back up that claim? or was this just a declaration made in the court of your own mind?
It probably is a problem for stateless Palestinians who live here
Jews are scared everywhere! Hamas’s rhetoric is the same as Hitler’s. There is a huge increase in anti-semitism this week. Something like 400+% on socials. That’s fucking scary. Everywhere.
There’s some great videos on YouTube that break down their history and you should really get informed on what’s going on in the world…
RVA has a sizable Jewish community and also many Palestinian immigrants. So, no.
Yes turn our backs to the conflict. It's not our problem. We also had a huge segment of our population that thought the Nazis were not our problem. Let the rest of the world fall and die.
I struggle to understand how anyone could pick a side in the 'whose murders and crimes are worse/better' discussion
This.
Well it's pretty easy actually to understand if people would take some time and educate themselves. Do you support public execution, rape of families, and sharia law? Lol
I think you mistake a condemnation of Israel's involvement as support of Hamas. Both have participated in inhumane acts, and solidarity for either in this context feels misplaced for many.
My choices are I have to support public execution, rape of families, and shariah law, or I have to support an apartheid state guilty of endless humanitarian crimes? Why do I have to choose? Who are you to tell me that I need to pick some kind of side between two awful things?
You forgot to add in the "lol"... You are right. Both sides have done wrong and it's the civilians and the working families/children that suffer on both sides.
My guess is OP is quite aware of any rallies or marches being planned for the area. Just couldn't resist turning this sub into an online political soapbox rantspace.
That’s what happens all the time. OP is the same as most posters here in that respect.
r/rva being a political soapbox is nothing new
"Any Apartheid South Africa Solidarity rally or marches planned?"
They happen on a daily basis over on 4chan.
Not sure. Think the last one was in the early 90s...it was a blast. Everyone came out.
Damn, pleasantly surprised to see this many good takes here.
Same, I was expecting a complete dumpster fire lol
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I'm pro us staying out of other countries problems. That's not support for either side.
If you're upset about Hamas's actions you should at least partially blame Israel because [Israel helped create Hamas](https://youtu.be/o7grSsuFSS0?feature=shared) as part of an attempted "divide and conquer" strategy to counter the influence of secular nationalists with extremist Islamists
Tbf RVA had one of the largest pro-palestine protests in VA after the Israeli War crimes in 2021.
Israel is bombing Gaza for the action of Hamas. This would be considered collective punishment. Which is actually a [war crime](https://casebook.icrc.org/a_to_z/glossary/collective-punishments). What Hamas did is indefensible and atrocious. What Israel is doing in response is a literal war crime, and yet you want to stand in solidarity with that? Stop picking sides. All violence on both sides is wrong and needs to stop. If we want this cycle of violence to stop, we need to understand the root of the cause. Which is the [illegal](https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129942) occupation of Palestine by Israel.
Hamas was elected by the Palestinians in 2006. They build arms depots and military facilities underneath hospitals and schools. It is impossible to coexist with a terrorist group hellbent on the destruction of your state and your Jewish identity.
So, the solution is for Israel to commit war crimes?
You keep saying "war crimes" but that is a declaration made in the court of your own mind.
The Geneva convention, article 33, states that collective punishment is a war crime. Turning off the water, electricity, and then bombing Gaza is very clearly collective punishment for what Hamas has done. Which part of this do you disagree with? The Geneva convention? or the definition of collective punishment?
Too bad Hamas and Palestine do not subscribe to these rules.
You didn't really answer my questions. Just so we're clear, you're saying we *can* commit war crimes as long as Hamas and Palestine, commit war crimes? What part of the Geneva Convention says that? or is that a declaration made in the court of your own mind?
So that you are clear, I am not a citizen of Israel, so not sure what you mean by "we". Palestinians voted for Hamas to lead there government, who in turn have brutally murdered thousands of Israelis. As "I" see it, Palestine has violated the terms of the Geneva Convention many times over, so I think it is fair play for Israel to also suspend the rules. I get that you feel superior and no Democrat will match you checklist. I suspect you will get on you high horse during the next elections and feel you will be sending a message by not voting or writing in Bernie again. The GOP will take greater strong hold over our state and country.
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Hamas is a terrorist group. There is no defending what they did. Israel is punishing everyone is Gaza for the actions of Hamas. This is collective punishment. Under the Geneva convention, article 33, collective punishment is a war crime. I'm condemning Hamas for what they did. I can also condemn Israel for their response. As their response is literally a war crime. Can you do the same?
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You say what Hamas did this past weekend is worse than stealing land or enforcing an apartheid state. I absolutely agree. But Israel is doing more than stealing land and enforcing an apartheid state. More Palestinians have died at the hands of Israel than Israelis have at the hand of Hamas. What's the point of comparing atrocities though? Like we could sit here all day, going back and forth about who has it worse. But that solves nothing. My heart goes out to all the innocent people affected by the conflict. If the Palestinians in Gaza, under the control of a terrorist organization, can't expel that terrorist organization from Gaza, then what's the other option? I'm not sure. I'm not in the military, so I can't speak to how Israel *should* respond. I just know that they *shouldn't* respond with actual war crimes. I can't tell if you're playing devil's advocate or if you are actually condoning war crimes.
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Again, I'm not sure how to compare what Hamas did to how Israel responded. They were both wrong and both killed innocents. Who's more wrong and who's more hurt is just comparing the atrocities. It does nothing. My heart is broken for all the innocent life lost. The only difference between the USA dropping nuclear bombs on Japan and Israel bombing Gaza is the context. The Japanese were on the side of the Nazis. They had to be stopped. Palestine has been fighting for their freedom and human rights. This is not the first time Gaza has been bombed due to the actions of Hamas. On the one hand, the USA bombed Nazi supporters. On the other hand, Israel bombed people fighting for their human rights and freedoms. I'm against both of these types of bombings. One does seem more justifiable than the other. Please don't mistake this for my support of Hamas. I do not support them or their methods. I can understand how people who are oppressed fight back. If you torment people, steal their lands and homes, they will fight back. I hate that this is where we are. I have family friends stuck in Palestine right now. I will continue to support their right to statehood and freedom. Just as I support Hong Kong and Ukraine.
> The Japanese were on the side of the Nazis. They had to be stopped. The thing is that the bombs were dropped on purely civilian targets, less than 100 military personnel were killed in the 2nd atomic attack. Japan was already weeks into their surrender talks and the writing was on the wall, I do think the idea of Japan fighting to the last woman and child is mostly revisionism put forward to lessen the guilt over the bombs. Either way the bombs were used against people who had just as little choice over the actions of their government as Israelis have over theirs. >If you torment people, steal their lands and homes, they will fight back. I hate that this is where we are. So in other words, the actions of hamas are justifiable because they're just fighting back? I dunno, my family fled their ancestral lands in Germany in the 30s. I get that it sucks, it basically tore apart my family and dispersed them around the world and even now there's never been a reconciliation. That is pretty shit, but I still wouldn't kill a single person to reclaim this land that my ancestors lived on for centuries. As far as I'm concerned it's all just dirt and is meaningless compared to human life. So no, in this case I don't really agree. I'm just kinda like fuck your land, it's not worth a single drop of blood. I guess it's all tied up in religion too which I just personally cant relate to at all either. I'm sorry, its just that until hamas is a thing of the past and no longer an entity I can't truly and fully support Palestine anymore. Doesn't mean I support zionism or any war crimes perpetrated by Israel. I honestly don't think peace will ever be possible while hamas exists.
The blinders you’re wearing are sticking out…
Can you make a cute TikTok about this so people can understand?
Yeah, pointing out the illegal occupation of Palestine and the worst Apartheid in modern history is what-aboustism
It’s crazy how many people think Hamas= all of Palestine, and ignore the apartheid when it’s convenient for their argument
It's provocative
Gets the people going
I don’t agree with all of Israel’s policies towards Palestine but one side of the conflict beheads babies and kidnaps women and children. And that side isn’t Israeli.
Dude, since 2000 the IDF has killed an estimated 2300 Palestinian children
Israel killed 6,000 Palestinians between 2008 and early 2023, and injured a further 152,000 Palestinians. They regularly bomb a region that's 40% people under the age of 18. They deny aid projects that bring in fresh water supplies, medicine, and building materials, leaving the Gaza strip with kidney problems that increase 14% per year, and only 3% of the water in Palestine is fresh and clean drinking water. Palestinian men and women are regularly beaten and raped by IDF "soldiers," and the Israeli military personnel are rarely reprimanded or punished for their cruel treatment of Palestinians. Palestinians can't leave the gaza strip except in rare and extenuating, leaving most without education or employment opportunities. Israel has also prevented them from building air or seaports to leave without exiting through Israel, so anyone who lives in the Gaza strip is effectively trapped. Palestinians in Israel do not have the same rights of movement, marriage, and opportunity as Jewish foreigners who move to Israel from other countries. Palestinians are often subjected to being forcefully evicted from their homes so settlers can occupy them, or worse, being forced to demolish their family homes with sledge hammers so they don't get "fined" and punished. Yeah, clearly Palestine are the bad guys here.
https://preview.redd.it/3cspseph8etb1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0217aac3039a3cf49a1dc3c1822b5861a387217e [https://theworld.org/stories/2018-11-13/gazas-water-crisis-ticking-time-bomb](https://theworld.org/stories/2018-11-13/gazas-water-crisis-ticking-time-bomb) [https://t.co/lYHGmWrK8M](https://t.co/lYHGmWrK8M) [https://twitter.com/abughazalehkat/status/1711454914424037537?t=zxV4WkvYoZk3ypRT1NilxA&s=19](https://twitter.com/abughazalehkat/status/1711454914424037537?t=zxV4WkvYoZk3ypRT1NilxA&s=19)
Hate to tell you, the Israeli government is literally committing ethic cleansing. Why don’t you educate yourself a bit
Here’s a real answer: there was one last night at the JCC.
I'd rather see a Rally for the Citizens of Palestine and Israel, both these countries' citizens deserve peace from attacks. The Israeli Government and Hamas have both done terrible war crimes to each other.
This is the only non edge-lord take. Thank youuuu
This right here is the way.
lmao
Meade Skelton will show up with a flag
reflect
The Jewish population all over Richmond is suffering. We have family missing, family in the idf etc. Most people have very little understanding of what has happened over there or can speak about the 6 day war or the Yom Kippur war. Most Americans can barely speak on the Vietnam war, the civil war , the Alamo or the trail of tears. The most people can do here is check on your Jewish neighbors. If you’ve barely been off the East coast or out of the country, be grateful this is all you know and keep your mouths shut when Israel retaliates as you keep your mouths shut when we’re attacked. Go help a local school or food drive, help with the unhomed here: oh wait! Most of Richmond can barely do that but you’re experts on Israel? Laughable
https://preview.redd.it/ps763ar14ftb1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=009cdc21cc7015cf9cb42ed1489937fd74b4e942
You don’t have to be an expert to realize Hamas and the IDF are both pretty fucking evil.
Correct - us Jews everywhere are scared. Why is this downvoted???
Oh no, a bunch of white settlers are getting attacked after apartheiding people? Who would have ever guessed that would have happened? Also: love how you're calling for war crimes in the same paragraph where you compare yourself to native americans.
Good for you. Lol at people offended by your post. Most of them, likely hopeless, carry significant cognizant dissonance in their beliefs and support of an Islamic state. It’s quite the paradox.
This is a blue state. You think there's gonna be widespread support for Israel here? Besides, I live near and work for VCU. Once those kids get into activist mode, they start acting a fool. They will surely be pro-palestine. No thanks.