• Israeli Veterans’ Criticism of West Bank Occupation Incites Furor
    11 replies, posted
[URL]http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/24/world/middleeast/israeli-veterans-criticism-of-west-bank-occupation-incites-furor.html?ref=middleeast[/URL] [QUOTE]Mr. Stollar, 32, is now the research director of Breaking the Silence, and at the center of a furor that is laying bare Israel’s divisions over its core values and the nature of its democracy. Prime Minister [URL="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/n/benjamin_netanyahu/index.html?inline=nyt-per"]Benjamin Netanyahu[/URL] denounced the group from the podium of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, last week, accusing it of “slandering” Israeli soldiers before audiences around the world. The defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, described the group’s motives as “malicious” and banned it from activities involving soldiers. Naftali Bennett, the education minister in the government that is dominated by rightist and religious parties, banned it from entering state schools.[/QUOTE] He's my little brother, by the way.
Israeli's are just as much against the unjust occupation as we all are,it's just that they're the ones who would face the consequences If the independence of the West Bank and the Gaza strip are not to be handled properly,It's sad that the Israeli government's actions have soured the reputation of innocent Israeli's all over the world,particurlaly in Muslim youths.I am confident that we will see the Palestinians get their own nation state but we should not rush things so as to avoid further disaster from unfolding.
[QUOTE=Tarver;49381020]Israeli's are just as much against the unjust occupation as we all are,it's just that they're the ones who would face the consequences If the independence of the West Bank and the Gaza strip are not to be handled properly,It's sad that the Israeli government's actions have soured the reputation of innocent Israeli's all over the world,particurlaly in Muslim youths.I am confident that we will see the Palestinians get their own nation state but we should not rush things so as to avoid further disaster from unfolding.[/QUOTE] I try to stay optimistic, but since Hamas was elected, I think the two-state solution died.
[QUOTE]described the group’s motives as “malicious” and banned it from activities involving soldiers. [/QUOTE] Outraged that not all soldiers march inline with their right wing policy. Tons of soldiers and ex-soldiers seem to be either anti-war libertarians or left wing. I've also noticed that the people furthest from the front are more pro-war (Ted Nugent, Donald Trump, skipped Vietnam, etc)
[QUOTE=Rangergxi;49381102]Outraged that not all soldiers march inline with their right wing policy. Tons of soldiers and ex-soldiers seem to be either anti-war libertarians or left wing. I've also noticed that the people furthest from the front are more pro-war (Ted Nugent, Donald Trump, skipped Vietnam, etc)[/QUOTE] I would contend that is usually because veterans who are on the left are always trumpeted and promoted politically in a way that you would not see on the right to contend with the charges from the right that the left are not patriotic in some way. I suspect that if you took an average of the political leanings of veterans, given the sort of people who usually join up, they would probably wind up being right of centre (though clearly not homogenous). That said, there is something in the ignorance of people like Ted Nugent and Donald Trump and their distance from the frontlines.
[QUOTE=FlashMarsh;49381113]I would contend that is usually because veterans who are on the left are always trumpeted and promoted politically in a way that you would not see on the right to contend with the charges from the right that the left are not patriotic in some way. I suspect that if you took an average of the political leanings of veterans, given the sort of people who usually join up, they would probably wind up being right of centre (though clearly not homogenous). That said, there is something in the ignorance of people like Ted Nugent and Donald Trump and their distance from the frontlines.[/QUOTE] Keep in mind this is Israel we're talking about. We have conscription, so the political views of soldiers are just as varied as those of civilians. Although actually serving and experiencing various aspects of the occupation first hand does help a lot of people form their political views one way or the other.
[QUOTE=ScumBunny;49381127]Keep in mind this is Israel we're talking about. We have conscription, so the political views of soldiers are just as varied as those of civilians. Although actually serving and experiencing various aspects of the occupation first hand does help a lot of people form their political views one way or the other.[/QUOTE] American and Canadian views are probably nearly just as varied. The military is basically just a massive jobs program
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[QUOTE=Rangergxi;49381136]American and Canadian views are probably nearly just as varied. The military is basically just a massive jobs program[/QUOTE] No argument there. I was just referencing FlashMarsh's mention of "the average of the political leanings of veterans, given the sort of people who usually join up". With conscription, its even more true here. Soldiers are people. They have all the political view civilians have. It's just that there are some people that think soldiers should only have one specific political view, or else they're traitors.
[QUOTE=ScumBunny;49381200]No argument there. I was just referencing FlashMarsh's mention of "the average of the political leanings of veterans, given the sort of people who usually join up". With conscription, its even more true here. Soldiers are people. They have all the political view civilians have. It's just that there are some people that think soldiers should only have one specific political view, or else they're traitors.[/QUOTE] I was referring to countries without conscription in my post, but okay.
[QUOTE=FlashMarsh;49381213]I was referring to countries without conscription in my post, but okay.[/QUOTE] I know. I'm trying to say what you're saying, which is obviously true, is even more true when everyone gets conscripted anyway. Ugh.
[QUOTE=Rangergxi;49381136]American and Canadian views are probably nearly just as varied. The military is basically just a massive jobs program[/QUOTE] First statement, totally agree with. I've met a ton of people with different backgrounds and beliefs, and I've been in less than two years. Second half, eh... it's true to a certain extent, but a well-trained, adequately equipped and competently led military is and always has been a necessity for any nation in our position.
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