Superb piece. This is your best yet. As an English nationalist everything Israel has done makes perfect sense to me. The arguments against Israel are Marxist ones-colonialism, settler nation, apartheid, imperialism-all of which are bullshit. These are Marxist labels, ludicrously applied to a nation the size of Wales surrounded by 52 Muslim nations that WERE built by conquest and genocide, several of which have repeatedly tried to wipe Israel out. The Palestinians have been offered a two state solution since 1947, and the vast majority of the British mandate went to form Arab nations around Israel. Israel under leftist governments made massive concessions, like withdrawing from Gaza and like bulldozing Israeli homes elsewhere, and it made zero difference.
The Palestinian culture is one of the most barbaric, vile and psychopathic on the planet. It’s a terrorist culture. And westerners supporting it are also vile barbarians. The casualties are disproportionate because of close packed populations and the Palestinian desire for high casualties on both sides. They want their own to die as a propaganda coup for them. Thus they use their own people as human shields while the Israelis try to minimise civilian casualties. What Western support for them shows is our own degeneration and moral collapse. It comes because Marxists control education and mainstream media is little different to those Marxists. The victim-oppressor fixed roles are applied, and savagery like Oct 7th is excused while self defence from Israel is called genocide. Moral relativism on this is support for evil and based on total ignorance of the difference in behaviour and culture between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
You are right to call the Lotus Eaters on it for drifting towards the side of evil. What is the use of an English nationalism that sides with Islamic terrorism? We should never be on that side.
Genuine question: why are you so personally invested in Israel’s side of this conflict? Condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to exist is one thing. Giving Israel a blank cheque, treating all Palestinians as collectively guilty and claiming English nationalism means we must support Israel is something else entirely.
I am an English nationalist. My priority is England. I do not take sides in another nation’s war. So why does your version of English nationalism demand loyalty to Israel’s side in a foreign war, while mine demands that I put England first?
I'm not invested in it. That's pure projection. The only reason we end up debating it is because of some or other retarded outburst from the slop right.
In response, Israel has to be able to defend itself. That requires no hindrance in any way whatsoever. If you don't allow a defending nation 'carte blanche' to deliver whatever message they will, then their enemy will find their weaknesses and use them to their advantage. The fact is that Israel does all it can to limit civilian casualties but two things are relevant: the placing of weapons etc beneath schools, hospitals and civilian areas and the second is that the 'Palestinians' often show that they have brought up their own children to be martyrs. There's only one way to victory in sight for that type of mentality.
I did a little calculation in one of my pieces on the tiny sliver of the ME that was carved out for Israel:
"What’s the total area of the ‘Mandate Region’ that was parcelled up after the defeat of the Ottomans? The countries established by mandate, and involved in the invasion of Israel, were Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. If you add up all the numbers it comes to around 740,000 square kilometres (give or take). The area of this that was mandated for Israel was 11,000 square kilometres (again, give or take). The area of Israel’s share of this mandate then comes to about 1.5%"
Looking at it now I'm not sure whether I took the land area for Israel pre or post Armistice lines - but that only adds a very minor tweak anyway.
It baffles me somewhat that Israel are seen as the 'aggressors' here when pretty much *all* of the aggression has been instigated by the Arab side of things.
The whole nakba-schnakba 'tragedy' happened because the nascent 'Palestinians' together with the armies from 5 other Arab/Muslim countries - yes 5 - invaded Israel with the intent to commit genocide the day after Israel accepted the UN vote and declared independence. And somehow Israel *still* end up being the bad guys?
Yes, this a principled assessment of the situation in Gaza. The Palestinians despite being given jobs and therefore income by Israeli firms, and despite Israel withdrawing all Jewish people from Gaza in 2005, have carried out terrorist attacks unceasingly. The atrocities committed against innocent civilians on 7th October 2003 were committed in the name of Islam, which is an ideology masquerading as a religion. They have no problem sending their children to certain death against Israel and in fact they celebrate it.
As soon as the British far right start talking about “Zionism” and the Jews, as they do I switch off completely. Our problems are the destruction of our economy,mass low quality third world immigration and £3tn + of debt and the huge deficit we are running year in year out. That’s it. I don’t care about much else. I certainly don’t care what Israel does in Gaza. Someone once said if Palestine laid down its weapons there would be be peace- if Israel laid down its weapons they’d be dead. I’ve never seen anything to change my mind on that point.
Perfectly put Pete. I went to the Nova Festival Exhibition in London, saw the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Go-Pro footage of the attack on that music festival full of basically kids in their late teens and 20’s. It made me cry.
It could have been my kids and if they had been kidnapped and kept in a tunnel I would expect our government and armed forces to get them back no matter what.
While there will always be debate on whether the creation of Israel was the right thing, the matter is it exists regardless. As a nation it will (and should) defend itself.
Especially against a neighbour who raise their kids to hate the Jew and kill them.
I, for one, am tired of Islam committing atrocities then crying victim whenever they're hit back.
I don't entirely disagree, but the article was about a nations right to defend itself to the fullest extent and how making concessions still doesn't guarantee peace against a people who are raised to hate you.
Beautifully written Pete, War is a nasty business, so don't start wars unless you are prepared to accept the consequences. It truly baffles me why normally sane people don't come to this exact conclusion.
Modad hasn't skewered the Lotus Eaters to an anti-Israel position on his own. The behind the scenes influence of Neema Parvini, aka Academic Agent, was doing that before Modad arrived on the scene. Parvini is uncomfortable on camera and he's a very divisive figure on the online Right so the more outwardly confident Modad gets the presenting spot whilst Parvini whispers in the ears of Carl, Luca and Harry. Beau and Stelios don't like Parvini at all.
That’s really it. The Spectator should publish it.
“Modad can whine that this war is bad, but it's for him and his fellow travellers to spell out what the alternative was. I'd be VERY interested to hear it.”
In response this, Modad is CERTAIN to say ‘go back to Poland’. Then it is interesting to get onto the topic of who is indigenous.
Spot on Pete. When you are confronted by pure evil you have to destroy it, whatever the collateral damage...as you point out we weren't squeamish about Dresden or, for that matter, Hiroshama and Nagasaki. There is plenty to dislike about Israel (the West Bank settlers seem to be as unhinged as the Islamists) but, for all its flaws, I stand with the only democratic country in the Middle East against the forces of barbarism.
At its core, the conflict is simply intractable at this point.
I literally have no skin in the game. So why should I care more about this region than conflict in Bomalia or central Asia? Oil. What outcome gives the most stability to the region? US withdrawal. There are multiple reasons why this won't happen, Israel being the biggest. My problem with Israel is not that they want to defend themselves, it is that the influence of the Zionist/Greater Israel contingent casts a long shadow over world politics, including our own. October 7th was horrific butchery, but what Israel intelligence know about it beforehand? Everything is mired in murk and complicity. The US involvement ensures our own. Islamists are a death cult, although I don't count Iran in quite the same way. I believe a stable Iran creates better conditions for regional stability, but let's face it, blood and instability is very much a feature nor a bug of the whole region at this point.
Superb piece. This is your best yet. As an English nationalist everything Israel has done makes perfect sense to me. The arguments against Israel are Marxist ones-colonialism, settler nation, apartheid, imperialism-all of which are bullshit. These are Marxist labels, ludicrously applied to a nation the size of Wales surrounded by 52 Muslim nations that WERE built by conquest and genocide, several of which have repeatedly tried to wipe Israel out. The Palestinians have been offered a two state solution since 1947, and the vast majority of the British mandate went to form Arab nations around Israel. Israel under leftist governments made massive concessions, like withdrawing from Gaza and like bulldozing Israeli homes elsewhere, and it made zero difference.
The Palestinian culture is one of the most barbaric, vile and psychopathic on the planet. It’s a terrorist culture. And westerners supporting it are also vile barbarians. The casualties are disproportionate because of close packed populations and the Palestinian desire for high casualties on both sides. They want their own to die as a propaganda coup for them. Thus they use their own people as human shields while the Israelis try to minimise civilian casualties. What Western support for them shows is our own degeneration and moral collapse. It comes because Marxists control education and mainstream media is little different to those Marxists. The victim-oppressor fixed roles are applied, and savagery like Oct 7th is excused while self defence from Israel is called genocide. Moral relativism on this is support for evil and based on total ignorance of the difference in behaviour and culture between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
You are right to call the Lotus Eaters on it for drifting towards the side of evil. What is the use of an English nationalism that sides with Islamic terrorism? We should never be on that side.
Genuine question: why are you so personally invested in Israel’s side of this conflict? Condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to exist is one thing. Giving Israel a blank cheque, treating all Palestinians as collectively guilty and claiming English nationalism means we must support Israel is something else entirely.
I am an English nationalist. My priority is England. I do not take sides in another nation’s war. So why does your version of English nationalism demand loyalty to Israel’s side in a foreign war, while mine demands that I put England first?
I'm not invested in it. That's pure projection. The only reason we end up debating it is because of some or other retarded outburst from the slop right.
In response, Israel has to be able to defend itself. That requires no hindrance in any way whatsoever. If you don't allow a defending nation 'carte blanche' to deliver whatever message they will, then their enemy will find their weaknesses and use them to their advantage. The fact is that Israel does all it can to limit civilian casualties but two things are relevant: the placing of weapons etc beneath schools, hospitals and civilian areas and the second is that the 'Palestinians' often show that they have brought up their own children to be martyrs. There's only one way to victory in sight for that type of mentality.
I did a little calculation in one of my pieces on the tiny sliver of the ME that was carved out for Israel:
"What’s the total area of the ‘Mandate Region’ that was parcelled up after the defeat of the Ottomans? The countries established by mandate, and involved in the invasion of Israel, were Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. If you add up all the numbers it comes to around 740,000 square kilometres (give or take). The area of this that was mandated for Israel was 11,000 square kilometres (again, give or take). The area of Israel’s share of this mandate then comes to about 1.5%"
Looking at it now I'm not sure whether I took the land area for Israel pre or post Armistice lines - but that only adds a very minor tweak anyway.
It baffles me somewhat that Israel are seen as the 'aggressors' here when pretty much *all* of the aggression has been instigated by the Arab side of things.
The whole nakba-schnakba 'tragedy' happened because the nascent 'Palestinians' together with the armies from 5 other Arab/Muslim countries - yes 5 - invaded Israel with the intent to commit genocide the day after Israel accepted the UN vote and declared independence. And somehow Israel *still* end up being the bad guys?
The pattern is very familiar by now
Attack Israel ---> lose ---> whine about it
Exactly right. And it’s depressing how few people have the knowledge or do the basic research necessary to know this.
Best summary of what’s happened in Gaza and where fault lies I’ve read.
Yes, this a principled assessment of the situation in Gaza. The Palestinians despite being given jobs and therefore income by Israeli firms, and despite Israel withdrawing all Jewish people from Gaza in 2005, have carried out terrorist attacks unceasingly. The atrocities committed against innocent civilians on 7th October 2003 were committed in the name of Islam, which is an ideology masquerading as a religion. They have no problem sending their children to certain death against Israel and in fact they celebrate it.
That’s about 100% where I am on Israel/Palestine.
As soon as the British far right start talking about “Zionism” and the Jews, as they do I switch off completely. Our problems are the destruction of our economy,mass low quality third world immigration and £3tn + of debt and the huge deficit we are running year in year out. That’s it. I don’t care about much else. I certainly don’t care what Israel does in Gaza. Someone once said if Palestine laid down its weapons there would be be peace- if Israel laid down its weapons they’d be dead. I’ve never seen anything to change my mind on that point.
Correct. What a farce. We must look after our own and respect those who defend their own nation.
Perfectly put Pete. I went to the Nova Festival Exhibition in London, saw the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Go-Pro footage of the attack on that music festival full of basically kids in their late teens and 20’s. It made me cry.
It could have been my kids and if they had been kidnapped and kept in a tunnel I would expect our government and armed forces to get them back no matter what.
Good assessment.
While there will always be debate on whether the creation of Israel was the right thing, the matter is it exists regardless. As a nation it will (and should) defend itself.
Especially against a neighbour who raise their kids to hate the Jew and kill them.
I, for one, am tired of Islam committing atrocities then crying victim whenever they're hit back.
I don't entirely disagree, but the article was about a nations right to defend itself to the fullest extent and how making concessions still doesn't guarantee peace against a people who are raised to hate you.
Beautifully written Pete, War is a nasty business, so don't start wars unless you are prepared to accept the consequences. It truly baffles me why normally sane people don't come to this exact conclusion.
Modad hasn't skewered the Lotus Eaters to an anti-Israel position on his own. The behind the scenes influence of Neema Parvini, aka Academic Agent, was doing that before Modad arrived on the scene. Parvini is uncomfortable on camera and he's a very divisive figure on the online Right so the more outwardly confident Modad gets the presenting spot whilst Parvini whispers in the ears of Carl, Luca and Harry. Beau and Stelios don't like Parvini at all.
That’s really it. The Spectator should publish it.
“Modad can whine that this war is bad, but it's for him and his fellow travellers to spell out what the alternative was. I'd be VERY interested to hear it.”
In response this, Modad is CERTAIN to say ‘go back to Poland’. Then it is interesting to get onto the topic of who is indigenous.
Not forgetting that there are 2 million Israeli Arab Citizens, 80% of whom are Muslims.
Spot on Pete. When you are confronted by pure evil you have to destroy it, whatever the collateral damage...as you point out we weren't squeamish about Dresden or, for that matter, Hiroshama and Nagasaki. There is plenty to dislike about Israel (the West Bank settlers seem to be as unhinged as the Islamists) but, for all its flaws, I stand with the only democratic country in the Middle East against the forces of barbarism.
Could not agree more. Islamists are a cancer that need eradicating
I agree 200%. Firas Modad is a crank, and it's a tragedy that he is being allowed to influence Restore.
You do have a way with words Pete!
A light hearted funny title for a heavyweight serious thoughtful commentary, thank you Pete.
At its core, the conflict is simply intractable at this point.
I literally have no skin in the game. So why should I care more about this region than conflict in Bomalia or central Asia? Oil. What outcome gives the most stability to the region? US withdrawal. There are multiple reasons why this won't happen, Israel being the biggest. My problem with Israel is not that they want to defend themselves, it is that the influence of the Zionist/Greater Israel contingent casts a long shadow over world politics, including our own. October 7th was horrific butchery, but what Israel intelligence know about it beforehand? Everything is mired in murk and complicity. The US involvement ensures our own. Islamists are a death cult, although I don't count Iran in quite the same way. I believe a stable Iran creates better conditions for regional stability, but let's face it, blood and instability is very much a feature nor a bug of the whole region at this point.