Canuck Surfer

Granted. Is it better than Algeria; where are your Jews? Somalia, Yemen? Iran??? I believe it is.

I am skeptical, as much as I am an idealist. Somehow I don't see Houthis letting boats past unless someone pays them a toll. I also believe Palestine has never had leadership that represented its people. Hamas, the PLO before them were happy to control a spiralling mad infrastructure together with the butt end of a rifle. A promise of Jewish surrender. Try to take what they can get, as do ISIS, al Qaeda, etc..It is not profit for the people i can assure you. I remain of the belief that while most of the ME is run by militant groups, corruption is the bigger problem. Which empowers those RW idiots you speak of to pick them off. Use a bus bombing as an excuse; but the reality is those occurrences happen. So Israel, the biggest lion goes looking for whatever was the disturbance. Settles for for the weakest prey. Israel should go first. Palestinians will still have to embrace peace; disavow Hamas, Hezbollah. Who may not be willing to go away.

Its easy for us to suggest. I also agree. And... My own version of ideal plans? Was & is a multicultural one. A shared land. Lay down your arms, swear peace. Israel return land rights, offer full rights over time. Both use independent parties mixed with locals committed to such a plan in holding their own accountable. Will it be Palestine, Israel, two state, an international zone? Until this war I thought two state, but the fundamental idea being more important. Identifying the rights of the opposition, making the first compromise more likely to tell us the answer? Whenever that first compromise takes place... Rights of religion are embedded in the Declaration of Establishment of the state of Israel; its constitution? The same is not true of those in Gaza; where people outside the cultural majority are ostracized & most leave. This is true of many if not most Middle Eastern countries. Where minorities of culture, religion, sex, gender suffer. Freedoms are curtailed in occupied zones due to militant activity in larger principal. As much as extremists abuse this, it is an overriding principal Israel has to enforce, police and curtail abuse. I have also always said Israel as the first world nation, the one with military power, should be the first to do so.

Maybe because they have the freedom to express views? Without getting dropped out an apartment block window.

What is this multiculturalism you speak of?

So what exactly is Hamas's, position on violence? If Palestine is to have peace; they have to stop terrorist activities. Give back hostages. Accept other cultures. If Israel is to have peace; they have to stop settlement activities, abuse. Do as they did in 2006; hand territory back. Someone has to decide to take an opportunity not to retaliate.

They do hold a balance of power in the current minority govt. Leverage it to the max. Mentioned this myself , more than twice...

I suppose we should credit Hamas for killing and disposing of, deposing of Jews, Christians, Kurds, Orthodox, etc. Same for Asaad, Khomeini, Gaddafi, etc. Even Mormons won't want to visit? I also covered, in great detail the combination of criminal activities, and RW (Fascist?) content in Israel. Its a definite problem. An Arabic decent person might have more rights in Israel, than they do in Gaza. Certainly to protest. As for those minorities in Gaza? Zero % of zero population is 100 % isn't it? Solves the representation issue / doesn't it...

Compared to democracy by Hamas? Its closer. No shining example of success I agree. Democracy might re-elect Trump? Maybe democracy is not the answer. Or democracy itself needs better standards, controls. It does not mean armed gangs should win power because they are the most brutal. The Middle East is full of such regimes. Where would you rather you send a daughter. To get a college education, or married. Syria or Israel? Yemen, Sudan..., Gaza?

So how does Israel protect itself? When each blames the other as justification, the cycle is never broken. Hamas apparently represents Palestinians. A healthy amount of Palestinians, plus for whatever reason, world opinion believes Hamas is justified in what they are doing, have done... I say the same thing to world opinion. If you want peace for Palestinians? Stop unlawful 'Palestinians' from placing your supported people under fire. By the way; I did not say looking after, I said hold their own people accountable to behave lawfully. Exactly like I expect Israel to reign in their idiots!

Israel has ultra nationalists. Yet it has a democratic process. One where Arab citizens, can, and do get elected. Then present in legislature their opposition to how the elected govt, a minority one, bends (they do) to a balance in power by your suggested extremists within. Where an Arab judge sends a former head of state to jail. There is no such opposition debate in Gaza. You get dropped out of a 6th story window. There are no such things as Jewish judges in Gaza. I suppose there has been? Since Oct 7... Israel, does need to be accountable to letting those ultra nationals run loose. But not by setting machine gun toting militants on a rave party. Help Gazans, by also asking Hamas to live within the law!

Why is Hamas not responsible for 'their' people? They are quoted as saying this is the UN's responsibility. Hamas contributed to this starvation problem. If Hamas wants peace; they have to police their own to act exactly that; peacefully. Yes Israel should stop. But this is not a one sided problem.

So what is the next step because Iran attacked Israel directly? To me semantics, in the game of diplomacy, semantics matter. Last week Israel wiped out their embassy in Syria. This is, publically, the opposite of Oct 7. Following that logic; Iran had as much 'right' to respond as Israel did after Oct 7. Regardless; I have the same suggestion. Restraint? Israel certainly argues Oct 7 was also Iran. The 'intelligence' community argues its common knowledge. Maybe, or is that propaganda? Regardless again; I have the same suggestion. Restraint! Ask the world court, perhaps just of public opinion, to judge Iran for its handling of Kurds, of freedom for women, for sponsoring terrorism. Terrorism in Israel. Or then you will reply again. Plead the connection to Hamas, Houthis. Plead why terrorist attacks, example Oct 7, are an ongoing threat. Counter calls by the extreme right (in this case) in your own country to develop newly occupied territories in Gaza. Ask for help, if Hamas are terrorists, in managing a peaceful withdrawal that protects from the threat they posed. Then, if they attack again! Then again and again, and again as promised? World court can have nothing to say! If you kill 8, or 18 Palestinian for each Israeli citizen that dies? Court of opinion will remain against you.

People can condemn what Israel are doing! Without agreeing that Hamas taking civilian hostages, bringing machine guns to a rave or blowing up tourist buses pre Oct 7 are acceptable practices? Common practices... That most of the regions autocracies are in fact corrupt, genocidal & apartheid driven on an even larger scale should be concerning to you. Both parties have to come to legal compliance with international law. Is Hamas any different than ISIS K? Who wants to rule Afghanistan instead of the Taliban, parts of Pakistan; so they have control for their breed. Then machine gun civilians in Moscow, because Russia is sorta, kinda, maybe a key ally of the Taliban? Or somebody... Or something.

Its funny that Turkey, for example wanted to hold Sweden out of NATO. Due to Sweden taking on the refugee's they dumped & stole land from in their tens of millions over 100 years. Because some may have held arms against Turkey stealing their right to be who they are if they reside? Outlawing their religion, their right to vote, represent themselves, own land. Even if born of four generations within it's 'borders.' Turkey who is also still in Cypress. What we need is to allow in to chambers of judgement those who police their own behaviour!

Its not just Iran. Or Israel. Turkish peoples are, if anything more methodical about isolating, dividing and getting rid of minorities. Specifically, but far from only, Kurds! More than the population of Gaza lost their homes in Western Turkey in the past 20 years. Yet Muslim people feel a right to encharge within themselves righteousness to lay blame on Israel. Call it historic crime that requires justice from 80 years ago. While they commit bigger in today's modern world & all times in between. Its why this river to the sea bullshit is so contemptuous. Iran and Turkey, for example, both have occupied territories in Syria and Iraq. In theory, just like Israel, to restrain terrorism? There is a lot of that. Plenty of ISIS, ISIL, ISISK groups running around. Really these are just places to dump & kill Kurds. It should not take 10 years to judge! That 500,000 civilians are dead in Syria! 1,500,000 in Yemen, more in Sudan! People should count the blood of the Arab spring. Consider blood on their own hands. Where they participate in racial cleansing. For the record I don't support what Israel is doing. Nor do I support the popular chants of groups of others around the world outraged; but really would steal this power for themselves. Those who want peace also have to, as I call for Israel to stop killing Palestinians, call for Muslims to stop killing Muslims, Christians, Orthodox, Jews, Hindu & others. I do support those who actually call for justice, compliance for all. Not just hatred of Jews whomever is at a particular time violent. From the rise over the river Drina, for example, one would hope looking south over the Mediterranean people who have survived similar would see horror being repeated. Instead its happening again at home, bodies are washing downstream; https://apnews.com/article/bosnia-migrants-drina-graves-africa-mideast-04220111d48c60978320582a59912728

Lindholm was brought here to be our defensive 3C. Bonus if he can play PP2 or 1? With Petey and JT Miller ahead on our C depth chart; no one should be surprised he is scoring at a 35 point pace. He looks good to me!

Rhyme with Wheatle?

LOL Edmonton;

Life changing trip in Thailand?

There are lots of ways to spin this? Israel left Gaza in 2006. The population doubled by 2023. Gazans lived with a full embargo, did not have the freedom they wanted? Otherwise free, aside from not daring cross actual militant leadership in Hamas. That picture is mob mentality 25 year old plus Palestinian men joining the fray. Shopkeepers, and those who work in a family business, or trade. Not trained, fit soldiers, even militants. Still a secular society, much poorer, who went home to a wife who fed the family, offered children. Birth rates nuts, still 5 & 6 kids per household. A mob who still felt it ok to capture and beat a half naked 22 year old girl. Take her back to wherever their mens lair was.