Protesters occupied Microsoft president Brad Smith's office over Israel contract row

[midian182]

What just happened? Protesters, including some current and former employees, stormed Microsoft's Redmond headquarters earlier this week to oppose the company's technology contracts with Israel. The group managed to occupy the office of President Brad Smith, leading to a temporary lockdown, before being arrested by police.

Seven people, including two current Microsoft employees and former workers fired for activism, stormed Microsoft headquarters on Monday. They are part of the No Azure for Apartheid group demanding that Microsoft end its relationship with Israeli military and government.

The group made it into Smith's office in Building 34, sending the campus into a temporary lockdown, before Redmond police physically removed them. The seven individuals have been arrested on charges that include trespassing and obstruction.

Smith called a press conference from inside his office soon after the incident. He said that the protesters blocked people from entering the building and hid listening devices in the form of cell phones under the furniture.

Smith added that the protesters' actions were "not necessary in order to get us to pay attention" and that such activity "distracts from the real dialogue" that Microsoft is having with employee groups from different backgrounds, faiths, and cultures.

The Microsoft president also said that the company is actively investigating a report by The Guardian earlier this month alleging that the Israeli military relies on Azure cloud services for extensive surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza.

Smith said that the "vast majority" of work Microsoft does for the Israeli Defense Force is to "protect the cybersecurity of the State of Israel."

The incident was the latest protest by No Azure for Apartheid. There were 20 arrests made at Microsoft's Redmond campus last week following two days of protests by the group. Those arrests included one current and three former employees.

Back in April, a Microsoft employee interrupted a presentation by Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft's head of AI, during a 50th-anniversary event. "Shame on you," software engineer Ibtihal Aboussad told Suleyman. "You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide in our region, Mustafa. You have blood on your hands."

 

 

 

 

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A second employee, Vaniya Agrawal, engaged in a similar action on the same day, interrupting a speech by CEO Satya Nadella at a different company event. Agrawal had also sent emails to other employees and leadership criticizing the company's technology partnerships, calling Microsoft a "digital weapons manufacturer that powers surveillance, apartheid, and genocide."

Microsoft fired both employees for their actions, citing misconduct, though Agrawal had already handed in her notice.

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Protesters occupied Microsoft president Brad Smith's office over Israel contract row

 

[ScottSoapbox]

While it's impressive that these people are strong enough in their convictions to lose their jobs over it, I wonder if their efforts would be better spent protesting the US government's billions in support of the genocide rather than Microsoft's server support of the Israeli military.

Although I suppose it's probably easier to get Microsoft to change course than the US government, since the American people are overwhelming against continuing to support this one sided conflict and that hasn't changed anything.

 

[DrSuess]

While it's impressive that these people are strong enough in their convictions to lose their jobs over it, I wonder if their efforts would be better spent protesting the US government's billions in support of the genocide rather than Microsoft's server support of the Israeli military.

This would be an exercise in futility no matter which party controls the Presidency and Congress.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

This would be an exercise in futility no matter which party controls the Presidency and Congress.

I tend to agree. Still, l at some point I think "the people" could stop it but I'm not sure what level of the public is really against this does it take these days? Similar to how covid ended when enough people said we're not doing this anymore, but there is a lot more money and power behind this war than the lockdowns - so what does it take? I'm really not sure. Politicians do fear losing their jobs, but elections are far away at this point and so few alternative politicians would risk being antiwar so... -shrug- and -sigh-.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Honestly it's been pretty wild seeing the lockdown on criticism of Israel, while casual anti-semitism appears to be on the rise (from all quarters of the public).

We've entered a brave new world where criticizing Israel lands you in Uganda while good old fashioned Jew hating lands you in the White House.

 

[mgwerner]

"Shame on you," software engineer Ibtihal Aboussad told Suleyman. "You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide in our region, Mustafa.

Seems that Microsoft may have a hiring problem, as in the source of their hires.

 

[Lowhangingfruit]

"distracts from the real dialogue" that Microsoft is having with employee groups from different backgrounds, faiths, and cultures.

The Microsoft president also said that the company is actively investigating a report by The Guardian earlier this month alleging that the Israeli military relies on Azure cloud services for extensive surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza.

These big tech companies try to have it both ways. They pretend they're so inclusive and so open to dialogue and psychological safety, but when employees call them out on the fact that they're implicit in genocide they say they're being disruptive. Or worse fire them.

If the IDF is using Azure as their technology platform, they're using it for ALL their activities. Don't play dumb. "Oh they're only suppose to use it for internal cybersecurity". This is a very high tech military. What servers do you think all the drones are running on? This guy is insulting our intelligence.

They only care to listen to their employees as long as it's trivial complaints like "Let's not use straws in our cafeteria anymore." When employees have real concerns that could affect the company bottom line suddenly they become disruptive.

 

[GeoffreyA]

Though not sure I agree with the methods, hats off to them for their bravery, standing up to those powering, partly, genocide and apartheid.

 

[Hexic]

This accomplished nothing, other than more arrests. Little tirades like these only water down the cause at hand, and make those involved look even more ignorant than they already are.

Don’t like what they’re doing? Don’t work there. Rant on Reddit for all anyone cares, but getting arrested for criminal trespassing and obstruction isn’t the martyrdom you’re hoping for.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

This accomplished nothing, other than more arrests. Little tirades like these only water down the cause at hand, and make those involved look even more ignorant than they already are.

Don’t like what they’re doing? Don’t work there. Rant on Reddit for all anyone cares, but getting arrested for criminal trespassing and obstruction isn’t the martyrdom you’re hoping for.

- God the **** I read online. "Shout at your TV! That'll do something" activism.

You don't have to like em, but doing something for real in public and in person is worth a million "don't work theres". These folks have bigger balls than anyone posting here, that's for sure.

The actual "do-ers" of society doing something, anything, while the everyone else types into their screen.

In fact, these people should make it a point to be hired by these institutions and then gum up the works. A company understands money, making business with Israel more costly than not business with Israel is really the only meaningful way to enact change.

 

[toooooot]

They are all wrong, and frankly, very stupid.
Anyone who really wanted to do good to Palestine ( and should it not be their main reason?) would focus on the root problem, on one thing that would trigger a long but positive proses to bring peace, independence, and prosperity in that order and no other.

Somehow I do not care about that part of the world, but can easily predict that nothing will change because the actions that can realistically help them are not done by anyone or even talked about.

 

[AlexIL]

Wait what?

Israel?
How about half a million dead in Stria civil war? Nobody cares?
What about Sudan? Nobody cares? Millions dead or displaced.
Israel?
Anisemites.

 

[human7]

Holding companies accountable for their complicity in war crimes and genocide is absolutely necessary. I don't know if Microsoft is guilty per se, but an infamous example from history was IBM in WW2. In Germany its subsidiary was responsible for aiding in the tracking of Jews during the Holocaust, and in the US IBM itself for tracking the Japanese for the American internment camps. Both of these were via punchcard technology, including the data elements, repair of machinery, and in some cases IBM was known to operate within the concentration camps themselves. There's a controversial book about it, though I know of at least one Holocaust Museum to feature an exhibit making the same claims (whether it was based on the book or independent evidence, I do not know).

In any case, Microsoft, and other companies, should take a hard look at their dealings in Israel, for they too could be complicit with the genocide, knowingly or otherwise.

 

[candle86]

Dear Microsoft move to Texas, down here it's legal for your security to shoot them instead of waiting on local PD.

Holding companies accountable for their complicity in war crimes and genocide is absolutely necessary. I don't know if Microsoft is guilty per se, but an infamous example from history was IBM in WW2. In Germany its subsidiary was responsible for aiding in the tracking of Jews during the Holocaust, and in the US IBM itself for tracking the Japanese for the American internment camps. Both of these were via punchcard technology, including the data elements, repair of machinery, and in some cases IBM was known to operate within the concentration camps themselves. There's a controversial book about it, though I know of at least one Holocaust Museum to feature an exhibit making the same claims (whether it was based on the book or independent evidence, I do not know).

In any case, Microsoft, and other companies, should take a hard look at their dealings in Israel, for they too could be complicit with the genocide, knowingly or otherwise.

There is no genocide, here's what's actually going on.

October 7th 2023 Hamas the elected government of the Gaza strip invaded Israel, murders and abducts thousands, in effect declaring war on Israel. Israel respawns with attacks on where the enemy is, which be suse of how Hamas operates means they shield themselves behind schools and hospitals. Israel has offered multiple times to accept the unconditional surrender of Hamas, Hamas has refused so the war remains, and it is a war as Hamas is again the recognized legally elected Government of Gaza. You want to see less dead babies, then convince Hamas to surrender unconditionally.

 

[GeoffreyA]

There is no genocide, here's what's actually going on.

According to a majority of experts, over 50% last time I counted, what's happening in Gaza is a genocide. Many Israeli and Holocaust scholars agree.

Template:Expert opinions in the Gaza genocide debate - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

October 7th 2023 Hamas the elected government of the Gaza strip invaded Israel, murders and abducts thousands, in effect declaring war on Israel. Israel respawns with attacks on where the enemy is, which be suse of how Hamas operates means they shield themselves behind schools and hospitals. Israel has offered multiple times to accept the unconditional surrender of Hamas, Hamas has refused so the war remains, and it is a war as Hamas is again the recognized legally elected Government of Gaza. You want to see less dead babies, then convince Hamas to surrender unconditionally.

The 7 October attack was a tragedy and crime. No one disputes that. Every day for Palestinians after that has been 7 October, so to speak, as the tens of thousands of deaths and WW2-like flattening of Gaza show. If that wasn't enough, starvation too. Israel has been the one sabotaging cease-fire negotiations from the word go: simply because Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, and co. do not want a cease-fire, nor do they care about the captives; they're after the land, in classic settler-colonialism style. Anyhow, this story goes back to the 20th century, the Balfour Declaration, the 1948 flight and expulsion of the Palestinians, decades of occupation, apartheid, blockade, etc., etc.

You want to see less dead babies, then convince Hamas to surrender unconditionally.

Under what deranged system of morality is it all right to kill babies?

 

[mbk34]

Wait what?

Israel?
How about half a million dead in Stria civil war? Nobody cares?
What about Sudan? Nobody cares? Millions dead or displaced.
Israel?
Anisemites.

I'll try to explain why people keep talking about Gaza. I believe it's less to do with antisemitism and more to do with how Israel has been complaining bitterly about the holocaust 85 years ago but is now itself committing genocide on a neighbouring country. Israel is admittedly not using gas chambers but is instead starving the people and turning off their water. It is bombing civilian apartment blocks with jet fighters, destroying hospitals, churches and schools etc. It is killing foreign aid workers and hiding their bodies. So far Israel has killed 61,000 civilians including 17,000 children.

Hopefully that helps why the world currently looks on in horror at what Israel is doing.

 

[candle86]

According to a majority of experts, over 50% last time I counted, what's happening in Gaza is a genocide. Many Israeli and Holocaust scholars agree.

Template:Expert opinions in the Gaza genocide debate - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The 7 October attack was a tragedy and crime. No one disputes that. Every day for Palestinians after that has been 7 October, so to speak, as the tens of thousands of deaths and WW2-like flattening of Gaza show. If that wasn't enough, starvation too. Israel has been the one sabotaging cease-fire negotiations from the word go: simply because Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, and co. do not want a cease-fire, nor do they care about the captives; they're after the land, in classic settler-colonialism style. Anyhow, this story goes back to the 20th century, the Balfour Declaration, the 1948 flight and expulsion of the Palestinians, decades of occupation, apartheid, blockade, etc., etc.


Under what deranged system of morality is it all right to kill babies?

It's called Total War it is a declared war between two governments Israel is not required to agree to a ceasefire every time they greet her ceasefire Hamas tree arms and then kills more Israelis. It is not in their interest to accept a ceasefire to simply let them rearm again it's what Hamas wants.

So frankly no it's not a genocide and I will stand behind Israel 110% of the time, Guess what the Palestinian started this when they declared when The Jews were given their land back they weren't going to accept it and that they were unwilling to allow a Jewish state. There was a time when Israel was recepted to the idea of a two-state solution but they're continually attacked attacked attack attacked attack attacked with chance such as drive into the sea. At this point the only solution that's viable is the complete and utter destruction of Hamas and their complete and total surrender. They're the ones that decide to shelter in schools and hospitals and use human shields Israel simply putting bombs on foreheads it's not their fault that Hamas is deciding to hide inside of schools and hospitals, Israel should not stop dropping the bombs just because they want to use human shields it's a tactic they've been using for years because they know it works and iIsrael's had enough. As for as this made it 50% number of yours, that doesn't actually apply truthfully what that would be would be American and European Jews that aren't there, The people of Israel overwhelmingly support what's going on. I don't care what did you in New York or Jew in Berlin has to say about it I really don't it doesn't affect them.

Now you can keep arguing all you want it's not going to change anything, because frankly if Israel wanted to wipe out all Palestinians, I think they'd be targeting all of them wouldn't they, but Israel hasn't leveled the West Bank because the Palestinian authority government that oversees the West Bank has not been carrying out attacks on Israel. It's almost like the people that aren't at war with Israel are fine Go figure.

 

[candle86]

I'll try to explain why people keep talking about Gaza. I believe it's less to do with antisemitism and more to do with how Israel has been complaining bitterly about the holocaust 85 years ago but is now itself committing genocide on a neighbouring country. Israel is admittedly not using gas chambers but is instead starving the people and turning off their water. It is bombing civilian apartment blocks with jet fighters, destroying hospitals, churches and schools etc. It is killing foreign aid workers and hiding their bodies. So far Israel has killed 61,000 civilians including 17,000 children.

Hopefully that helps why the world currently looks on in horror at what Israel is doing.

The world is largely wrong on this issue because they're buying into what a group of people they continually call for destruction of Israel that are used to accept any sort of peace in the past, and if proven time and time again that the ceasefire which is what they always get only allows them to rearm so they can attack again. You want to know why apartment buildings and hospitals and schools get bombed because they're putting their fighters inside of them, That's an actual war crime, and guess what happens when you start putting communitions weapons legitimate military targets in those places, under international law they become legitimate targets. Israel's not committing genocide they're not committing war crimes they are attacking military targets.

As far as it goes Israel's allowed aid through they set up a system specifically to hand supplies to the gaussian citizens well they're not going to allow is any Tom **** and Harry to come in anywhere they want because they don't know what those people are bringing to Hamas. That is their right, Guess what and world War II thousands of Germans starved thousands of Japanese starved. Nobody cared because what they were doing was morally reprehensible and wrong, well guess what Palestinians have picked Thomas as their government so what the Palestinians have allowed to happen and what they continue to do is reprehensible and wrong. All the blood is on their hands The Palestinians are at fault here 110%.

 

[mbk34]

Israel's sole aim has been to obtain more land for it's people. Before the kidnappings, Israel had already built 270 illegal settlements on Palestinian land with over half a million Israelis having moved in. When locals objected, you shot them. When the international court of justice demanded you leave, you ignored them. What do you expect the Palestinians to do?

Now you've levelled the whole of Gaza, are you saying every building was a military base? Even if they were, would the people not just be defending their homes from an invading army that's looking to eradicate them? The latest report says you've killed 17K children. Were they all just very young soldiers.

Your prime minister has been declared a war criminal and will be arrested if he tries to enter any civilised country. Most importantly, will Israel be leaving Gaza after all this is over or will it just keep the land it's now acquired?

 

[lonetac]

God I wish techspot would stop the spreading of Muslim hate. This site is really turning into a bigoted hate circle. Why one person gets to go into every thread and misrepresent nearly everything is beyond me. Im really getting turned off by the bigotry.

History didnt begin on Oct 7th.

Anyone claiming the Palestinians have any form of autonomy or government is here just lying straight up to anyone and demonstrably showing they dont understand even the tiniest amount of the history in the region. Save us your Zionist revisionism.

This also isnt a war. Palestine isnt a country. Israel is slaughtering and murdering people in a territory THEY CONTROL.

Fighting for emancipation is not illegal. The occupation of Gaza is. Netanyahu is a international war criminal that would be arrested if he travelled anywhere outside of Israel or the USA. Period.

The Palestinians deserve the dignity of governing themselves instead of the horrific abusive tactics the IDF has inflicted on Palestinians for generations.

Save me the "they voted for Hamas". That conversation is so diluted and everyone who voted has already been murdered by Israel.

Calling for the stopping of killing innocent women and children is not extreme, its not anti semetic and anything short of calling for the stop of it shows you are only seeing the plight of one side. Showing prejudice and supporting genocide.

The Jewish people deserve leadership and a government interested in peace. What they are doing is only hurting Jews around the globe.

Hamas is no doubt horrific. its expected and they are the only people fighting for the Palestinians. If Israel wants to be real, take the boot of their throat, stop controlling all their land, electricity, water, food and let them hold an election for their own government. Until they have autonomy, violence will continue.

Hamas isnt a government. They are not allowed to have one. Gaza doesnt have a economic development plan, they cant have one.

And my grandfather was in a Nazi concentration camp in Poland before escaping and coming to Ellis island so yes, it is very dear to me as my family was gassed and lined up walls and shot.

 

[candle86]

Israel's sole aim has been to obtain more land for it's people. Before the kidnappings, Israel had already built 270 illegal settlements on Palestinian land with over half a million Israelis having moved in. When locals objected, you shot them. When the international court of justice demanded you leave, you ignored them. What do you expect the Palestinians to do?

Now you've levelled the whole of Gaza, are you saying every building was a military base? Even if they were, would the people not just be defending their homes from an invading army that's looking to eradicate them? The latest report says you've killed 17K children. Were they all just very young soldiers.

Your prime minister has been declared a war criminal and will be arrested if he tries to enter any civilised country. Most importantly, will Israel be leaving Gaza after all this is over or will it just keep the land it's now acquired?

Civilized like South Africa that encourages the population to murder white farmers? Any civilized country knows it would be a terrible mistake to arrest anybody involved with Israel because you'll have mossad busting them back out and they've even said they'll do it at the ICJ's prison they don't care you'll see a fool Israeli military assault. Guess what the rest of the world's not dumb enough.

As far as a rest warrants that don't exist The ICC has no jurisdiction and the ICJ also does not have jurisdiction here. The ICJ doesn't recognize hamas or Palestine as neither are recognize governmental entities by the wider UN. And ICC doesn't have jurisdiction because Israel's not a party to the ICC Rome statute. So any arrests aren't you reading about would be entirely made up

 

[lonetac]

Civilized like South Africa that encourages the population to murder white farmers? Any civilized country knows it would be a terrible mistake to arrest anybody involved with Israel because you'll have mossad busting them back out and they've even said they'll do it at the ICJ's prison they don't care you'll see a fool Israeli military assault. Guess what the rest of the world's not dumb enough.

OMG just stop.

White farmers are not being murdered in South Africa. This is a widely debunked myth. Holy moley man, please, stop with your nonsense. You are clearly just here spewing mistruth after mistruth trying to act like an authority on everything.

Stop with spreading your right wing extreme hate here. Nobody wants it.

A hillside of white crosses fuels a misleading story about South Africa's farm killings

Nearly 3,000 white crosses on a hill in South Africa are a memorial to white people killed on farms over the last three decades. It's a visceral snapshot seized on by some in South Africa to drive a discredited narrative that white farmers in the majority Black country are being targeted in a...

www.pbs.org

 

[GeoffreyA]

God I wish techspot would stop the spreading of Muslim hate. This site is really turning into a bigoted hate circle. Why one person gets to go into every thread and misrepresent nearly everything is beyond me. Im really getting turned off by the bigotry.

History didnt begin on Oct 7th.

Anyone claiming the Palestinians have any form of autonomy or government is here just lying straight up to anyone and demonstrably showing they dont understand even the tiniest amount of the history in the region. Save us your Zionist revisionism.

This also isnt a war. Palestine isnt a country. Israel is slaughtering and murdering people in a territory THEY CONTROL.

Fighting for emancipation is not illegal. The occupation of Gaza is. Netanyahu is a international war criminal that would be arrested if he travelled anywhere outside of Israel or the USA. Period.

The Palestinians deserve the dignity of governing themselves instead of the horrific abusive tactics the IDF has inflicted on Palestinians for generations.

Save me the "they voted for Hamas". That conversation is so diluted and everyone who voted has already been murdered by Israel.

Calling for the stopping of killing innocent women and children is not extreme, its not anti semetic and anything short of calling for the stop of it shows you are only seeing the plight of one side. Showing prejudice and supporting genocide.

The Jewish people deserve leadership and a government interested in peace. What they are doing is only hurting Jews around the globe.

Hamas is no doubt horrific. its expected and they are the only people fighting for the Palestinians. If Israel wants to be real, take the boot of their throat, stop controlling all their land, electricity, water, food and let them hold an election for their own government. Until they have autonomy, violence will continue.

Hamas isnt a government. They are not allowed to have one. Gaza doesnt have a economic development plan, they cant have one.

And my grandfather was in a Nazi concentration camp in Poland before escaping and coming to Ellis island so yes, it is very dear to me as my family was gassed and lined up walls and shot.

Well said. You summed up the matter.

It's called Total War it is a declared war between two governments Israel is not required to agree to a ceasefire every time they greet her ceasefire Hamas tree arms and then kills more Israelis. It is not in their interest to accept a ceasefire to simply let them rearm again it's what Hamas wants.

So frankly no it's not a genocide and I will stand behind Israel 110% of the time, Guess what the Palestinian started this when they declared when The Jews were given their land back they weren't going to accept it and that they were unwilling to allow a Jewish state. There was a time when Israel was recepted to the idea of a two-state solution but they're continually attacked attacked attack attacked attack attacked with chance such as drive into the sea. At this point the only solution that's viable is the complete and utter destruction of Hamas and their complete and total surrender. They're the ones that decide to shelter in schools and hospitals and use human shields Israel simply putting bombs on foreheads it's not their fault that Hamas is deciding to hide inside of schools and hospitals, Israel should not stop dropping the bombs just because they want to use human shields it's a tactic they've been using for years because they know it works and iIsrael's had enough. As for as this made it 50% number of yours, that doesn't actually apply truthfully what that would be would be American and European Jews that aren't there, The people of Israel overwhelmingly support what's going on. I don't care what did you in New York or Jew in Berlin has to say about it I really don't it doesn't affect them.

Now you can keep arguing all you want it's not going to change anything, because frankly if Israel wanted to wipe out all Palestinians, I think they'd be targeting all of them wouldn't they, but Israel hasn't leveled the West Bank because the Palestinian authority government that oversees the West Bank has not been carrying out attacks on Israel. It's almost like the people that aren't at war with Israel are fine Go figure.

I didn't make up the 50%. Count the list I linked. When I counted a few months ago, it was over 50%. Now, perhaps higher. Those are the opinions of experts in the field, counting more than what we say.

The human-shields argument doesn't hold water. For instance, let's say that the Joker was holding hundreds of people hostage in a bank, using them as "human shields." Does that give the FBI a right to bomb the place and shrug their shoulders? Of course, it's absurd. In fact, on occasion, Israel has used Palestinians as actual human shields.

As for the so-called "peace process," people have seen that it was a smokescreen all along to hide the slow appropriation of the land. The West Bank folk are not "fine" but subject to ongoing violence, terrorism, and dispossession of their homes. Smotrich is leading the charge in the theft.

Civilized like South Africa that encourages the population to murder white farmers? Any civilized country knows it would be a terrible mistake to arrest anybody involved with Israel because you'll have mossad busting them back out and they've even said they'll do it at the ICJ's prison they don't care you'll see a fool Israeli military assault. Guess what the rest of the world's not dumb enough.

As far as a rest warrants that don't exist The ICC has no jurisdiction and the ICJ also does not have jurisdiction here. The ICJ doesn't recognize hamas or Palestine as neither are recognize governmental entities by the wider UN. And ICC doesn't have jurisdiction because Israel's not a party to the ICC Rome statute. So any arrests aren't you reading about would be entirely made up

The white farmer genocide of SA myth has been debunked many a time. We've got a high rate of murder across the spectrum when all cases are counted. The fact that the US and Israel can't respect the ICC and ICJ shows their calibre as rogue states on the world's stage.

 

[candle86]

Well said. You summed up the matter.


I didn't make up the 50%. Count the list I linked. When I counted a few months ago, it was over 50%. Now, perhaps higher. Those are the opinions of experts in the field, counting more than what we say.

The human-shields argument doesn't hold water. For instance, let's say that the Joker was holding hundreds of people hostage in a bank, using them as "human shields." Does that give the FBI a right to bomb the place and shrug their shoulders? Of course, it's absurd. In fact, on occasion, Israel has used Palestinians as actual human shields.

As for the so-called "peace process," people have seen that it was a smokescreen all along to hide the slow appropriation of the land. The West Bank folk are not "fine" but subject to ongoing violence, terrorism, and dispossession of their homes. Smotrich is leading the charge in the theft.


The white farmer genocide of SA myth has been debunked many a time. We've got a high rate of murder across the spectrum when all cases are counted. The fact that the US and Israel can't respect the ICC and ICJ shows their calibre as rogue states on the world's stage.

Considering the ICC in the ICJ are both currently ran by places like China that aren't even aware with the phrase human rights means I don't really care what your opinion is nor of theirs. As far as these experts again these are experts for places that don't have the ability to define human rights abuses. The simple fact is the land is Israel's if you want it come and take it but I guarantee you'll lose.

The only genocide going on is one being caused by Hamas and the Palestinian people. They are completely responsible for what is happening over there 100%.

As for your argument against human shields if the terrorist had a rocket launcher and was going to fire it into somewhere else and then I would have stopped them was for the FBI to bomb the building You're done right the FBI is going to level the place. The same things happening over there a moss likes to put their rocket launchers and weapons stockpiles where civilians are, this gives Israel the choice of allow Hamas to attack freely into Israel murdering people because they can't respond because Hamas has put them where civilians are, or to destroy it and accept civilian casualties. I agree with Israel civilian casualties are justified in this situation.

 

[Hexic]

- God the **** I read online. "Shout at your TV! That'll do something" activism.

You don't have to like em, but doing something for real in public and in person is worth a million "don't work theres". These folks have bigger balls than anyone posting here, that's for sure.

The actual "do-ers" of society doing something, anything, while the everyone else types into their screen.

In fact, these people should make it a point to be hired by these institutions and then gum up the works. A company understands money, making business with Israel more costly than not business with Israel is really the only meaningful way to enact change.

I never stated the solution is “Shout at your TV!” - you insinuated that yourself.

Doing something “real, in public” when it involves something as childish and futile as this doesn’t show they have balls, it shows they have no critical thinking skills on how they want to actually see this problem they’re envisioning fixed.

If these individuals really wanted to make a difference, they’d petition their government for change, start an organization to push said change, lobby etc. - you know, begin the process of actually making a difference instead of trespassing and throwing a tantrum for clicks and views.

Sorry, but the “disrupt others for attention” game doesn’t work, even if it makes you feel all warm, fuzzy, and (somehow) justified inside.