Can someone explain the Israel/Hamas conflict to me?

Hate crimes have increased a lot in London compared to same period a year ago.

And, of course, there's been attacks on Jewish schools in London to the point where they closed for pupil safety reasons.

Who's doing that?

You're very clearly and obviously misunderstanding exactly what I'm saying. My point is NOT that the Northern Ireland Troubles is comparable to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since I'm clear it's not.

On the contrary, my point is that Provisional Sinn Féin and Provisional IRA are very much linked together in an international terrorist network with Hamas. They supported each other's terrorism, reaffirmed it and trained together in Libya when Gaddafi ruled.

That link is completely valid to mention and I demonstrated that link entirely. The reason for it is many in the UK are quite rightly quick to condemn PIRA terrorism, but are dreadfully slow to do so with friends of the Provos....Hamas. Upon knowing the clear connections between the two groups, ALL in the UK should be very quick to condemn Hamas.

Yet I see the same thing from too many that Provisional Sinn Féin now do about PIRA - speak out of both sides of their mouth and attempt logical fallacies such as False Balance and False Equivalence.

Two opposing views are NOT necessarily and automatically as valid as the other. Most of those slow to condemn Hamas and who refuse to acknowledge the overlap of the pro-Palestinian protests themselves wouldn't accept two opposing views on many other issues as apparently being of equal value.

It really shouldn't be any different with the issue of terrorism. Those at the protests in London recently remind me of the many useful idiots who took part in the Troops Out! Movement of the 1980s. A Provo front group.

Useful idiots tend not to understand the core issues of conflict. They certainly didn't when it came to Northern Ireland and those in London know even LESS about the Middle East.

The other point of what I was saying about PIRA, ETA and Hamas is that you cannot have a successful peace process without a success security process. Most people really do NOT appreciate the truthfulness or reality of that statement. Northern Ireland is a case in point - PSF/PIRA only accepted the Belfast Agreement in 1998 despite rejecting the same foundational principles of the Sunningdale and Anglo-Irish Agreements is because they were so weak they had no other choice. As far as the PIRA always understood it, this was defeat.

The same will hold true for Hamas since their opposition to the existence of the State of Israel and refusal to recognise it means any future Palestinian acceptance of it constitutes defeat.

Indeed, there's been a long, slow process of Arab States gradually recognising Israel beginning with Egypt in Sinai Peninsula for peace. Jordanian Kings have had multiple peace processes with Israel to which the Palestinian response has been to assassinate or attempting to Jordanian Kings. More recently, Saudi Arabia and Israel via the US were inching closer to a normalisation of relations peace deal when Hamas tried to drive a huge wedge on 7th October 2023.

It is similar to PSF/PIRA attempts to destroy the Northern Ireland peace process in the past until they has to accept the inevitable.

So, no, no-one is actually comparing the two conflicts by any means. What's being talked of is the international terrorist network link which involves Iran in all three examples and the reality of how peace is actually achieved.

The political problem can only be solved when the security problem has been properly addressed. Its a twin track process, a reality lost on most people who never, ever grew up in a society dealing with the reality of terrorism.

My instinct is to stand only with the minority of Palestinians who oppose terrorist groups whilst standing with Israelis. That's borne out of harsh reality of those who support PIRA and Hamas.

I do not support those who are friends with my enemy.

You've heard about the negative terrorist side of Irish history via PSF/PIRA and Hamas.

Now, here's a very different side of the history between Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Israel.

Meet Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, born 1867 in Forgney in what was actually then called Ireland (whole island), one of four integral parts of the UK, now modern day Republic of Ireland. His father, Henry Patterson, was a Protestant and his mother was a Catholic.

Patterson commanded the British Army's Jewish Legion and refused promotion in order to ensure his men were treated fairly by anti-semitic senior officers. A close bond developed between Patterson and the men he commanded during WW1.

His ashes are now interred along with his wife's in Israel next to the men he commanded. His last wish. Patterson died in Los Angeles in 1947, but was reinterred nearly 10 years ago.

A four panel mural stands near the Shankill Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

extramuralactivity.com/2015/05/27/godfather-of-the-israeli-army/





Resting place:



Vandalised by Irish Republicans in 2017 and since repaired:





Patterson was friends with Benjamin Netanyahu's father. Here he is speaking about him to the grandson of John Henry who is called Alan Patterson:

www.gov.il/en/departments/news/eventgdodim041214

Lt Col John Henry Patterson is regarded as the Godfather of the Israel Defence Force.

Those who are squeamish shouldn't click on Respect's link above as you'll see a photo of a burnt body straightaway.

It reminds me of when PIRA turned the La Mon restaurant into an incinerator where unsuspecting diners were burnt to death in 1978. Hamas did the same thing.

Decades later, my sister got married at the La Mon Hotel.

And I thought this would put this nonsensical debate finally to rest, but I guess I overestimated humankind. As if after all the horrible atrocities, it's this specific beheading claim that really makes them look bad. Guys, what's really offensive here is the racist stereotypes this story invokes, not the committed atrocities themselves! Burning people alive? Fine. Raping women to the point of their pelvis being broken? Fine. Killing babies in any other way? Fine. Just don't say they beheaded them because that would be a racist stereotype! The absurdity of this conversation! Unbelievable!