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Victor Davis Hanson: The Strange Disconnect Between Israel and Ukraine
American Greatness ^ | 15 Feb, 2024 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 02/15/2024 8:12:28 AM PST by MtnClimber

Most of Europe, the U.S., and the West understandably supported arming Ukraine to repel Vladimir Putin’s Russian aggression. By contrast, such support for democratic Israel was strangely mixed.

The Ukrainian and Israeli wars are similar and yet also different conflicts—but in more ways than we can imagine.

Ukraine was invaded by a huge Russian state, with a population three-and-a-half times greater, a gross national product ten times larger, and an area thirty times its size.

Hamas, by contrast, is a terrorist clique of about 50,000-70,000 gunmen and terrorist kingpins who run Gaza. It is dwarfed by the Israeli population (20 times larger), economy (27 times greater), and area (60 times larger).

Both Russia and Hamas started the wars. Russia was convinced it would easily crush the smaller neighbor. Hamas hoped to spark a pan-Islamic jihad against the Jewish state.

Most of Europe, the United States, and the West understandably supported arming Ukraine to repel Vladimir Putin’s Russian aggression.

By contrast, such support for democratic Israel was strangely mixed.

In many elite, political, academic, and media circles, Israel is criticized for its massive retaliation after October 7, 2023.

The Western attitude toward the two wars grows even more inconsistent, if not incoherent.

There are constant calls for Israel to be “proportionate” in Gaza following the massacres of nearly 1,200 Jews, the vast majority civilians.

But Westerners understandably seek to give Ukraine more and better arms than Russia to ensure a disproportionate response necessary to win the war.

Israel is faulted for collateral damage from its efforts to destroy Hamas—even though terrorists are burrowed in and beneath hospitals, mosques, and schools.

Israeli hostages are used as human shields to protect Hamas gunmen.

No matter. Israel is expected to text or drop leaflets warning Gazan civilians to keep clear of impending air attacks...

(Excerpt) Read more at amgreatness.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Israel; Ukraine
KEYWORDS: gaza; israel; ukraine; vdh; victordavishanson
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To: ClearCase_guy

IF Israel gets US aid, it should come out of the un budget.


21 posted on 02/15/2024 12:28:41 PM PST by cowboyusa (YESHUA IS KING OF AMERICA! DEATH TO MARXISM AND GFLOBALISM ! AMERICA, COWBOY UP!)
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To: neverevergiveup

Gog dem usa

Magog dem nato

Rev 13


22 posted on 02/15/2024 12:54:55 PM PST by Firehath (Quackery - An irrelevant simplification / undetected Complex problem - attacking symptoms⁸)
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To: PIF
There is plenty of US government land available.

Pick out a spot the size and shape of Israel.

Move every Jewish artifact from "old Jerusalem" to "New Jerusalem", Wailing Wall and all.

Move everyone in Israel there.

Deport all Muslims from here, give them the land in what was Israel.

It would be cheaper than all of these wars.

23 posted on 02/15/2024 8:08:25 PM PST by Mogger (Are)
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To: faithhopecharity; 5th MEB; 6ppc; agondonter; Alberta's Child; Alouette; AndyJackson; Aria; ...
Ping! Out to the Victor Davis Hanson list

So what accounts for these strange disconnects in Western attitudes toward these two wars?

It certainly has nothing to do with consistently siding against those who started the war, or standing always with the more democratic power—or even logically against the side that is more likely to commit atrocities.

FR Index of his articles: Victor Davis Hanson on FR

Town Hall: Victor Davis Hanson on Town Hall

American Greatness: Victor Davis Hanson on American Greatness

His website: Victor Davis Hanson

Please let me know if you want on or off this new VDH ping list.

As a reminder, Professor Hanson has asked that we do not post the full article of his writings. Thank you for following the link to finish his article.

Content created by the Center for American Greatness, Inc. is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a significant audience.

24 posted on 02/15/2024 8:55:45 PM PST by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: Taxman

Ping


25 posted on 02/15/2024 9:01:39 PM PST by Taxman ((SAVE AMERICA! VOTE REPUBLICAN IN 2024! SAVE AMERICA!))
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To: Mogger

Never work. No Jew or Christian would go along with such a fantastical scheme.

Nuking Mecca and Medina would be cheaper still and would have the benefit of totally destroying Islam, whose ‘god’ is not all powerful and unable to protect the most sacred of sites, including the ‘Rock’.

The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is a fake Islamic site as it was built in the 7th century by the then Caliph as a tourist attraction to keep his court in line before abandoning the place entirely later in his rein.

Mohammad never could have reached Jerusalem, and there was no Islamic temple in existance there at the time. He was most likely assassinated somewhere south of Medina.


26 posted on 02/16/2024 4:09:15 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: MtnClimber

No war was ever won by a “proportionate” response. We learned nothing from our venture into Vietnam if not that. Generals Grant and Sherman understood that when Sherman marched to the sea. President Truman understood that when he nuked Japan, and when Dresden and Tokyo were incinerated. Every conflict Israel engages in is a fight for its existence, and for the existence of the Jewish people. What the detached observers fail to understand is that “proportionality” is nothing more than incremental suicide.


27 posted on 02/16/2024 4:24:39 AM PST by Spok (It takes a lot of learning to understand how little we know. (Paraphrasing Thomas Sowell.))
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To: Spok

Excellent post.


28 posted on 02/16/2024 6:12:43 AM PST by bigfootbob (Arm Up and Live Free!)
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To: ClearCase_guy

“Surrender means wisely accommodating ourselves to what is beyond our control!” — Sylvia Boorstein.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTtu7JdezWa9cJZAX-nHXd-MPbgrUje3YYIZx-HD5OMc4Fd6Fbl_6RctGR0Fg&s

I am thankful that thus far today, I have not had any unkind thoughts or said any harsh words or done anything that I regret.

However, now, I need to get out of bed and so things may become more difficult.


29 posted on 02/16/2024 8:13:02 AM PST by Grampa Dave (“Surrender means wisely accommodating ourselves to what is beyond our control.” — Sylvia Boorstein.)
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To: MtnClimber

Bttt!


30 posted on 02/19/2024 5:00:01 AM PST by Pagey ( Valerie Jarrett IS A DEMON! )
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To: MtnClimber

piing


31 posted on 02/19/2024 7:57:01 AM PST by dennisw (In Trump we trust. All others pay cash)
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To: MtnClimber

Cease fire in Ukraine, Disarm Hamas and make them surrender and move them off to Iran.


32 posted on 02/22/2024 7:16:14 PM PST by Paladin2
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