Despite President Biden's recent calls for a 6-week ceasefire amid the war between Israel and Gaza, leading progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders tells "Face the Nation" that "the United States of America cannot be complicit in this mass slaughter of children." "That should be clear: No more money to Netanyahu's war machine to kill Palestinian children," Sanders said.
The fuk Israel gonna get their weapons from if Biden stops selling to them? I already told you.
Good luck having a nuanced position that confronts geopolitical reality on social media. I love Bernie, and I agree with his position here, but he only has the luxury of having this position because he’s not president. Joe Biden is going to do whatever it takes to maintain an American presence in the Levant, and so would any other president. The consequences of turning Israel over to Russia or China would be calamitous–as in, the end of US hegemony–because we don’t have an alternative in the region.
It’s futile, let these very useful folks chant “Genocide Joe” and then put on their best shocked pikachu faces after Trump mysteriously wins. I don’t support genocide, but I also don’t support two rogue nuclear super powers actively stealing territory from their neighbors every 3-4 years while ACTIVELY pursuing genocide.
Like the solution to the trolley problem for these people is to deny the trolley even exists or that they are at the switch.
Dumbest Lemmy user.
All those weapons that Israel has are western weapons. Meaning that Israel would have to buy new artillery, aircraft and mechanized units in order to use Russian/Chinese calibers and Launch Systems. Not to mention that politically Russia and China don’t remotely align with Israel and actively campaign and work against them. Nuance, like the other user said, would help you, but so would being quiet.
Yeah, Ukraine is turning its nose up at Bradleys, F-16s, and Patriot missiles. After all why change from their old Soviet and Warsaw pact systems?
And yeah, Russia and Israel are totally not aligned, which is why Russia and Israel never made deals to stop supplying each others enemies with weapons.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/russia-nixed-arms-sales-to-israels-enemies-at-its-request-pms-adviser-says/
Putin and Bibi are total enemies!
https://images.hamodia.com/hamod-uploads/2019/07/Huge-Campaign-Posters-Show-Netanyahu-Shaking-Hands-with-Trump-Putin-Modi-1024x683.jpg
Now of course Bibi walked some of this back after some US pressure, but that pressure is in the form of further aid and weapon sales.
Do you see the dilemma more clearly now?
Ukraine has a shit load of old Soviet era stuff. Of course they need supplies around that. They also keep asking for more F-16s and ammo for our weapons platforms we gave them. What does Ukraine and the weapons they use have to do with Israel?
Israel uses NATO standards for basically everything and the iron dome is effectively patriots. That’s all western tech with western specs. Russia and China would have to either create whole new missiles and calibers to fit, or they would have to buy older or brand new weapons systems and platforms which would take a decade plus to switch to.
Congrats on finding out how diplomacy works. Diplomacy isn’t a unit of measurement nor is it a spec. Which is what all those NATO spec weapons are that currently Israel is using.
Because Ukraine is accomplishing the switch and hybridization between weapon ecosystems under duress, whereas Israel will have time to do so. If Ukraine can rig Migs to fire western missiles, Israel can adapt S-400 to suit their needs.
It is not an idle threat when Bibi invites Putin over for tea, and it is not an impossibility for them to switch over.
Now, let’s say they do have difficulty switching over to Russian or Chinese weapons if the US cuts them off. You don’t think Iran or another of Israel’s neighbors won’t try to take advantage? Then what? How many people will die in that conflict? And if their backs are against the wall, how much restraint will Israel show before launching a nuke?
There are no easy answers here. Plenty of easy idealism though.