Oddbean new post about | logout
 The only deals that Israel accepts are ones that require Hamas to surrender strategic defensive positions like the Netzarim corridor, and which don't require Israel to stop the war but just to pause for a brief period, just enough to get their hostages, and then having divided Gaza into smaller pieces they will continue the genocide more effecively.  Hamas has rightly rejected this deal.

Israel could be at peace if only it treated Palestinians as human beings.  Houthis would cease. Hezbollah would cease. Iran would smile. Hamas might still be troublesome but they could be controlled with international assistance, and the international community would love to help if Israel were not clearly obstanantly acting in bad faith and rejecting the international community time and time again.  So they reap what they sowed.

Jordan Peterson once said that Hitler, when he knew he was losing, put all his remaining time and effort into accelerating the slaughter of the Jews. Now we see that Israel doesn't seem to even care about it's own future, as long as they can keep killing Palestinians, as if their highest and best purpose is the extermination of the Palestinians, and they will go down doing it even as it is clearly strategically the worst possible path for them. It is that same mentality that Hitler had. A fascinating study in human psychology. 
 Even though I don’t “like” anything you just said, I do think you’re right, and I do like that we can have robust conversations about this here without fearing being blacklisted by saying a trigger word. Thanks 
 Anytime you are having a great day and need a buzzkill just send me a holler