jeez.. i used to come to the site for some updates on the Ukrainian war..
then I stumbled into this cesspool.
do you ever really listen to yourselves.
you people are fucked in the head
Posted by: james | Dec 6 2023 23:50 utc | 98
_____
You didn’t even come to the right thread, fake james.

Posted by: malenkov | Dec 7 2023 0:03 utc | 103

my own opinion is that the two-state thing is as dead as a door-nail. No Palestinian in their right mind would trust anything the zionist regime says, does or signs right now or maybe even for a generation or two after all the recent atrocities. it’s unspeakable what I’ve seen in videos and read on line
I also believe that the International Community should see to it that the violent colonialist state of israel be abolished
& one nation, Palestine, be established… where there is a right of return to ancestral lands, and where all can live in peace & cooperation, like many faiths did before 1948…..
how this is to be done, well, honestly I don’t know

Posted by: michaelj72 | Dec 7 2023 0:18 utc | 105

Max Blumenthal responds to the latest emission of Hasbara atrocity propaganda:
Scandal-stained Israeli ‘rescue’ group fuels October 7 fabrications

Founded by a serial rapist known as the “Haredi Jeffrey Epstein,” Israeli ultra-Orthodox rescue group ZAKA is responsible for some of the most obscene post-October 7 atrocity fabrications, from beheaded babies to “mass rape” to a fetus cut from its mother.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken and President Joseph Biden have each echoed demonstrably false ZAKA testimonies about Hamas atrocities.

https://thegrayzone.com/2023/12/06/scandal-israeli-october-7-fabrications/

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Dec 7 2023 0:19 utc | 107

John Swinton (1829-1901), former chief editor of the New York Times.
In 1880 Swinton was invited to speak at a meeting of journalists in New York City about the freedom of the press. He outraged his colleagues by arguing: “There is no such thing, at this stage of the world’s history in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dare write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinions out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my papers, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone. The business of the journalist is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting an independent press? We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes.”
Posted by: Mangas coloradas | Dec 7 2023 0:19 utc | 107
Do you perchance happen to have a Reference for this? It has aged well.

Posted by: Don Firineach | Dec 7 2023 0:47 utc | 109

Posted by: Don Firineach | Dec 7 2023 0:47 utc | 110
It’s a pretty well known quote. I do notice that not even Wikipedia has a citation for it though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Swinton_(journalist)#:~:text=If%20I%20should%20allow%20honest,street%20hunting%20for%20another%20job.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Dec 7 2023 0:59 utc | 111

@ “How could I not be guilty?”
Posted by: Greg Galloway | Dec 6 2023 12:51 utc | 20
Am glad I ran into your post on way down to say that.
I’ll add I now understand how good Germans let themselves become BAD.
We are complicit unless we resist.

Posted by: DunGroanin | Dec 7 2023 1:15 utc | 113

Posted by: pq | Dec 6 2023 22:32 utc | 88
I can’t say I was much impressed by your claims of xenophobia/Islamophobia/homophobia in Crooke’s article. Lots (probably nearly all) conservatives are concerned about the future of Western civilisation and the “Great Replacement”. That is, until their pocket is touched, and they need immigrant workers to do the dirty low-paid jobs. The Tory party in UK is going through precisely that mental breakdown at the moment, with the anti-immigrant lead taken the children of immigrants themselves. In the near future this will break down, as people understand better that if their people, whites, don’t make babies, immigrants will have to replace them. Crooke is at a certain point on this path; he’s a conservative, but he’s not particularly offensive. He’s not Islamophobic to my ear; he couldn’t have lived in Lebanon if he were.

Posted by: laguerre | Dec 7 2023 1:31 utc | 115

According to the Meme Scream Media, Israel is kicking ass. Yes, they’ve bombed the shit out of Gaza and killed many children. My heart goes out to them. But, it looks like Hamas and Hezbollah are more battle hardened. What say you? And, Ukraine will march on Moscow any day now. Right after the next trillion. Cheers!

Posted by: Immaculate deception | Dec 7 2023 3:21 utc | 117

A couple of points:
1). The Gazan raid of 7 Oct. on Israel will go down in history and be celebrated as a huge success, no matter what the outcome of the war is afterward. The Gazans will inevitably be seen in the Arab and Muslim worlds and everywhere else that Zionist or Zionist-allied control of the press does not exist as heroes, and when they are killed, as martyrs. Nothing will alter that.
2). The preponderance of military force seems obviously to be on the Israeli side. After all, they have control of the air and sea, as well as vastly larger land forces numerically with vastly larger and stronger weaponry, so at least the military outcome should be clearly in their favor. In 1956 and 1967, they conquered the Gaza Strip in a single day. In their later interventions, they were at least able to get into better than in this one. Now, it goes on for months and they can’t finish it, and they also suffer real casualties.
3). The preponderance of ethical and moral force has switched entirely to the Palestinian side, a humongous Waterloo for the Zionist project and its propaganda machine. Zionism is exposed as intending to supplant the Palestinians entirely, stealing their livelihood and their homes, even though they never did anything to the Jews before Zionism appeared, and also as murderous and genocidal. In this latter regard, the longer the slaughter goes on, the worse it will get in the ethical arena, and the more indefensible Zionism and Israel will become at all. All they will have left is “Might makes right,” which is a thin reed to hang one’s whole lifelong project on. They are not merely in a snit of rage over this unexpected — to them — development, but are also befuddled and confused about it.
4). Jewish leadership of anti-Zionism now in western countries is clear. It is thus different than the persecution of Muslims — partly facilitated by the Zionists — after 9/11, because then the Muslims in the West, especially the US, we somewhat taken by surprise and defenseless. Even so, one factor helped greatly to protect the Muslims in the US at that time: the African American Muslims. These were not going to take any shit from the state, and they were in turn protected by the rest of the non-Muslim African Americans, who thought about the state, “You just want to get your foot in the door to attack all of us, using the excuse of Islam being bad, but we aren’t buying it and won’t allow it.” So, checkmate! Likewise in the current situation, the young anti-Zionist Jews are not going be deterred by any BS from their activism — just look at them go! As the massacre continues to get bigger, Zionism will continue to get uglier. This is a tremendous crisis for Zionism, even though it is militarily safe for the moment, and the events have nakedly exposed how the entire western power structure is entirely dedicated to supporting Zionism. However, even some of these bought, pressured, and harried politicians are starting to backtrack, because they begin to see the catastrophe for themselves in the future, as Israel’s actions are just plain indefensible.

Posted by: Cabe | Dec 7 2023 3:34 utc | 119

One thing many don’t know about the houthis is they claim to be the direct descendants of Mohammed. They have that unshakeable belief in destiny , so I guess when put against the same Zionist unbendable ideology sparks will fly. A fair bit different from the Saudi who have a story of murdering then stealing the goods and identity of a silk road traveller to end up as royals

Posted by: Hankster | Dec 7 2023 3:42 utc | 121

Apparently the Amerikastani congress passed a resolution equating anti zionism with “anti semitism.”
Other things that are anti semitic:
Anti-racism
Anti-apartheidism
Empathy
A conscience
Facts
Evidence
and
History.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Dec 7 2023 3:50 utc | 123

Apparently the Amerikastani congress passed a resolution equating anti zionism with “anti semitism.”
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Dec 7 2023 3:50 utc | 124
Welcome To “The Free World”.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 7 2023 3:55 utc | 125

Dear Zionists, dear Israelis,
I would like to say something about the current crisis on your behalf, really I would. Like old hippie on this site, I live in a heavily Jewish neighborhood in the US replete with Israeli flags and signs saying “We stand with Israel” and “Yachad nintsakh” (United we stand). I know many Jews, both anti-Zionist and (including most of my university colleagues) and Zionist, and many are my neighbors.
But what can we say in defense of the current “war” on Gaza? Let’s ignore all the racist, blood-curdling, genocidal, and cruel statements coming out of the mouths of Israelis these days, just for the sake of argument, calling them hyperbole. But what are you going to say, and what do you want me as your friend to say, in Israel’s defense? Mind you, we have to say only the truth here; we cannot fabricate things, because they will come back to bite us later, especially in this information age where everything is nakedly exposed. Therefore, we cannot dispute the well-established quotes, such as the one from Ben Gurion cited above by b at the beginning of this very thread admitting the expulsion of the Palestinians and the theft of their country, nor can we dispute well established facts, such as the expulsion of the 750,000 Palestinians from over 400 villages and a dozen cities and large towns in 1948, as meticulously documented by the very Zionist Israeli professor Benny Morris in multiple books, nor the general treatment of the Palestinians by the Zionist settlers (later Israelis) over more than 130 years, as documented by Achad Ha-`Am even in 1891. Nor can we adopt racist ideas that the Palestinians are different from or worse than any other people. Haven’t you observed that the same demonization used against the Palestinians can just as easily be used and said of the Israelis and in fact historically has been alleged against the Jews? People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
I hate making my neighbors feel worse about themselves when they already feel bad enough, and it is really sad for them to be put into such a bind. But I still want to know what I can say that doesn’t sound false or bigoted, and I really don’t see any defense of a genocide and incipient Holocaust that I can make. I know that a lot of you, maybe most of you, are so embarrassed about this situation that you just remain silent, and of course you do have your enforcers on your side too to make sure you don’t step out of line. But even from the real dyed-in-the-wool Zionist believers in the US elite, most of what I see are not arguments in Israel’s defense, but only a few slogans, and especially a big country-wide campaign to suppress free speech, which, because it comes from the powerful, is a real threat to the institutions of the US republic, let alone to academia which I work in.
All I can think of for you is a humble approach, but then that will require changing, making amends, and recognizing the humanity of the other side first. Given their humanity, what can you say? If a humble and egalitarian approach is not adopted, I don’t see any favorable outcome.

Posted by: Cabe | Dec 7 2023 4:10 utc | 127

Sorry, I guess the Ben Gurion quote I referred to in Cabe | Dec 7 2023 4:10 utc | 128 is not on this thread. So here it is:
“If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us, but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There has been anti — Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They see but one thing: We have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept that?” (David Ben Gurion — the first Israeli prime minister — quoted by Nahum Goldmann in Le Paraddoxe Juif (The Jewish Paradox), pp121.)
Cited in https://www.arabnews.com/node/220313

Posted by: Cabe | Dec 7 2023 4:28 utc | 129

I would like to say something about the current crisis on your behalf, really I would. Like old hippie on this site, I live in a heavily Jewish neighborhood in the US replete with Israeli flags and signs saying “We stand with Israel”
Posted by: Cabe | Dec 7 2023 4:10 utc | 128
New slogan :

“Those who stand with Israel should fall with Israel”

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 7 2023 4:59 utc | 131

“18:30 Volker Turk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, highlighted that Israel had not responded to his repeated requests for access to independently investigate the Israeli allegations of sexual violence by Hamas fighters during their October 7 operation.
Turk confirmed in a press conference that for weeks he had “asked the Israeli authorities… to deploy a team, my team, to monitor, document, investigate the issues of the horrific attacks on Israelis.”
“I’ve repeated this call and I hope it will be heard but so far, I haven’t received a response.”
Various Israeli claims regarding what happened in the Hamas operation in the Gaza Envelope on 7 October, including claims of 40 beheaded babies, have not been verified by independent parties.”
https://english.ahram.org.eg

Posted by: Minaa | Dec 7 2023 5:41 utc | 133

As many on MOA have commented or implied, it probably requires a revolution to solve, but it will certainly be messy and maybe catastrophic.
Posted by: Cabe | Dec 7 2023 6:14 utc | 135
I’m afraid here we have only the hand of Time and the primal Universal consciousness to intercede.
Not even a revolution will help us now: We are witnessing the fall of Man, powerless to intercede even to preserve our own humanity.
Woe unto the world when humanity is removed from the human, for then not all the weapons in the armouries of the Jews will protect them from annhilation.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 7 2023 6:36 utc | 135

Re: Peace ?
The way towards peace is that the war party can’t fund its wars anymore selling cheap debt. De- dollarization makes this happen.
Note – do not EVEN wish or support violent revolution. A revolution in any western society would be a horror of destruction and atrocities lasting many years.
If you want to act against the War Party – then start boycotting businesses and entities that support war – either formally or informally. Vote with your pocket book.

Posted by: Exile | Dec 7 2023 7:47 utc | 137

@ Cabe | Dec 7 2023 4:10 utc | 128
Some people cannot be reached — a case in point >>>
On this matter, they [Israeli Embassy] put out a statement: “It is tragic to see the hate and incitement toward Israel expressed in such a horrific way.”
Brannon Ingram wrote: “How self-centered can you possibly be? Self immolation is never an act of ‘hate.’ It’s the opposite. It’s a desperate plea for humanity.”
https://scheerpost.com/2023/12/06/immolation-revelation/
They have become utterly disconnected from their humanity and cannot be reasoned with any more.

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Dec 7 2023 8:27 utc | 139

How Britain Started the Arab-Israeli Conflict | History Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXfuqUhzESg
and Chris Hedges The 100 year war on Palestine w/Rashid Khalidi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ55JmOlSdg
Chris Hedges: … This duplicity, of course, continues to this day, as all of us who covered Gaza and the West Bank, would file our reports, and then watch the Israelis reflexively lie. But talk about this duplicity and its importance.
Rashid Khalidi: Yeah. It goes right back to an incident that I detailed at the very beginning of the book. An ancestor of mine who had been a member of the first Ottoman Parliament, who had been mayor of Jerusalem, lived in Europe, taught in Vienna, and knew German; he knew about Zionism.
We know that from his papers and from the books and Viennese newspapers that he received that are kept in the family library to this day. He knew about Zionism. He knew everything about Zionism. So he wrote to Theodor Herzl in 1899, two years after the first Zionist Congress, with full knowledge that the objective was a Jewish state in Palestine. And he tells him that we respect the Jews, they’re our cousins, we understand your suffering, and there’s nothing more noble than the idea of the Jewish people having a state, but not here; There’s already a people here.
The interesting thing is not only this letter from this ancestor of mine, a man named Yusuf Dia al-Khalidi, but Herzl’s response which is completely disingenuous, and completely ignores all the points that Yusuf Dia al-Khalidi is making. And then says in response to a question that Yusuf Dia had not even asked, we have no intention of driving the population away. If you look at Herzl’s diaries, he’s talking about spiriting the population discreetly across the borders. We’re talking in the 1890s. This is clear in Herzl’s mind. You have to get rid of the Arabs to have a Jewish state in a majority Arab country, there’s no other way to do it. And that in fact, is always the driving motive of Zionism.
[ aka COLONIALISM WITH GENOCIDE and/or EXPULSION ]
So what Weizmann is saying is profoundly deceptive in the quote that you read, which is from 1918 or 1919, because it was always understood that the objective was a majority Jewish state in what was, at that point, a majority Arab country. And that deceptiveness has been, as you say, a constant ever since. The idea of ethnic cleansing, which is something that was inherent in Zionism and which was practiced again and again in 1948, and 1967, is being practiced today in Gaza. Pushing people into the south of the Gaza Strip was always inherent in Zionism because there’s no other way to, as I’ve said, create a majority Jewish state in a majority Arab country.
iow inherent in Zionism is the eradication, genocide or ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Palestine to create a majority Jewish state in a majority Arab country

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Dec 7 2023 8:38 utc | 141

Lots (probably nearly all) conservatives are concerned about the future of Western civilisation and the “Great Replacement”
….he couldn’t have lived in Lebanon if he were.
Posted by: laguerre | Dec 7 2023 1:31 utc | 115
Lebanon has a very strong Christian faction that is completely an US /EU puppet.
They are all dual citizens and flee to their nice apartments in Paris etc. at the first sign of the trouble they have stirred up. In the past they fought against the PLO and Lebanese National Movement.
I am not sure how much you know about Lebanon but it is home to some of the most rabid and bigoted Islamophobes. So the argument that he could not have lived in Lebanon if he were is compltely wrong, it’s quite the opposite: it would be the perfect base for him to stir up trouble between the various factions in Lebanon on behalf of Empire.
Christian militias have played a huge role in various massacres be it the Karantina massacre or Sabre and Shatila in which they allied with the Israeli Genocidal Forces in Beirut. Not most of course but many consider themselves “European” and therefore superior to Arabs and Muslims.
As for the bigoted conservatives worried about “Western Civilization” and the Great Replacement, where would Western civilizatio have been without wars of Empire over the last 500 years? Still in the Dark Ages. We need to get rid of the hubris and arrogance that is the main reason for the sad state of things here. You CAN’T only rape countries and not expect movements of people. And if that makes one feel insecure, it’s because they don’t have the skills to compete when it comes to real value added. I have seen this for decades in the business world.
They are totally welcome to be bigoted and blinded by prejudice if they want: it’s their choicce. I just don’t believe it ‘s going to be a winning strategy. They can destroy stuff with superior arms and dive deeper into the toilet.
Right now, I see people in the West divided into two grouos: those who genuinely believe all humans are equal. And those who think deep inside that there’s no way some African / Indian from a slum could possible be as smart and intelligent as a “Westerner”, whatever that is. Chines, they only steal stuff. Arabs too backward to get it together and so on.

Posted by: pq | Dec 7 2023 9:12 utc | 143

@pq | Dec 7 2023 9:12 utc | 143

[…] where would Western civilizatio have been without wars of Empire over the last 500 years? Still in the Dark Ages.

Not this shit again. Besides the fact that the idea of Dark Ages emerged in medieval Western Europe during the late Middle Ages as nostalgia for the greatness of the Roman Empire, the expression was twisted and reused by Protestants, to disparage the role of the Church during the Middle Ages, and by the Enlightment to disparage all the religious thought of the preceding centuries. As such it is a very neo-con/lib concept, dear to both Evangelical ultraconservatives and woke pseudo-sophisticated pseudo-progressives. As a matter of facts, the cultural, technical, economic expansion of Western Europe began in the IX century (with maybe a hiccup in the X) and resulted in dominance since the XV century.
What is going on in Gaza is not worse than what happened in Yemen. Nobody cared about Yemen. This is a disaster for Palestinians, whoever thinks otherwise is a sociopath.

Posted by: SG | Dec 7 2023 10:43 utc | 145

Are Ashkenazi Jews Semetic?
Posted by: Jo P | Dec 7 2023 10:18 utc | 144
No.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 7 2023 11:45 utc | 146
____
Not that it matters. Either way, it’s not their land.

Posted by: malenkov | Dec 7 2023 11:50 utc | 147

already posted but must see
https://youtu.be/NI46qq4o21g?si=exSTb6ib4Re7VLvS
good to remember that Edward Said had his doubts about Oslo
The elephant in the room that is missing from the conversation is what the Christians actually believe in and their relation to the Old Testament.

Posted by: Minaa | Dec 7 2023 12:27 utc | 149

good to remember that Edward Said had his doubts about Oslo
Posted by: Minaa | Dec 7 2023 12:27 utc | 149
Oslo was always a trick. Notably on Arafat to allow him to die in Palestine, and not in Tunis.

Posted by: laguerre | Dec 7 2023 12:34 utc | 151

Where did I read it…?
(roughly) “If you say that you understand Lebanese politics
then you don’t understand Lebanon”.
In Feb 2006 Hezbollah and the largest Christian group signed
a Memorandum of Understanding. Here is the last section of
that agreement (emphasis mine).
https://www.peaceagreements.org/viewmasterdocument/1262

10– The Protection of Lebanon and Preserving its Independence and Sovereignty
The protection of Lebanon and the preservation of its independence and sovereignty are a national
public responsibility and duty, guaranteed by international treaties and the Human Rights Charter,
particularly in confronting any threats or dangers from any source that could harm them.
Therefore, carrying arms is not an objective in itself. Rather it is an honorable and sacred means that
is exercised by any group whose land is occupied, in a manner identical to the methods of political
resistance. In this context, Hezbollah’s weapons should be addressed as part of a global approach
that falls within two bounds:
The first bound is the reliance on justifications that meet a national consensus for keeping the
weapons, which would constitute a source of strength for Lebanon and the Lebanese people, and
the other bound is the definition of objective conditions that would lead to a cessation of the
reasons and justifications for keeping those weapons. Since Israel occupies the Shebaa Farms,
imprisons Lebanese resistance members and threatens Lebanon, the Lebanese people should
assume their responsibilities and share the burden of protecting Lebanon, safeguarding its existence
and security and protecting its independence and sovereignty by:
A. Liberating the Shebaa Farms from the Israeli occupation.
B. Liberating the Lebanese prisoners from Israeli prisons.
C. Protecting Lebanon from Israeli threats through a national dialogue leading to the
formulation of a national defense strategy over which the Lebanese agree to and subscribe
to by assuming its burdens and benefiting from its outcomes.
Général Michel Aoun
Hassan Nasrallah

The Neocons then went into hurry up mode for war.
Timeline:
April 2006 President Bush Welcomes Prime Minister Siniora of Lebanon to the White House
April 2006 Bush sends a Major General to Lebanon to see what US equipment can be supplied to the Lebanese army
April 2006 Prime Minister of the Zionist Project Ehud Olmert meets with his generals to review current plans for invading Lebanon
May 2006 US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton pushes through resolution making Syria and Iran culpable for actions of Hezbollah
May 2006 Hezbollah finds blind spot on border with the Zionist Project and attempts to seize border guards to trade for hostages – attempt fails
May-June 2006 The IDF is all over the blind spot on the border like a bear had busted a beehive.
July 2006 The IDF “misreads the intelligence” (Yes! same damn excuse they are using today!) and stands down their forces at the blind spot on the border
July 2006 The IDF assigns reserve soldiers instead of professional soldierrs to the blind spot. Doesn’t inform the reserve soldiers on that day that alarms are going off all along the border, sends them out on patrol unaware. Reserve soldiers are attacked by Hezbollah, IDF uses Hannibal Directive and hostages all die.
July 2006 Olmert, the US Neocons and the IDF get the war they wanted and the IDF invades Lebanon.
August 2006 Christian, Général Michel Aoun, who signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Hezbollah says that he was targeted for assassination by IDF jets.

Posted by: librul | Dec 7 2023 13:19 utc | 153

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP88B00443R001404090133-0.pdf 1983
the original pipeline was to go thru Syria.. Assad stopped that..
the new one originates off shore to Gaza.. ? does this answer your question’
if every politician has an interet in the new pipeline and production from the Lavantine gas reserve would that explain why none of the nations are willing to stop the Genocide.

Posted by: snake | Dec 7 2023 14:02 utc | 155

Posted by: laguerre | Dec 7 2023 12:30 utc | 150
Islamophobia isn’t just clumsy and bigoted comments. It’s a deep seated feeling of distrust / superiority etc. that may be conveyed through quiet statements or may never be stated verbally. The Lebanese Forces party is one of the biggest troublemakers, alllied as it is with some European party.
You don’t get much more Islamophobic than allying with the US and Israeli Genocide Forces against your own people, unless you don’t view them as your own people.
ps:
https://new.thecradle.co/articles-id/1959
But despite his claims, one of the most prominent financiers of the ‘Neighborhood Watch’ is Anton Sehnaoui, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Societe Generale Bank de Banque au Liban (SGBL).
Sehnaoui is directly linked to the ‘Soldiers of God,’ a far-right Christian militia founded in 2020 by SGBL employee Joseph Mansour.
The Soldiers of God are ideological supporters of the LF and Kataeb parties, and harbor ultra-conservative beliefs. Moreover, they are staunchly opposed to the existence of Hezbollah and the presence of Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
According to an investigation by Lebanese daily Al Akhbar, in recent years many members of the Soldiers of God have been employed by Sehnaoui as security guards for SGBL branches.
An ultra-conservative Catholic who allegedly longs for the days of the Crusades, Sehnaoui saw in the extremists an opportunity to not only protect his assets from desperate depositors who have been forced to “rob banks” to retrieve their own savings, but also as a means to create a private militia that could control Beirut’s Christian neighborhoods.
According to an army intelligence investigation, in October 2021, the Soldiers of God played a part in the shooting of Hezbollah and Amal Movement supporters in the Tayouneh neighborhood of Beirut by LF snipers.

Posted by: pq | Dec 7 2023 14:35 utc | 157

Posted by: Cabe | Dec 7 2023 4:10 utc | 127
.. recognizing the humanity of the other side first. Given their humanity, what can you say?
Thank you for comment.. from a couple of decades back, I vaguely recall an article by Amira Hass(?) describing an event during 30s-40 in a German town where a group of individuals were being marched through the middle class section of town in mid morning. The middle class mothers who had just fed their kids breakfast and send them out to school, were hanging out by their kitchen doors having a cup of coffee talking to their neighbors and watching.
They knew… but said nothing.
Now, the descendant of those individuals have mired themselves in an orgy of bloodshed and genocide of others, in a similar manner in which their grand parents were subjected to. Definition of misguided lost souls beyond words.

Posted by: Rd | Dec 7 2023 17:22 utc | 159