Is Israel held to different or higher standards?

[Shusha]

This came up on another thread, thought it might be interesting to discuss.

Some of the things that came up as possible points of discussion:

the right to defend one's national integrity and citizens
the right to prevent an enemy from gaining weapons (ie. a naval blockade)
the necessity of giving up your holy sites in exchange for peace
the requirement to "correct" the escape from conflict or deportations of populations (especially post WWII)
the labelling of goods by the EU (contrast Cyprus or Western Sahara)

I'm sure we will come up with others.

Please, this is not the place to discuss false accusations such as genocide against or slavery of the Palestinians, open air prisons, concentration camps, apartheid. Although this certainly represents how Israel experiences a double standard and a change of meaning for commonly understood words, it is not the focus of this thread. Feel free to start your own.

 

[Boston1]

Another one no other nation is expected to tolerate is housing an enemy force in your own homeland.

Israel under the Geneva conventions is not obligated to act as a host nation to millions of enemy combatants. Yet people seem to think its Israel's fault these jerks are still around.

No enemy combatants is a refugee.

 

[Weatherman2020]

This came up on another thread, thought it might be interesting to discuss.

Some of the things that came up as possible points of discussion:

the right to defend one's national integrity and citizens
the right to prevent an enemy from gaining weapons (ie. a naval blockade)
the necessity of giving up your holy sites in exchange for peace
the requirement to "correct" the escape from conflict or deportations of populations (especially post WWII)
the labelling of goods by the EU (contrast Cyprus or Western Sahara)

I'm sure we will come up with others.

Please, this is not the place to discuss false accusations such as genocide against or slavery of the Palestinians, open air prisons, concentration camps, apartheid. Although this certainly represents how Israel experiences a double standard and a change of meaning for commonly understood words, it is not the focus of this thread. Feel free to start your own.

The answer is easy when you look at the missile defense system Iron Dome. Proven to work great at taking down dozens of incoming missiles simultaneously. At a recent weapons convention they had tons of foot traffic of nations looking at it. But no buyers.
Why?
Every other nation that is fired on by missiles has only one response - go in and wipe them out.
Only Israel is expected to have its civilians targeted daily and not to respond.

 

[Shusha]

Here is a nice little comparison which highlights some of the inconsistencies.

 

[Roudy]

Yes of course. When Jordan and Egypt were occupying the West Bank and Gaza for 20 years from 1948 to 1967, there was no mention of Palestinians or a Palestine from anybody. After five Arab nations attacked Israel from those territories and the West Bank and Gaza came under Israeli control, we have been hearing this non stop violin of this mythical Palestinian people that got deprived of their so called homeland. Talk about a double standard. In other words, antisemitism has morphed into anti Zionism, nothing Jews or Israel do is ever right or justified simply because they are Jooooos.

 

[Shusha]

The answer is easy when you look at the missile defense system Iron Dome. Proven to work great at taking down dozens of incoming missiles simultaneously. At a recent weapons convention they had tons of foot traffic of nations looking at it. But no buyers.
Why?
Every other nation that is fired on by missiles has only one response - go in and wipe them out.
Only Israel is expected to have its civilians targeted daily and not to respond.

EXACTLY! Because the "standard" that one must defend against attacks but not respond to attacks is simply ridiculous and held by not one nation in the world. That Israel is somehow required to do this is beyond comprehension.

The standard for the rest of the world is that if you attack me, I respond with everything I've got until you are no longer a threat. And that collateral damage is expected, if not celebrated.

 

[Shusha]

Ooooh. Wicked idea for a novel just hit me from this thread.

 

[TheOldSchool]

If Israel was held to different standards, the rest of the world probably would have done something to stop their settlements by now and taken control of Gaza and the West Bank away from them.

 

[Penelope]

Israel should be sanctioned and closely monitored for war crimes. All countries should have higher standards than Israel and most do.

 

[Shusha]

Israel should be sanctioned and closely monitored for war crimes.

Thank you for pointing out another double standard. Why should ONLY Israel be sanctioned and closely monitored?

 

[Coyote]

Israel is held up (by both itself and it's supporters) as a "beacon of democracy" in the Middle East. That might account for some of the differences. But then again, is Israel really held to "different" standards? Singapore is brought up.

So here is another comparison. Why is Burma so criticized for it's treatment of political dissadents and of the Rohinga while little is said about Singapore? Different standards?

 

[Boston1]

Israel is held up (by both itself and it's supporters) as a "beacon of democracy" in the Middle East. That might account for some of the differences. But then again, is Israel really held to "different" standards? Singapore is brought up.

So here is another comparison. Why is Burma so criticized for it's treatment of political dissadents and of the Rohinga while little is said about Singapore? Different standards?

I don't think Anyone is holding Israel up as a beacon of pure democracy. Israel has an interesting form of government but its more like a parliamentary democracy.

But thats not the point. The point is that Israel is expected to maintain an enemy combatant hostile force with kid gloves.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Israel is held up (by both itself and it's supporters) as a "beacon of democracy" in the Middle East. That might account for some of the differences. But then again, is Israel really held to "different" standards? Singapore is brought up.

So here is another comparison. Why is Burma so criticized for it's treatment of political dissadents and of the Rohinga while little is said about Singapore? Different standards?

I don't think Anyone is holding Israel up as a beacon of pure democracy. Israel has an interesting form of government but its more like a parliamentary democracy.

But thats not the point. The point is that Israel is expected to maintain an enemy combatant hostile force with kid gloves.

Kid gloves?

 

[Weatherman2020]

If Israel was held to different standards, the rest of the world probably would have done something to stop their settlements by now and taken control of Gaza and the West Bank away from them.

How's the world doing with Boko Harem? How'd it do 1/3 of all Cambodians were slaughtered? How's the world doing in Yemen? Chad?

<insert sound of crickets here>

The world only focuses on that tiny strip of sand for only one reason - Gods chosen people are living there and it's been the center of the world for the past 3,000 years because of it.

 

[TheOldSchool]

If Israel was held to different standards, the rest of the world probably would have done something to stop their settlements by now and taken control of Gaza and the West Bank away from them.

How's the world doing with Boko Harem? How'd it do 1/3 of all Cambodians were slaughtered? How's the world doing in Yemen? Chad?

<insert sound of crickets here>

The world only focuses on that tiny strip of sand for only one reason - Gods chosen people are living there and it's been the center of the world for the past 3,000 years because of it.

Yup. Religious madness.

 

[Daniyel]

If Israel was held to different standards, the rest of the world probably would have done something to stop their settlements by now and taken control of Gaza and the West Bank away from them.

That is precisely the answer I was expecting here, yet I'd like to ask you where have we seen in any of these other land disputes any sort of reactions that can be matched to those taken against Israel?
Here you can find the list;List of territorial disputes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also note Gaza Strip is considered a territorial dispute between the PA and Hamas..not Israel.

 

[TheOldSchool]

If Israel was held to different standards, the rest of the world probably would have done something to stop their settlements by now and taken control of Gaza and the West Bank away from them.

That is precisely the answer I was expecting here, yet I'd like to ask you where have we seen in any of these other land disputes any sort of reactions that can be matched to those taken against Israel?
Here you can find the list;List of territorial disputes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What about them? Sanctions and interventions have been used in many of those. Are you suggesting they should be used against Israel? Have any been used against Israel?

 

[Weatherman2020]

Israel is held up (by both itself and it's supporters) as a "beacon of democracy" in the Middle East. That might account for some of the differences. But then again, is Israel really held to "different" standards? Singapore is brought up.

So here is another comparison. Why is Burma so criticized for it's treatment of political dissadents and of the Rohinga while little is said about Singapore? Different standards?

I don't think Anyone is holding Israel up as a beacon of pure democracy. Israel has an interesting form of government but its more like a parliamentary democracy.

But thats not the point. The point is that Israel is expected to maintain an enemy combatant hostile force with kid gloves.

Kid gloves?

Nice scale modeling. I model railroads, that would be a great sharknado scene to add.

 

[Weatherman2020]

If Israel was held to different standards, the rest of the world probably would have done something to stop their settlements by now and taken control of Gaza and the West Bank away from them.

How's the world doing with Boko Harem? How'd it do 1/3 of all Cambodians were slaughtered? How's the world doing in Yemen? Chad?

<insert sound of crickets here>

The world only focuses on that tiny strip of sand for only one reason - Gods chosen people are living there and it's been the center of the world for the past 3,000 years because of it.

Yup. Religious madness.

So leave the Jews alone.

 

[Daniyel]

If Israel was held to different standards, the rest of the world probably would have done something to stop their settlements by now and taken control of Gaza and the West Bank away from them.

That is precisely the answer I was expecting here, yet I'd like to ask you where have we seen in any of these other land disputes any sort of reactions that can be matched to those taken against Israel?
Here you can find the list;List of territorial disputes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What about them? Sanctions and interventions have been used in many of those. Are you suggesting they should be used against Israel? Have any been used against Israel?

Sanctions and interventions? I'm not aware of those, I'm also not aware of the world's control over these territories and neither their residents, but I'm fully aware of the actions taken against WB residents based on ethnicity (aka settlements) where it's okay for Arab Muslims to settle in a land not theirs but for Jews it's a different story.