The Republican presidential candidate ridiculously claimed that Biden is "trying to hold" Bibi back, as the Israeli prime minister continued to ruthlessly bomb Lebanon and Gaza.

“He’s doing a good job,” Trump saidabout the Israeli leader. “Biden is trying to hold him back, just so you understand, Biden is more superior to the VP. He’s trying to hold him back, and he probably should be doing the opposite, actually. I’m glad that Netanyahu decided to do what he had to do, but it’s moving along pretty good.”

  • Minarble@aussie.zone
    11912·
    17 days ago

    If you are an American voter and you sit this one out or vote 3rd party and Trump gets in you are directly supporting escalation and taking whatever little restraint away that Netanyahu is feeling from the USA.

    Instead of calls for restraint you will have cheerleading from the sidelines.

    • Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world
      139·
      16 days ago

      I honestly think if you can’t be bothered to vote you need to shut the fuck up, not complain and keep your political opinions to yourself. If you’re not even gonna vote, shut the fuck up. I don’t wanna hear it.

      • sweetpotato@lemmy.ml
        926·
        16 days ago

        Pretty unfortunate for you that there’s free speech then huh? Not letting you spew your dnc propaganda undisturbed

        • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
          102·
          16 days ago

          The comment you replied to is also an example of free speech. I see it made you a little butt-hurt that this guy isn’t interested in what you have to say. But that’s the nature of free speech, you can say what you want, but others a free to think you’re a waste of time.

          Perhaps if someone isn’t interested in what you have to say, you shouldn’t bother replying to them.

          • sweetpotato@lemmy.ml
            55·
            16 days ago

            I wouldn’t know since I am not a republican. I’m just absolutely not ok with the Palestinian genocide, but you care so little that you only seen republicans, regardless if the critique comes from the right or from the left. You’d wish you could make me look like a republican.

            • Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world
              72·
              15 days ago

              If you’re gonna help Republicans by staying home or voting third party or some shit you may as well slap on the red hat

              • sweetpotato@lemmy.ml
                23·
                15 days ago

                I know you’d wish that, but unfortunately genocide is too much for me and the least evil argument doesn’t hold up anymore. There are red lines and dnc has absolutely crossed them. I’m not expecting you to understand, you clearly don’t care enough about the genocide.

                • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  41·
                  15 days ago

                  Cool, vote for Stein then. That way you can get three genocides (Gaza, Ukraine, and LGBTQ at home) instead of just one.

                  But for people that actually oppose genocide, Harris is the only vote that will actually accomplish anything.

    • UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.mlEnglish
      22·
      15 days ago

      So I see you’re concerned about the mathematical flaws of First past the post voting and the spoiler effect that comes along with it.

      Did you know that alternative electoral systems exist? Ones where there isn’t a spoiler effect even. I feel like most democrats, like yourself, understand these faults quite well.

      So why are you mad about people who want to vote outside the two party system? Shouldn’t your anger be better directed at the two legacy poltical parties that protect this flawed voting system?

      We all understand that republicans like First Past The Post voting. They are moving to protect FPTP voting in states they control. However, democrats say they support democracy. So can you tell me why they continue to use FPTP voting in the majority of states they control?

      It’s not like this is a new issue. Its not like the democratic party just found out about the spoiler effect that comes with First Past The Post voting. Democrats have been quick to point out the flaws of our voting system longer then I’ve been alive.

      Again, if the democrats are so informed of the flaws of the voting system, why does it persist in the vast majority of blue states? Who is preventing this reform? It’s not the republicans… they aren’t in power in these states. In a two party system, that would leave only one political party responsible for this spoiler effect.

      The democrats.

      They have sat on their hands for countless decades, understanding the problem yet doing nothing to resolve the issue.

      So you see, you should be mad at the democratic party for putting their party over the needs of the people. Not the people who want to vote a certain way.

      It’s unreasonable to blame those unrepresented in government for what is. This is what we voted for… again… and again… and again. Over and over. This is the result.

      • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        15 days ago

        Cool. Do you have a way to implement RCV nationwide in the next two weeks? Because otherwise there are exactly two people with any chance of winning this election.

      • Pup Biru@aussie.zoneEnglish
        3·
        15 days ago

        irrelevant - everyone knows and agrees. that doesn’t change that this election you have exactly 1 choice

        politics is shit. until you have other options, you have to live in the world you live in and not a fantasy

  • N0body@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    1004·
    17 days ago

    it’s quite different from Trump’s bombastic rhetoric: He has repeatedly said that Israel has to “finish the job.” The former president’s Friday comments appear to be an attempt to paint Biden, and by extension, Harris, as being less supportive of Israel than him

    Trump wants genocide escalated and completed on a faster timetable. If you don’t think that includes the West Bank in the long-term plan, you’re being naive.

    Biden is trying to get a ceasefire deal from a madman. Harris needs to win the election and can’t if Israel turns against her. Trump actively wants to commit accelerated genocide on Palestinians.

    Anyone who is pro-Palestinian and is thinking about voting for Trump needs to be aware of the long-term consequences.

    • Saleh@feddit.org
      511·
      16 days ago

      Biden is not trying to get a ceasefire deal from Netanyahu. If you are a parent and your kid is stabbing people, the way to go about it is not to say “please stop” and then hand them another knife.

      Biden wants this to continue. The rest is rhetoric to make it look different. But every single supposed red line was crossed by Israel. Every time Biden said something bad about Netanyahu, he continued the arms shipments and reiterated how Israel is just defending itself hurr durr.

      Now the US stationed some more soldiers in Israel to create a probable reason to escalate to war with Iran. Harris has reiterated that she stands by the side of Israel.

      Meanwhile US law prohibits sending weapons to countries that hinder US aid, which is evident with Israel. The Biden admin is breaking US law. They could have stopped the weapons deliveries and they could have went on to let the legal system go rampage on the Reps still pushing for it.

      They could have created the political situation to have decided the election in their favor many months ago. But they would rather have Trump take presidency again, than to stop Israel murdering more Arabs.

    • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
      1017·
      16 days ago

      American politics are unanimous on this issue. Biden complained Obama was being too hard on Neyanyahu. All Obama wanted is for Israel to stop bombing the innocent people in Gaza (and he asked Israel to halt building settlements for 3 months). Biden said that Obama was asking for too much and could risk Israel stop listening to the US. We reached this moment BECAUSE of Biden.

      Trump sees how Washington is congratulating Biden while it’s the liberal college students condemning him. That’s a win-win situation in the mind of Republicans. In Trump’s mind, bombing Palestine is good because Biden is getting away with it. Trump is saying he can do it better but isn’t that what Trump says with everything. Is Trump new to you? Biden set this up.

      • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
        92·
        16 days ago

        Biden said that Obama was asking for too much and could risk Israel stop listening to the US.

        So in your version of events, was Biden right that Israel would stop listening to the US? Like is Israel not listening to the US because Biden was unable to convince Obama? Or are you saying Israel does listen to the US and Biden is making Netanyahu do things he doesn’t really want to do?

        Really not sure what your point is here.

        • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
          44·
          16 days ago

          was Biden right that Israel would stop listening to the US?

          There’s nothing Israel is doing that Biden wants them to stop. So, this is hard to judge.

          because Biden was unable to convince Obama?

          The opposite. Obama wanted Israel to slow down attacks on Palestinians. Biden talked Obama into to applying less pressure (and Obama was not asking for much to begin with).

          Biden is making Netanyahu do things he doesn’t really want to do?

          I suggested nothing of the sort.

          Really not sure what your point is here.

          It was a rebuttal to a comment someone else made.

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
        62·
        16 days ago

        American politics are unanimous on this issue. Biden complained Obama was being too hard on Neyanyahu. All Obama wanted is for Israel to stop bombing the innocent people in Gaza (and he asked Israel to halt building settlements for 3 months). Biden said that Obama was asking for too much and could risk Israel stop listening to the US. We reached this moment BECAUSE of Biden.

        Sure is neat how a VP can differ from a president when it’s in favor of Netanyahu.

        • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
          31·
          15 days ago

          Personally, I think Biden’s take on Palestine is insane. It’s like he as a personal stake on the continuation of making Palestinians miserable . Why do people still defend on when it comes to this? The best thing for these Democrats to do is what Harris is already doing; not talking about it since her plans on this issue WILL NOT help her campaign.

          • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            15 days ago

            Why do people still defend on when it comes to this?

            Because they also support genocide. There has never been and never will be another reason.

    • sweetpotato@lemmy.ml
      1737·
      16 days ago

      Rather unfortunate for you that the folks complaining about dnc being 100% complicit and funding the genocide, have never ever claimed that Trump is the better choice.

      Also I love the genocide in quotes, really says all you need to know

        • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
          910·
          16 days ago

          So we should be happy that our best option is moderately less horrible than our worst option and pretend we’re ok with that

        • reddit_sux@lemmy.world
          29·
          16 days ago

          For Palestinians he is slightly worse if not the same. So if that is the criteria for the choice, there is insignificant difference between them.

          The difference might be to be killed in a few days (Trump) vs a few weeks to months (Harris).

          • WolfLink@sh.itjust.works
            81·
            16 days ago

            Well at least you’re admitting he is the worse choice for Palestinians, so that’s a start.

            He’s also far, far worse on every other issue I can think of, such as those directly impacting Americans.

            • reddit_sux@lemmy.world
              28·
              16 days ago

              Him being worse doesn’t make Harris good, she is just not that bad.

              For people voting on that basis might decide immediate death would be better than definite death after prolonged suffering. That makes him better.

              Gaza is a foolish hill to die on and make a choice on. Nothing you do or choose is going to make a difference.

              He’s also far, far worse on every other issue I can think of, such as those directly impacting Americans.

              He is no different than all the despots and dictators America has exported. He is no different than the founding fathers.

              • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
                4·
                15 days ago

                He is no different than all the despots and dictators America has exported. He is no different than the founding fathers.

                What a mind numbingly stupid thing to say.

  • brucethemoose@lemmy.world
    54·
    17 days ago

    From a purely strategic perspective, is this wise of Trump?

    My impression is that even many American Jewish people don’t like Netanyahu. And he doesn’t need to remind anti-Harris protest voters that he’s even more anti Palestine. Many MAGA diehards don’t even like Netanyahu.

    Like… who is he appealing to? Older Republicans, I guess, who remember Israel’s early days?

      • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
        10·
        16 days ago

        Yeah, polls much like any mathematics based discipline are susceptible to garbage in garbage out. You can have the perfect model but if the raw data put into it is shit then all youll get out of it is shit.

    • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
      3·
      16 days ago

      Are we really being upset about a line moving up a couple of pixels when we’re talking about polling on Trump? The polls have never been accurate on Trump and besides that there really isn’t really a model for a convicted felon that tried to overthrow democracy running in a Presidential election. Nobody will know what the numbers are until the votes are counted.

      No matter what the polls say it doesn’t change what needs to be done. Vote. Support the Harris campaign in whatever way you’re able to. If Trump was polling at 60% or if he was polling at 30% it wouldn’t change what needs to be done.

      Vote.

  • ceenote@lemmy.world
    331·
    17 days ago

    Honestly, is there anyone alive today with more blood on their hands than Benjamin Netanyahu?

    • Stovetop@lemmy.world
      371·
      17 days ago

      It’s sad to say, but yes. Gaza is a horrific tragedy, but it is an admittedly small corner of the world.

      The Palestinian health ministry has reported 40,000+ Palestinian dead. Meanwhile, George W. Bush is responsible for the deaths of over a million Iraqis following his completely unnecessary invasion of Iraq. He’s still kicking, probably using some of that blood on his hands for the painting he does now.

      Putin is also pulling comparable numbers as Bibi in Ukraine, though that conflict has been going on for a little bit longer than the one in Gaza. But that’s also not counting how many of his own men he sent to their deaths, which is estimated to be over 100,000.

      Henry Kissinger would also be on this list but thankfully it’s been almost a year since his long-awaited demise.

      And that’s really only looking at conflict. Not factoring in others who are responsible for large-scale humanitarian crises that may end up killing many more people just from disease or starvation.

      • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
        121·
        17 days ago

        Not to detract from your point, but the real number of deaths in Gaza is estimated to be between 100-200 thousand.

        • Stovetop@lemmy.world
          6·
          16 days ago

          Fair, and that’s also where things get muddy when trying to factor in the humanitarian crisis aspect into it all. Number of dead due to starvation, lack of medical care, preventable disease, and so on is impossibly hard to get an accurate number of.

          I just feel like this is a story we’re going to keep hearing over and over, forever. Darfur yesterday, Gaza today, who is tomorrow?

    • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
      174·
      17 days ago

      Trump’s response to covid. Putin’s entire career. Kim Jong Un’s slow starvation of his entire fucking nation. But Netanyahu is up there and we should stop letting him write our foreign policy.

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
          73·
          17 days ago

          Yeah, him too. But I’m not gonna minimize the perpetrator of an ongoing genocide either. Netanyahu is a piece of shit and we shouldn’t be supporting his genocide. No matter how much centrists want to. We should cease selling him weapons right now. Centrists might not get everything they want for the first time ever, but they can vote blue no matter who.

    • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
      5·
      16 days ago

      Bush is up there but if Netanyahu hasn’t already passed him, he definitely will as the genocide continues.

    • SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works
      41·
      16 days ago

      Assad is right up there. 500k-600k in the last 10 years in Syria.

      That’s about the same yearly average as Israel in Gaza (so far) but for 10+ years ongoing.

      But I expect the humanitarian crisis to result in the death rate in Gaza to increase unless the US grows a pair.

      • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
        11·
        16 days ago

        The death rate has already gone way down as Israel shifted from assault to low intensity warfare in Gaza. Look at these numbers from the UN in June: https://www.ochaopt.org/content/reported-impact-snapshot-gaza-strip-19-june-2024

        Notice the curve flattening? According to Al Jazeera the death toll is at 42,500 now. So 5 months to get to 30K (assault phase). Then 7 months to get from 30K to ~43K (low intensity phase). So it’s a rate of less than 2K per month now. At the present rate, the Israel-Hamas war would have to go on for over 23 years to get to the level of casualties from the Syrian civil war.

        Yahya Sinwar was just killed because he had to go above ground with only two guards. Do you really think Hamas is going to hold out for 23 years? Come on, you’re smarter than this.

        Sorry but the numbers just don’t fit the genocide narrative that people here can’t let go of. If you’re starting from genocide being the absolute truth, then you’re incentivized to ignore a lot of facts and start saying things that don’t make a lot of sense to conform to a narrative.

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      216·
      16 days ago

      And yet, if comments on this site are to be believed, he’s still also getting the, “We refuse to vote Democrat because we’re against the genocide!” crowd (sorry guys, but not voting or voting third party is a vote for Trump. You cannot escape it).

      • UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.mlEnglish
        1·
        15 days ago

        You cannot escape it

        With state level electoral reform we can “escape” FirstPast The Post voting and the spoiler effect that comes along with it. Why dont democrats, who bring up the faults of of the voting system every election, pass this much needed reform in states they control?

        The DNC would prefer trump torching the country over having to compete for your vote.

    • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      209·
      17 days ago

      True. I think it’s more about whether Harris can pull in the “genocide bad” folks, or loses them to third-party protest votes. Of course if any of those folks were paying attention to the crap coming out of Trump’s mouth, they’d understand how much worse Trump will be. I had folks (hexbear and .ml of course) on a different post telling me that not only would Harris and Trump be the same on this, but that Harris would actually be worse. And of course they’re willfully ignoring how bad Trump would be on everything else.

      I have a suspicion that part of what’s pushing Harris’ campaign strategy right now to focus on courting more “centrists” is that they know whatever she did to appeal to the left that’s not voting for her would never be enough to satisfy them. Far easier to court the middle with straightforward messaging than to appeal to a voting bloc that is already determined to hate anyone that’s not as chaotic as they are.

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1324·
        17 days ago

        True. I think it’s more about whether Harris can pull in the “genocide bad” folks

        I haven’t seen her try. Have you?

        • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeOPEnglish
          166·
          17 days ago

          Thanks for proving my point.

          Not that you’ll read it, but I think this might help explain:

          https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/09/kamala-harris-israel-policy-palestine-gaza-war.html

          Perhaps Harris’ loudest statement, however, was prefaced by her absence. Shortly after getting the nod from Biden in July, Harris snubbed Netanyahu, skipping his speech to Congress. (She spoke to a Black sorority, instead.) The next day, she met privately with him—later describing their talk as “frank and productive,” words that your boss might use after a performance review goes poorly.

          The reaction to her remarks was underwhelming at the time, but the remarks themselves were extraordinary. “We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering” of Palestinians in Gaza, “and I will not be silent,” she told reporters and cameras. “Israel has a right to defend itself—but how it does so matters.” It was as close as a sitting vice president could possibly come to reading Netanyahu for filth without creating a diplomatic crisis.

          • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1019·
            17 days ago

            Her messaging regarding unconditional support for the genocide all centrists love is more convincing than subtle hints that slate has to speculate about.

            • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeOPEnglish
              168·
              17 days ago

              A nuanced take as always /s

              Did you even get to the end of the article or did you just read the headline?

              Harris has very little room to maneuver, however, without losing a huge part of her base and the party machinery that are still deeply attached to Israel. There is only so much a candidate and sitting vice president can do or say to break with the position held by her staunchly Zionist president, a Democratic establishment beholden to the pro-Israel lobby and AIPAC, and a broad swath of her liberal base that strongly supports Israel and its war. If she’s serious about getting elected, she has to withhold the kind of unambiguous statement—or action—that pro-Palestine activists demand. So she’s reduced to tone of voice, oblique gestures, a message hidden between the lines.

              • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1017·
                17 days ago

                Did you even get to the end of the article or did you just read the headline?

                I read the article. I don’t buy excuses and apologia when we’re talking about literal genocide. I also regard with earned disgust anyone who makes such excuses.

                The whole “she absolutely can’t differ from Biden in any way except for these subtle hints we speculate about” thing is garbage. She’s not the secretary of state. She’s not running everything behind the scenes like Dick Cheney, though she seems to have garnered his approval, and it speaks volumes that centrists were so goddamned happy about his endorsement. In any event, she is free to differ on foreign policy and chooses not to.

                I’m still voting for her. I’m going to be at the polls this coming Monday, which is when early voting opens here in Texas. I have every right to criticize her for supporting Netanyahu’s genocide, even if Netanyahu’s apologists want me to buy that she has shown any opposition whatsoever to the only policy centrists seriously hold.

                • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeOPEnglish
                  128·
                  17 days ago

                  Okay, let’s play this out. What exactly do you want her to say? Specifically. Because it’s not like as VP she can do anything about it directly. So this is just going to be a statement, right?

                  Let’s say as part of that statement, she says Israel should get no more aid. That would be the crux of it, correct? And Biden then has to come out and say, that’s not happening while I’m President. Factions within the Democrats withdraw funding and support from her campaign. And the Iranians start actually drooling about being able to basically act unopposed. Hezbollah gets some shiny new missiles to kill more civilians. Centrists withdraw support from Harris and more than likely sit out the election, though a few may move over to Trump. November 6 rolls around and Trump wins, the region is even more of a shitshow than it is now, and just as important, Palestinians will still be dying. And under Trump it will get much, much worse.

                  Or…she tries to thread a very small needle, gets elected, and can the come to the bargaining table as the newly sworn-in President. She still has to juggle a bunch of different interests, but as President she has the power to do more than make statements and has quite a bit of latitude when it comes to foreign policy. Harris wouldn’t have been my top choice, or even in my top 5, but I can honestly say I can’t believe she won’t make saving Palestinian lives a priority, unlike Biden. But she can’t do it as a candidate.

              • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
                816·
                16 days ago

                That’s not what you are. It’s ALL you are. When you support genocide, it defines everything about you as a person.

                • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
                  65·
                  16 days ago

                  It’s so frustrating,… Because I want Harris to win so bad for the sake of the Palestinian people (among other things), and yet, some part of me just wishes there was some way for you to see the outcome of your idiotic actions without having to kill millions of Palestinians, Lebanese, and other Arabs. Some way for you you realize just how fucking stupid it is to do anything that would help Trump win.

                  Or maybe not you, but someone who actually gives a shit about those people and is considering not voting or throwing their vote away by voting third party… Because, frankly, I don’t even believe you.

  • DarkCloud@lemmy.world
    22·
    17 days ago

    If you’re exceptionally fascist, Trump will allot you extra praise. This is earnest as well - it’s because he was mentored by a fascist type personality in Roy Cohn - and raised by a ruthless racist Capitalist in the form of his father who refused to rent his properties to black people (putting a ‘c’ on their applications to indicate they were people of color).

  • reddit_sux@lemmy.world
    1510·
    17 days ago

    People not voting bcoz of Gaza are fools bcoz that genocide will continue immatter of who is in the white house. US support will continue.

    Biden’s actions have shown there is no restraints, so has Harris’s. I am not believing anything Trump is saying.

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      123·
      16 days ago

      People not voting bcoz [sic] of Gaza are fools bcoz [sic] that genocide will continue immatter [sic] of who is in the white house. US support will continue.

      Eh… maybe.

      Biden’s actions have shown there is no restraints, so has Harris’s. I am not believing anything Trump is saying.

      Fucking what? Why would you not believe Trump when he says that he thinks Biden is too tough on Netanyahu. Please, tell me how you think it would make sense to lie about that. I’m actually kind of curious about the logic here.

      You think Trump is lying? You think he believes that Biden hasn’t been hard enough on Netanyahu, but he lied about it for… reasons?

      What goes on in your head?

      • reddit_sux@lemmy.world
        11·
        16 days ago

        Why would you not believe Trump when he says that he thinks Biden is too tough on Netanyahu.

        Bcoz the govt sends weapons while Biden is giving a soundbite.

        Maybe Trump would be worse, he might send deadlier and listening to him bigger weapon. But it is foolish to think the other side would do anything different. Genocide will continue as it has irrespective of the president.

        • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          2·
          15 days ago

          Normally, I would encourage people who are clearly learning English.

          But not people like you who are doing it solely to poison the political dialogue of a country that is likely on the opposite side of the planet from you.

          Go fuck yourself.

  • Minarble@aussie.zone
    5·
    15 days ago

    There are several much better systems than first past the post. Unfortunately that’s the reality at present for this election.

    If Trump gets in there will be no calls for restraint at all and indeed full throated support for the destruction of Gaza and potentially the wider region.