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PaperclipPerfector  9d ago (text post)   24967 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of February 23, 2026

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Hasn't everybody and their dog been propping up militias in the region for decades? I'm pretty sure I remember reading a headline about the US fighting the very insurgents they've been funding, for example.

One of my favorite snarky comments about US foreign policy in the Middle East during the early teens went like this:

So if I have this straight, we've armed ISIS to overthrow Assad in Syria because he's a partner with Iran, and we're seeking Iran as a partner for doing air strikes to overthrow ISIS in Iraq, and now we need to partner with ISIS to overthrow the Iranian-puppet insurgency in Yemen.

I think that was during the ISIS saga, and it was that the Army and Air Force backed different militias materially

Hasn't everybody and their dog been propping up militias in the region for decades?

I would imagine that's true for some definition of "propping up" and "militia" and "everybody" But I doubt Israel has been doing what Iran has been doing, namely having an organization like Hezbollah, which is effectively controlled by Iran, to engage in terrorism against Israel.

But in any event, assuming for the sake of argument that, as you say, everyone and their dog has been propping up militias in the region for decades, the claim on the table is that the recent strike constitutes a "war of aggression" by Israel. To me, "war of aggression" means military activity which is substantially unprovoked against an enemy which poses no substantial threat. Pretty clearly this was NOT a war of aggression by Israel.

But I doubt Israel has been doing what Iran has been doing, namely having an organization like Hezbollah, which is effectively controlled by Iran, to engage in terrorism against Israel.

Ahem.

"Thus, amid this bid to impair Abbas, Hamas was upgraded from a mere terror group to an organization with which Israel held indirect negotiations via Egypt, and one that was allowed to receive infusions of cash from abroad."

"Thus, amid this bid to impair Abbas, Hamas was upgraded from a mere terror group to an organization with which Israel held indirect negotiations via Egypt, and one that was allowed to receive infusions of cash from abroad."

I'm really not sure what your point is here. Surely you are not claiming that Israel controls Hamas and uses it to engage in terrorism as Iran has done with Hezbollah?

Maybe just spell out your point explicitly.

When even Israeli sources make the point that Israel in fact has knowingly propped up terrorists / militia that target Israel, that makes your "doubt" rather poorly sourced. Direct control is largely irrelevant when you go to fund someone whose target you already know.

When even Israeli sources make the point that Israel in fact has knowingly propped up terrorists / militia that target Israel, that makes your "doubt" rather poorly sourced

I'm still not sure I understand your point. The claim I made was as follows:

I doubt Israel has been doing what Iran has been doing, namely having an organization like Hezbollah, which is effectively controlled by Iran, to engage in terrorism against Israel.

It seems your argument is as follows:

  1. Israel has permitted Hamas to receive money from abroad and has legitimized Hamas by negotiating indirectly with them.

  2. Therefore Israel has supported a terrorist organization.

  3. Therefore it's unreasonable to be skeptical that Israel is controlling a terrorist organization in the way that Iran has controlled Hamas.

  4. In any event, even if Israel does not control Hamas, it's treatment of Hamas is equivalent to Iran's control of Hezbollah because Israel supports Hamas' targeting of Israel.

Does that sum up your position?

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