Originally published at: EU reverses suspension of aid to Palestine after backlash. It's like if Kylie Jenner was a supranational political entity | Boing Boing
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The EU statement was imprecise, but as you say it’s a complex situation. Developmental and humanitarian aid unfortunately run through Hamas in Gaza. One might rightly question a situation where schools, hospitals and civil institutions are run by a bunch of violent religious fundie thugs with poor impulse control, but for the unfortunate denizens of the Gaza Strip they’re the only game in town (Hamas makes its rivals, the bumbling and corrupt and anti-democratic Palestinian Authority on the West Bank, look good in contrast). So I can see how the EU might re-evaluate sending aid specifically to Hamas, which has demonstrated once again why it’s not really a responsible government for Palestinians in Gaza.
We are at whatever Defcon it is when Shin Bet is too “woke” to be listened to by the nutjobs currently running Israel.
While the process is going to be very ugly, I hope the outcome will see both Netanyahu and his allies and also Hamas out of power. The citizens of Israel and Gaza both deserve better leadership than the jerks who brought us this disaster.
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It was odd for Varhelyi to make the original statement, as overseas aid, the Middle East etc are nothing to do with his remit - That would be Janez Lenarčič’s portfolio.
But Varhelyi is a Orbánist -
In his role as Ambassador to the EU, he was considered highly loyal to Orbán, despite having no formal party affiliation.Despite being deemed highly intelligent and extremely knowledgeable, his style has been described as “incredibly rude”, with “an abrasive leadership style that has included screaming, yelling and swearing at staffers”, as well as adopting a more combative approach in ambassadors’ meetings than other permanent representatives.
That kinda sounds like he’s a dick who took the opportunity of making a dick move - I assume it helps Orban somehow?
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That describes the response to this situation so far of any right-wing politician or pundit in the West.
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The EU didn’t actually make this decision, and therefore it didn’t make the reversal at all.
The EU will ask to bring in humanitarian aid (structural aiid is not happening while Israel is blowing it up) but that will depend on Israel.
I’m sure this post had a point somewhere but it’s factually incorrect.
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One thing the EU actually did was warn Twitter that they were spreading disinformation and would be on the hook for fines.
The text of the letter is in this news reports and multiple other sources.
Note that this is not an unrelated branch of the Commission making up foreign policy. The commission actually has this power.
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A fine 6% of X revenues. What is that, like $6?
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When regular people have hot takes that make me feel like I’m in a waking nightmare, I try to remember that there’s a good understandable reason why this is happening.
Normal, decent people are supposed to learn about the world from network news, respectable journalists, non-crazy politicians etc. And if that’s the only context someone’s been exposed to, how would they have good takes?
True, it only takes a tiny amount of googling to see that there’s something very wrong with the mainstream framing. And it would be nice if people made that effort before wading into the topic with all guns blazing. But that’s not how humans work. Still, one by one, people do educate themselves, and that’s permanent once it happens. So I try to force myself to be more patient.
If anyone is wondering what I’m talking about, I would highly recommend watching this interview (or you can listen, it’s just talking).
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Why this conflict is so complicated (via The Guardian)
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I feel like I am alone because I believe that Hamas and Likud are all bastards (I have commented on this on the BBS since at least 2018). Authoritarian right wingers and nationalism are just not my thing.
Unfortunately there are people out there who insist that there are only two sides and you MUST pick one or the other, and they will tell you who they believe is the right side. No, I don’t think I will.
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Choosing who’s kids get to die violently is a shit game and people should know the only correct answer is Nobody’s.
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Yep, that’s spot on.
Those people are the ones who refuse to see the reality of the gray. Except, of course, usually when it comes to themselves and their own actions and “their side” and not the actions of others…
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Counterpoint:
(not sure I quite buy the title, but I’m definitely sympathetic to it)
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The Hungarian commissioner’s solo, and seemingly unauthorised, move was later reversed after a backlash from several governments, along with objections from the EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, and the European Council president Charles Michel. The EU will now review its aid, not formally suspend it. Várhelyi – who was nominated by the Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Benjamin Netanyahu – is in charge of EU relations with neighbouring countries and rarely misses an opportunity to position himself as Israel’s staunchest ally in Brussels.
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Expell two million people from their houses and lock them in an open air jail for 60 years and it’s not surprising that they have pretty warped politics.
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Warped? As in, "When your land and livelihood are being stolen right from under you and your people, never give up!"?
That doesn’t strike me as warped politics.
And if you’re talking about Hamas’s “warped” politics, well, there’s not two million of them, are there.
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I vaguely remember that Hamas were actually voted into government in Gaza, so I duckduckgoed it, and it turns out, its complicated.
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As we’re both noting, it’s very complicated and these are not and have never been democratic elections in the way most of us in the West currently understand them.
While Hamas runs civil administration and social services in Gaza, those are not the organisation’s primary concerns or core competencies; the violent and thuggish nature of the leadership reflects that situation, and in turn calls into question the legitimacy of their rule (the religious fundamentalism doesn’t help either). Fatah (yet another group on Hamas’ endless list of “enemies to be destroyed”) has lots of problems, to put it mildly, but at least its priorities are more balanced.
Being stuck with Hamas as a government is yet another reason to pity the ordinary people of Gaza who just want to get on with their lives.
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