Israel. Gaza. PUPPY!

In which John talks about Israel and Palestine, and the Israel's recent invasion of the Gaza Strip in response to rocket attacks from Hamas. Obviously no four-minute video can do the topic justice; we'll continue the conversation in comments, hopefully with some thoughtfulness and empathy.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• nerdfighters
• vlogbrothers
• news
• sunday
• john
• green
• hank
• israel
• palestine
• hamas
• gaza
• west
• bank

[InLuxAeterna]

As a Palestinian-Canadian teenager (who is often mistakenly called Pakistani - I laughed at that) I think that a lot of the bias embedded in both sides is due to the past generations telling horror stories to today's youth. A solution can only be reached as the barriers of bias are removed and both sides begin to relate to each other. Both Palestinians and Israelis have some beautiful traditions and history, and some events that they may regret in hindsight. It's up to the youth to connect now.

[vespria]

Bubbles the nerdfighting puppy is a little distracting. I got one minute in before I realized I wasn't listening to a word you were saying.

[iamcoolstephen1234]

I appreciate the puppy in the vid to lighten the mood, but I started to not pay attention to the serious subject you were talking about. It's just too cute.

[InLuxAeterna]

@SerPinkKnight You're correct about nobody truly wanting peace right now. As for the Second Intifada and the violence--I know, my parents were there living through it. Just because they are alive doesn't mean a new generation hasn't been born. I'm in no way anti-Israel or anti-Palestine, just pro-peace, haha. The less blood the better. :)

[SerPinkKnight]

@InLuxAeterna You don't need to tell horror stories, the current generation lived through the horror story of the Second Infatada. The reason the right is in power in Israel at the moment is because the generation who grew up with exploding school buses and cafes are now voters. Anyway, my opinion is there will be no peace anytime soon because none of the parties involved seriously want peace, not Israel or Palestine or the Arabs or America.

[TheNoseyGekko]

@theakstonsrock 'Legal Israeli settlements'? Oh you mean the ones on the stolen land that Israelis have no right to?! I won't defend the actions of 'terrorists' (though there is the moot point over freedom fighter/terrorist) because I believe it weakens Palestinian moral high-ground but Israeli retribution is consistently disproportionate...

[theakstonsrock]

@TheNoseyGekko Because the land is in strategic areas usually overlooking legal Israeli settlements, and when they give this high-lying land back, terrorists use it to rain rockets down on said legal settlements. Which means Israel has to go back in and retake the land meaning nothing has been gained except dead people on both sides.

[jaymeeboh]

I could listen to you when Willie (Willy?) was playing, but when he started doing his adorable head-turning thing, you lost me.

[hmol257]

@JeimuzuShige West Highland White Terrier.

[TheNoseyGekko]

Explain to me how aggressive colonisation of land that is not your own is ''a defence against further attacks''?

[JL4Pope]

Willy's elusive head-turn!!!

[snakesmyle]

Right, a couple of problems: First off, the '47 borders were a huge problem - many Jews lived in Jerusalem, and the Arabs living in Palestine (they didn't identify as Palestinians at that point) blocked the road to Jerusalem and were trying to starve the Jews out. It would be excellent if we could guarantee that wouldn't happen again, but we can't. Also, some of Israel's political prisoners are TERRORISTS serving multiple life sentences. I want a 2 state solution, but not your way, sorry.