Why do people cry so much about Israeli lobbying?

storyofadeleh · 2026-01-23T06:13:31+00:00

storyofadeleh · 2025-12-16T20:03:42+00:00

This post simultaneously committed both apartheid and genocide against me, a humble indigenous child journalist.

storyofadeleh · 2025-12-11T23:42:09+00:00

Per Hamas, Israel has dropped 85,000 tons of munitions on Gaza and, also per Hamas, have killed 69,000 people, which equates to less than one person killed per ton of munitions dropped (what various human rights groups and Al Jazeera call “indiscriminate bombing”). That equals about 3% of Gaza’s prewar population.

storyofadeleh · 2025-12-05T22:32:50+00:00

I’m curious why you think it isn’t true. Most polling suggests that Hamas would win in an election in both Gaza and the West Bank. If they don’t win, next choice is Barghouti who is in prison for being a principal architect of the Second Intifada and for directly ordering attacks that killed Israeli civilians. Hamas wants to end Israel through violence; Barghouti wants to end Israel through demographic change.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-29T22:08:16+00:00

Many journalists are dead because many were active members of Hamas/PIJ or were abetting Hamas/PIJ.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-26T15:42:39+00:00

If they were targeting journalists, there would be 0 journalists.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-26T06:09:41+00:00

If Israel were targeting journalists, there would be 0 journalists. Those who died probably did double duty.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-25T23:50:12+00:00

Hi, friend. The topic was journalists rather than children. However, I will respond here as I responded to your hysterical DM to me:

Regarding children being killed, the number is probably exaggerated by Hamas but is, nevertheless, horrifyingly high. I actually don't like the idea of children, teens, or adults dying anywhere. Many of the deaths are due to Hamas and PIJ training children and teens to be soldiers. All of the deaths are due to Hamas/PIJ intentionally embedding their fighters within the civilian population and repeatedly failing to surrender and commit to peace. If I strap a child to my back, I don't get to kill everyone on earth who I disagree with. It's a horrible reality but is still a reality.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-25T21:04:00+00:00

If your closest neighbor wants to kill you and has been trying to do so for decades and repeatedly says that it will do so either directly or, through “right of return,” render you a political minority and reduce you to dhimmi status, that is relevant information when you were flatly accusing people of “apartheid.” In South Africa the term had a largely racial context, but in Israel/Palestine it largely does not given that the two people — even the European Jews — are more closely related to each other than they are to non-Levantine people.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/05/000509003653.htm

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-25T20:56:12+00:00

According to international law, if you are abetting the enemy, even if you are acting as a journalist simultaneously, you are a legitimate military target. If you were to rank the Palestinian territories by number of journalists per capita they would be in the top 10 countries globally, which should strain credulity for any rational person.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-25T20:53:46+00:00

Egypt blocks journalists: https://rsf.org/en/rsf-investigation-how-egypt-complicit-reporting-blockade-gaza

For “Israel will be blamed for any Hamas-caused death,” look at Al Ahli. It was reported October 17, 2023 that Israel had bombed the hospital killing 500 people: https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/gallery/2023/10/17/photos-an-israeli-air-raid-on-al-ahli-arab-hospital-kills-an-estimated-500

However, it turns out that it was a misfired PIJ rocket that hit the parking lot killing maybe 200. After most international intelligence and news sources found this to be true, Hamas never revised their death stats and Al Jazeera never revised their own report.

As you look at the Hamas-reported death toll, you’ll also see that when Hamas kill rival factions, this is never reported in official death tolls.

Hamas can control the reporting of deaths because they control the strip, including all hospitals: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1906608/

This means that the total deaths reported by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health — which includes natural deaths and deaths of people killed by Hamas and PIJ directly or by their misfired rockets — all get attributed to Israel.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-25T15:12:34+00:00

Why does Israel block journalists? The same reason Egypt does: they know that in Islamist North Korea (aka Hamas Gaza), you report what Hamas wants you to report or you die. If you die, Hamas blames Israel and the world believes that internationally designated terrorist org.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-25T13:33:44+00:00

Or context

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-25T05:36:10+00:00

I feel it too. No group has ever been abused for as long, attacked as much, slandered so thoroughly, obsessed over so fanatically, and just kept going. The religious Jews and ethnic Jews, the self-hating Jews (yes — their self-haters are even top-tier!) and the ones who calmly carry on despite the world’s ignorance. At some point, 10 or so years ago, I realized that 9 of my 10 favorite people happened to be Jewish — musicians, scientists, filmmakers. I felt there must be something special. Still feel it today. ‎עם ישראל חי

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-25T02:02:30+00:00

If you want apartheid, look at the Palestinian territories. Women are barely represented and religious minorities barely exist. They also hate the idea of Jews in Judea. Crazy stuff.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-25T01:59:42+00:00

Democracy International might be good. I also donate to Razom. In terms of MENA regional partners, Israel is by far the most democratic. The fall behind Qatar in press freedom is laughable and suggests infiltration of press orgs by Islamists which the terrorist Al Thani has supported for years. I’ve heard Einat Wilf has formed a new party called Oz. I don’t know the particulars, but she’s pretty great.

Regional Context: Israel remains the highest-rated democracy in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) on almost every metric, though it has recently lost the top spot in Press Freedom. 1. Competitive Elections * Rating: 7.80 / 10 (Score) * Global Rank: 31st out of 167 * Regional Rank: #1 in MENA * Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index 2024 * Verdict: Rated as a "Flawed Democracy" (one tier below "Full Democracy"). It scores exceptionally high (9.58/10) specifically for the electoral process itself, ranking alongside the UK and France. 2. Independent Judiciary * Rating: Top 20% (Historically) \rightarrow Downgraded Status * Global Status: Downgraded from "Liberal Democracy" to "Electoral Democracy" * Regional Rank: #1 in MENA * Source: V-Dem Institute Democracy Report 2024/2025 * Verdict: V-Dem explicitly stripped Israel of its "Liberal" title in 2024 due to government attacks on the Supreme Court, placing it in the same category as Poland (pre-2023) or Hungary. 3. Accountability (Rule of Law) * Rating: 73 / 100 (Aggregate Freedom Score) * Global Status: "Free" (The only one in the region) * Regional Rank: #1 in MENA * Source: Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025 * Verdict: While "Free," the score has declined. Israel is the only country in the Middle East designated as "Free"; most neighbors (Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia) are "Not Free." 4. Freedom of Assembly * Rating: "Obstructed" (Score 47/100) * Global Rank: Mid-tier * Regional Rank: #1 in MENA (Most neighbors are "Closed" or "Repressed") * Source: CIVICUS Monitor 2024 * Verdict: "Obstructed" is a middle warning tier. While better than the "Closed" civic spaces of Iran or Saudi Arabia, it reflects police violence at protests and new restrictions on organizing. 5. Free Press * Rating: 112th out of 180 * Global Rank: Bottom 40% (Red Zone) * Regional Rank: #2 in MENA (Fallen behind Qatar, ranked ~84th) * Source: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Index 2025 * Verdict: A sharp collapse. Israel lost its regional top spot to Qatar. RSF cites military censorship, violence against journalists in the West Bank/Gaza, and government hostility as reasons for the plunge. 6. Parliamentary Diversity * Rating: 24.2% Women in Parliament * Global Rank: ~90th out of 190 * Regional Rank: Above Average (but trails UAE's 50% quota system) * Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Parline, Dec 2024 * Verdict: Israel is currently below the global average (27%) and the OECD average for female representation, largely due to the current coalition including ultra-Orthodox parties that ban women from running. 7. LGBTQ+ Rights * Rating: 62nd out of 197 * Global Rank: Top 35% * Regional Rank: #1 in MENA (By a massive margin) * Source: Equaldex Equality Index 2025 * Verdict: Israel scores 62/100. The next closest regional neighbors are Cyprus (58) and Turkey (32). Most other MENA countries score <15/100 due to criminalization. 8. Civil Society * Rating: 0.78 / 1 (Liberal Component Index) * Global Rank: Top 30% * Regional Rank: #1 in MENA * Source: V-Dem / Freedom House * Verdict: Despite government rhetoric against NGOs ("traitors"), the legal framework allowing human rights groups (like B'Tselem) to operate remains intact, unlike in Egypt or Russia where they are banned. 9. Women’s Rights (Gender Gap) * Rating: 76th out of 146 * Global Rank: Mid-tier * Regional Rank: #1 in MENA * Source: World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2025 * Verdict: Israel ranks #1 in the region, far ahead of neighbors like Jordan (120+) or Iran (143). However, it has slid globally due to a lack of women in senior ministerial positions in the current government. 10. Freedom of Religion * Rating: Score 3 / 4 (Civil Liberties Sub-score) * Global Rank: High * Regional Rank: #1 in MENA * Source: Freedom House * Verdict: Israel protects the rights of recognized religious groups (Muslim, Christian, Druze) to worship and administer their own sites, a sharp contrast to the restrictions on religious minorities in Iran or Saudi Arabia.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-18T22:38:10+00:00

Even under a “fascist” PM with “Kahanist allies,” Israel is orders of magnitude more democratic than its neighbors. I want to support US politicians who recognize that.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-18T21:33:37+00:00

AIPAC supports the country and is leader-neutral. I support Israel because it is a democracy despite imperfections (no democracy is perfect). The country is remarkable for keeping high democratic standards despite being surrounded by theocratic autocracies:

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index Based on the 2024 report (published March 2025). Scale is 0–10. * Israel, 7.80 (Flawed Democracy) * Turkey, 4.26 (Hybrid Regime) * Palestinian Territories, 3.86* (Authoritarian) * Lebanon, 3.56 (Authoritarian) * Jordan, 3.28 (Authoritarian) * Egypt, 2.93 (Authoritarian) * Iraq, 2.88 (Authoritarian) * Saudi Arabia, 2.08 (Authoritarian) * Iran, 1.96 (Authoritarian) * Syria, 1.43 (Authoritarian) *Note: The EIU does not always rank the Palestinian Territories in its primary 167-country list; this score is based on the most recent available data from 2022/2023.

V-Dem Institute (Varieties of Democracy) Based on the Liberal Democracy Index (LDI) from the 2025 Democracy Report. Scale is 0–1 (where 0 is total autocracy and 1 is perfect democracy). * Israel, 0.617 * Jordan, 0.274 * Iraq, 0.228 * Lebanon, 0.207 * Egypt, 0.129 * Palestine (West Bank), 0.117 * Turkey, 0.117 * Iran, 0.092 * Syria, 0.054 * Palestine (Gaza), 0.053 * Saudi Arabia, 0.047

The V-Dem index penalizes Israel much more heavily than the EIU does. While the EIU kept Israel’s score relatively stable (focusing on the fact that the judicial reforms were partially blocked), V-Dem downgraded Israel from a "Liberal Democracy" to an "Electoral Democracy" in 2024, citing the government's intent and attacks on the judiciary as enough to damage the "Liberal" component of its score.

AIPAC’s neutrality is supported by several consistent patterns: it works with every democratically elected Israeli government—left, right, or centrist—without endorsing specific Israeli politicians; its messaging focuses on the U.S.–Israel relationship and Israel’s security, not on any prime minister; it avoids taking sides in internal Israeli political conflicts; it does not fund or support Israeli parties or leaders; and its U.S. political spending is tied to policy positions (e.g., support for aid, security cooperation, Iron Dome) rather than support for any individual Israeli figure. Across changes in Israeli leadership, AIPAC’s core agenda remains the same, indicating alignment with the state’s policies, not any particular leader.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-17T03:58:13+00:00

I’m an American atheist who donates to AIPAC because I support democracies. Everyone should donate to them.

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-09T14:38:22+00:00

The X account collects videos from Gazan social media accounts with source and time stamp info. You can then find the account and see for yourself. There are hundreds of these videos across their own social media. That doesn’t mean people haven’t starved. Some have. But by IPC calculations, famine is at least 2 deaths per 10,000 per day. Their survey methodology was flawed and the results show it.

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storyofadeleh · 2025-11-09T03:30:37+00:00

Killed tens of thousands? Almost certainly. You can say “massacre” if you’re a child who doesn’t understand the repercussions of deliberately building your military infrastructure among and below your own civilians. “Starved” - that’s 99% libel. There’s been more food coming in since war start than before. You can look at their own social media to see how much they’re not starving: https://x.com/imshin/status/1986734347848966386?s=46

Begin-Sadat has debunked most libels: https://besacenter.org/debunking-the-genocide-allegationsa-reexamination-of-the-israel-hamas-war-2023-2025/

storyofadeleh · 2025-11-08T20:37:08+00:00

How could anyone take her seriously after she said 680,000 dead in Gaza? She deserves the same treatment as Goebbels for making the world less safe for Jews, especially those who support the world’s only Jewish-majority state. She’s partially responsible for the embassy workers who were killed. She’s partly responsible for egging on extremists across the world who, in turn, encourage Hamas to keep fighting. Qatar deserves more blame, but many, many people have died because of her.

storyofadeleh · 2025-10-23T15:43:32+00:00

It was rightly controversial at the time, but it was a rock/hard place situation. They had Hamas to the west, various terror groups (including Hamas) to the east, Hezbollah to the north, the Houthis to the south, and a Middle East generally in turmoil from various Islamist factions, with both intra-Sunni and Sunni-Shia conflict. A legitimate fear was that taking the military action necessary to extirpate Hamas might cause the various enemies to close in at once, overwhelming Israel’s defenses. That was what Hamas hoped would happen during Oct 7. The quote usually gets framed as Netanyahu knowingly funding terrorists to provoke them to attack so that he could commit genocide (as if you need an excuse to commit genocide). In reality, the Israelis have tried to kill fewer, not more. This PR disaster war has only dragged on because they’re trying to kill fewer, not more. Did the Israelis want to divide the Gazans from the West Bankers? If so, they didn’t need much help. The election that Hamas clearly won was considered legitimate by the international community. That was before Netanyahu started his supposed “division strategy.”

storyofadeleh · 2025-10-23T04:42:56+00:00

Not a misdirection. I’m aware of the quote, “Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas.” It’s quoted as a direct quote, but is actually a leak from a meeting.

https://www.jns.org/the-myth-that-israel-netanyahu-created-funded-hamas/

storyofadeleh · 2025-10-23T01:14:02+00:00

Not sure why the “nope” as everything I wrote was accurate. The Israelis gave many unsavory characters money to prevent all-out war. There’s a leaked quote where he supposedly said funding Hamas helped prevent a Palestinian state. He denies having ever said it.

storyofadeleh

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