Jareth

Unai is the key to European competition, and he'll have a better squad next season to make the step up in quality that's required if we make UCL. We won't be favourites but look how far we came this year in the prem, when nobody expected it. We'll more than compete.

I think it depends on how wide you go. Israel flattened a hospital, a war crime, and as a consequence a child dies as they had no access to healthcare (or even food and water) - I'm blaming Israel for that war crime and the subsequent death. I would blame Hamas for Oct 7th, another war crime. Is there blame to be shared in either instance? If there is then that's not easy to say. On the overall conflict, there is blame on many sides.

If you commit a war crime - are you able to defend that action by saying it was self defence, i.e. it was provoked and blame should be shared?

Pretty sure levelling multiple hospitals is a war crime.

I do hear this often, those people getting written off one way or another - I'm fairly sure they shouldn't be written off, same as nobody has written off the victims of Oct 7th. It's a tragedy for Israel, most neutrals watching the reaction to Oct 7th see an over-reaction, a murdering spree multiple times larger than Oct 7th - and I can't speak for the Irish gov, but the overiding message is for the killing to stop, first and foremost. Israel have done untold damage to themselves and when folks are suggesting they stop, it's honestly because they think it's in their best interests, I certainly think that.

Have they defended themselves yet?

Israel has a powerful modern army and modern munitions - yet it has somehow annihilated civilians on a breathtaking scale, also targeting and executing British aid workers and many others. These crimes, including intentional famine currently afflicting Gaza, are Israel's fault. Oct 7th = Hamas' fault. I'm blaming whoever is pulling the trigger.

Pretty damn good timing getting this injury whilst also suspended - couldn't have asked for much more.

Shout out to the not quite dead co-efficient this week...

Well it's the reverse point you are making - what do people do about the current situation? Say nothing but disagree strongly, and avoid those traps you describe, or take action? The only action I take is to hurl Israeli radishes out of reach in Asda, not in an antisemitic rage but because our own government refuses to sanction them for some appaling recent behaviour. The US students obviously go stronger and possibly have jeopardised their futures. Why does anybody care? Well that's for each of us to choose.

Well I think that is what they're saying - to stop, pronto. I've admitted I blame Israel for the current situation, they are in charge and have all of the power and decision making yet there is famine in Gaza - that's some biblical punishment going on. I probably take it for granted that it is understood that Hamas/Iran are shits of the highest order, the world needs to get rid ASAP, it's the collateral damage to civilians that irks me personally, and it appears intentional - that's why I blame Israel.

Well I could cut and paste what the leaders of Northern Ireland and Ireland have said about the 'current' situation, in fact I had that tee'd up but thought there's no point in googling for others so dismissed it - it also didn't address what magnkarl asked so I attempted to tailor a response to his question - damned if you do, damned if you don't. There's a great article about the history of Ireland and why its people are so inclined on this issue, making them an outlier in white european nations, I won't paste it here because I feel the very action will provoke derision.

Ireland are intervening with the ICJ case, indicating they believe its merits which is to accuse Israel of perpetrating genocidal acts - I don't know if they've made a lengthy case as to the how and the why Israel/Gaza is where it is - but they appear to be strongly advocating for a side - that's where I am - but granted I have put the blame on Israel myself. I do so because they are in charge there, I mean they are right? They've told the US to do one when it comes to the future of Gaza and that indicates that they are in charge. As the power in the region then my view is that they should exercise restraint, absolutely decapitate Hamas, and smack Iran around too, but there is a huge cost to the civilians of Gaza and they are innocent. Famine is not necessary in any of these aims.

There's a shocking amount of US students falling into traps - it's almost as though they don't give a monkeys.

Tip toeing around traps? Falter's actions were ludicrous, possibly the worst planned, worst executed trap in recent history, if recognising that is to give him the win then so be it, Falter 1 - everyone else 0.

That was a horrible second half but we all would take a point if offered it before the game - I had no doubt that Chelsea if they wanted it would be a handful. 7 points clear will look a lot better IF Arsenal beat Spurs today - however as we've learnt in the co-efficient cup, you simply cannot rely on the 'bigger' teams.

Well there's a very obvious way to settle the matter, at the next march Falter should be allowed to cross the road, from A to B, and if he gets attacked doing so then he has a point.

They didn't meet - the police did their job - and on the back of that there was a campaign to get the head of the met sacked.

I think the word the policeman used was 'disingenuous' to describe Falter's actions. He was not casually on his way somewhere, he was there to provoke conflict and had been lingering for some time. It is quite a remarkable coincidence that he is also a professional, long standing political activist. I don't choose to afford him, 'his' version of events, at all. But we differ.

I take everything you say on board. But I'm Irish and I agree with the Irish leaders on the current situation.

I was gutted to hear that you have suffered abuse during the fallout from the Hamas attack - that's not where I am on this. If I point the finger I point it on the crime committed - I believe Israel is responsible for the overwhelming, criminal suffering of the Palestinians - because it is lead by religious, far right supremacists who do not value their lives, at all. Throw in the recent execution of British ex military aid workers - let alone journalists, or human rights campaigners over the years. It is black and white sometimes - it really is.

Falter leads a group of political activists founded in response to the 2014 Israel-Gaza offensive. It is neither antisemitic or anything other than bleeding obvious that this guy's team is the Israeli state. You'll also have noticed that the UK's antisemitism tsar John Mann has been actively in conflict with this bloke as they fight over who gets to call other people antisemitic. Who am I to draw conclusions though. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/apr/26/who-is-the-caa-gideon-falter-met-police-openly-jewish-antisemitism-row

Israeli politics threatens to drag us into a world war - we have already defended Israel militarily - when do we call in this favour? An Israeli provocateur tried to get the Met police chief fired by provoking a situation during a palestinian supporting march, whether folks see it or not but Israel has via political lobbyists or via stunts, is setting the narrative.

A little girl died today from heat exhaustion, in Gaza. Had she a hospital to attend she may still be alive. Every single death is a tragedy, and there is only one hawkish country responsible. Israel.

Brits are gonna drive the aid down the new Gaza pier, apparently they will be a target for Hamas. It’s the IDF they should be watching closely.