AusJackal

Hey Doc.

For simple minds like me, in the bluntest terms: how fucked are we?

Whilst I have a vague understanding of the immense resources on the already struggling public health systems, and I thank you for your informative answer, my question was more designed to measure your response as to the risk to wealthier western nations, perhaps as a informed contrary view as to what we all see on television.

Perhaps put a few minds at ease.

Israel is an apartheid state.

They have a long track record of horrendous human rights abuses to the native Palestinian people.

They can stop this any time they want by removing themselves from the west bank and allowing free trade and travel to the nation of Palestine.

Oh, look, it's really just me who calls Israel an apartheid state.

...and, of course, the fucking United Nations office of human rights: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/03/israels-55-year-occupation-palestinian-territory-apartheid-un-human-rights

You need to check your history.

Israel made some nice posturing about removing a few settlers and soldiers to get the world to calm down, then straight up continued to restrict trade, free movement, blockade the land crossings, and then, without any ability to support themselves economically, they take what little they have left to sell them food, water and fuel.

From the Wikipedia article on the 2005 withdrawl:

"Following the withdrawal, Israel has continued to maintain direct control over Gaza's air and maritime space, and six of Gaza's seven land crossings, it maintains a no-go buffer zone within the territory, and controls the Palestinian population registry, and Gaza remains dependent on Israel for its water, electricity, telecommunications, and other utilities."

That's not a withdrawal, that's a siege. Let's also not forget the 750,000 Palestinians that were "depopulated" and were forced out of their homes with only what they could carry and had their homes and furniture taken by what we now call Israelis.

So Israel can come to the table with a real, fair peace deal any time they like. They can afford it. They are punching down. Palestine has no real way to defend itself, meaningfully fight back, or uplift and enrich itself. Israel are a UN-labelled apartheid state that has been doing everything it can to crush the people of Palestine for almost 100 years.