46th Chess Olympiad - Australian Player Boycotts Israel

The 70,000+ are war casualties. I never denied war crimes, and I will also emphasize that Hamas actively provokes Israel to hit a large number of civilian victims in its efforts against Hamas. Which, ironically, is also labeled a war crime.

There are about 2 million people in the Gaza strip, if the aim really was to kill all the people of Gaza, the death toll would be many times larger by now.

Besides, why is nobody talking about how Russia commits a much more devastating and far more obvious genocide against Ukraine?? I mean sure, Russia is banned, but I still hardly ever see anyone use the word of genocide in the context of this war???

I get it, it's all due to antisemitism.

The sad part is that if Israel had a modest government, it would not be any less hated. I'm sick of the tacit pro-Hamas attitude of so many here. I know I can't get antisemitism out of people's heads but I still feel obliged to state facts.

BDS is a hate campaign full of double standards.

@magatailor your post could have prevailed if it had used more civilized language.

calling mods to archive, this is getting political.

This thread is obviously only marginally chess-related. Please move it to "Off-topic Discussion".

@Cedur216 said ^

it is still to be decided whether Israel's war crimes constitute genocide. The verdict of, say, AI or HRW, who had already displayed strong anti-Israel views before the war, is not sufficient.

How would you decide that? I'm genuinely curious.

Netanyahu is avoiding his trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, newspapers and agencies don't seem to be trustworthy, video-documented intentional killings of civilians, journalists and medic personnel by the IDF as well as Israeli civilians intentionally beating, robbing and killing Palestine civilians do not seem to fall under the definition of genocide in your vocabulary.

I recommend you watch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAZA_(film) when it will be released in Germany.

"The 70,000+ are war casualties."

• Civilians, women, children.

"if the aim really was to kill all the people of Gaza, the death toll would be many times larger by now."

• That argument was used by holocaust deniers.

"Russia commits a much more devastating and far more obvious genocide against Ukraine"

• According to UNHCR 17,257 civilians killed in Ukraine.
  So the 73,400 killed in the Gaza Genocide are much more devastating and far more obvious.

"the word of genocide"

• Has been used for Russia too.
  The International Criminal Court has indicted Putin just like Netanyahu. Also Hamas leaders, but they are already dead.

"antisemitism"

• Again, standing up to te Gaza Genocide is no antisemitism.
  There are Jews outside and inside Israel who oppose the Gaza Genocide.
  In the documentary NAZA by the Israeli Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham, shown in the Venice film festival, 24 Israeli soldiers tell how they had to commit war crimes.

"if Israel had a modest government"

• Then the Two-State Solution would be nearer, as it was under Ehud Olmert.

"BDS is a hate campaign"

• Boycott, divestment, sanctions are 3 moderate responses.
  Similar actions are taken against Russia. Similar actions have been taken against Apartheid in South-Africa.

What a sick cult this has become. Pure virtue signalling siding with murderous islamofascist made-up identity attemping to exterminate the only Jewish state in the world.

Is lichess turning into an anti-Western propaganda site?

"This thread is obviously only marginally chess-related."

• It is related to the ongoing chess Olympiad.
  One player refuses to play against Israel.
  The Dutch team refused to play Israel at another time.
  More can or cannot follow.

Netanyahu is avoiding his trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity

Exactly. It's war crimes. You describe atrocities committed by the military and I won't object. But it's still not foolproof that Israel has genocidal intentions against the people of Gaza.

Here's a different perspective. You may consider it biased but it deserves to be equally taken into account, as the voices shouting "genocide" and "apartheid" are also biased.

While in comparison it's very obvious that Russia has genocidal intent against Ukraine, I wish you had addressed that point too ...

Stop lying @tpr, the Dutch team didn't refuse to play against Israel. FIDE screwed up by promising the Isrealis to move the playing hours and failed to enforce it.

The Australian player didn't refuse to play either, a teammate took over.

Any more lies to debunk?