According to several news outlets, Palestinian suicide drones aimed at Israel are modeled after those used by Iran, so we knew it wouldn’t be long before Iran’s biggest fanboy, Ben Rhodes, stepped up to the plate to defend Hamas. He was responding to fellow Obama administration alumnus Tommy Vietor on that strike by Israel on a building housing the offices of the AP and Al Jazeera … and Hamas.
Last thought on this…I'm sure Hamas offices were in that building & that they purposefully co-locate operations with civilians. But that is not a new problem. And if the IDF wants to claim that the military effort is targeted, precise, etc…then you shouldn't hit that building
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) May 15, 2021
What does hitting that building achieve? What degradation of Hamas relative to the civilian harm and targeting of the most prominent news outlets in Gaza? It’s hard not to conclude that the collective punishment of all people in Gaza is the point.
— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) May 15, 2021
Rhodes is worried about the degradation of Hamas? Liberals on Twitter often like to say of Republican policies, “The cruelty is the point,” and Rhodes has adopted that to the situation in the Middle East — the collective punishment of all people in Gaza is the point. That doesn’t really square with Israel targeting Hamas and giving plenty of notice so that the building could be evacuated.
So, what does hitting that building achieve?
It destroys all their stuff.
It says, implicitly, that "we can get you whenever we want".
— J.G. Petruna (@jgpetruna) May 15, 2021
It destroys hamas
— Chelsea Danger (@seaniep) May 15, 2021
Hitting that building meant Hamas was crippled. Dumbass.
— Zelda A. Gabriel (@ZeldaAGabriel) May 15, 2021
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It destroys a terrorist cells office space
— Dave (@dmf883) May 15, 2021
It achieves taking out a safe house of a terror organization
— Anonymous Gritty (@TBDGritty) May 15, 2021
You have no idea what was in that building. But the collective punishment line is what betrays you.
— Casey Pechet (@cpechet) May 15, 2021
The top of the building was bristling with comms equipment. LOS microwave, trunk mobile, UHF/VHF PTT. It was a C2 node, this legitimate to disrupt. You should know this.
— Festus (@BulleitBro) May 15, 2021
For a guy who presumably had a high security clearance for a good while, you seem to be pretty ignorant to how all of this works. Either that or you’re being willfully obtuse.
— Festus (@BulleitBro) May 15, 2021
Destroying enemy communications is a prerequisite to a ground war. 🙄
— Immovable Beast (@BeastImmovable) May 15, 2021
It pisses off all the correct people, including you. That alone is worth it.
— Breitgalt With a Hard R (@GaltJhonnyRides) May 15, 2021
What does Hamas launching rockets at civilians accomplish?
— William Green (@WillioHydro) May 15, 2021
Some people did something
— Scott Salmons (@ScottSalmons6) May 15, 2021
I don't think you're a military specialist. Destroying military infrastructure is basic warfare. If you want to change that, phone the Pentagon. They would be very interested in your bright ideas. Avoid talking to IDF, they would laugh at you.
— 🇮🇱 Yosef Kutner (@ynkutner) May 15, 2021
There was no targeting of news outlets, there was targeting of a base of operations for a terrorist group who is indiscriminately killing civilians, both Jews and Arabs. The news outlets chose to house themselves there. If they didn’t set up shop there, they’d still have offices.
— Sean (@angry_blue_dot) May 15, 2021
It got journalists to consider who they get in bed with, though that won’t last long
— MrMitchM3 (@dfmitchel) May 15, 2021
Why would AP share a building with an Islamic terrorist organization firing thousands of bombs indiscriminately at jews ?
— jlg🦁 (@jleegoldstein) May 15, 2021
It discourages the civilian populace from being used as human shields. It discourages hamas from using civilians as human shields because it sends a clear signal that using human shields won’t work. Smash hamas quickly and save more lives in the long run.
— President Doge (@OccamsCleaver) May 15, 2021
Translation: Obama foreign policy tool Ben Rhodes thinks it’s A-OK for terrorist organization Hamas to violate international laws of war by placing terrorist military infrastructure to use their own people as human shield while themselves indiscriminately attacking civilians.
— BattleSwarm (@BattleSwarmBlog) May 15, 2021
It's so hard for your to hide your allegiances and biases. Israel does not owe you an explanation. Those who need to know know, and those who will need to know will be told.
You are a nobody who is owed no explanation.
How about doing your work rather than speculating?— ElBluemountain #NoToAntisemitism (@EBluemountain1) May 15, 2021
Kinda hard to take you, an Iranian/Hamas sympathizer, seriously.
— TheLastGentleman (@AppreciatesNick) May 15, 2021
Quisling. You are nothing more than an Iranian Quisling.
— Will Collier (@willcollier) May 15, 2021
How many drone attacks did you cheer on? Hypocrite said what?
— Smartest Man in the Room 🎓🪖 (@wishfind) May 15, 2021
ben–I'm sure Hamas appreciates your support–but it was a Hamas intelligence HQ.
Your excusing the use of civilians and the press as shields for terror operations is really disgraceful.— mallen2010 (@mallen2010) May 15, 2021
This seems like an Iranian fan page.
— Dr Rona Ron (@MrsRonRona) May 15, 2021
Hey Ben, where did Hamas get all those rockets they they’re targeting Israeli civilians with.
— Hal Furman (@HalFurman) May 15, 2021
Ben you should be happy. Iran is using the money you gave them exactly as intended.
— Mike McD (@MickGMick) May 15, 2021
Wait. All summer you told us that property destruction isn't violence. Did something change?
— Missing Link (@StevenSJacobsCA) May 15, 2021
Don't worry Ben the AP has insurance.
— Dog guy (@Catsorange1) May 15, 2021
It achieved more than sending Iran pallets of cash
— Anonymous Gritty (@TBDGritty) May 15, 2021
— Sin (@SuperStraightLE) May 15, 2021
How in the hell Ben, were you ever granted a security clearance?
— the camopapa who laughs … (@camopapa0410) May 15, 2021
You hate Jews.
— Stop scolding me, I'm vaccinated (@jtLOL) May 15, 2021
That was quite a ratio on that tweet; Rhodes doesn’t have many friends backing him up on this one, especially seeing as his old boss was the master of drone strikes.
Related:
IDF thread gives reason for airstrike in Gaza that destroyed AP, Al Jazeera offices (guess who else was there) https://t.co/U9HiSAjbSt
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 15, 2021
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