Yes, I read that. I do appreciate that you can see the down-side of arrests without warrants. "Mass arrests of suspected illegals," though, is part of the problem. If it's en masse, there is a chance of making mistakes. And you should remember that these arrests are often made out of the presence of anyone, but ICE. In the rush to meet Trump's number of deporting a million people this year, many mistakes have been made.
Well, they don't have to have anyone present when they make these raids, though I get what you're saying. They have a huge job to do, and they're not obliged to publicise their raids.
We disagree on proportion of people with a genuine concern to those who protest for virtue-signaling. I think most people who take the time and effort to get out have a real stake in things. That they've considered the facts and the issues. It takes effort to get out there, and I don't think people do it lightly or carelessly or callously. I'd love to know how you define "useful idiots."
I don't know that the sole focus is on the war in Gaza. Here there are also marches in support of Ukraine, for example.
Are there comparable "protests" worldwide about Ukraine? Are there any protests anywhere about the plight of Uighir Muslims, or Afghan refugees? Christians in Syria? Jews
everywhere in the ME? I could go on.
There's nothing but tumbleweeds.
But I totally disagree with your take on the protests. I don't see how most give the "worst players" a "pass." By that you mean Hamas? Nor do I think anyone is trying to destroy the Jewish state. I think you completely misunderstand what people object to. We've been over all of this. The people who live in Gaza are Palestinians, and they're being killed without regard to women, children, etc., and being starved to death, and deprived of medical help. This is a humanitarian crisis. Protests tend to be in support of their plight. While Israel had every right to retaliate against a horrifying attack by Hamas, they unrelenting continuation of reprisals is an overreach, and borders on war crimes. Objecting to the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is not anti-semitic, nor does it imply the desire to destroy the Jewish state. It is objection to their policies. Even the Israeli people are fed up with so much war and bloodshed. I know you are subtle enough to separate these ideas.
The protests are wild and targeted specifically on the Jewish State. And they're
not critiquing the Israel government, or objecting to Netanyahu. Do you think that the people responsible for
increased attacks on Jewish people worldwide are "objecting to the government of Netanyahu"? There is healthy and robust debate about Netanyahu and his government in Israel itself about this.
The protesters are opposed to the very existence of Israel, which in their dim-bulb Marxist dualistic thinking they equate with being a white western colonial power oppressing the Blacks.
The alleged "protesters" are
benignly chanting Hamas lyrics which state that the only acceptable Palestinian State is "from the river to the sea?" The fate of Jews at this arrangement causes only smirks, or confusion. If you familiarise yourself with the Hamas Covenant (1988, never revoked), you will know what the fate of Jews would be. If you would only listen to Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthi, any of the terror groups in the region, they're very clear about the violence they want to do to Israel particularly - and Jews worldwide.
You would know exactly who has an explicitly stated "desire to destroy the Jewish State, and why.
As for the Palestinian people, of course they're suffering. It's a war, it's not simply a "retaliation", or "reprisals". Israel had been trying since October 7th to rescue the hostages from Hamas, while also vowing to annihilate the death cult itself. Both of these are noble and reasonable goals. And by the way, Israel seems to be the only state in the world who gets this kind of criticism, while fighting an enemy who have deliberately placed their own civilians in the firing line. If the protests are simply about critiquing Israel, why are there no similar protests against Hamas?
The credible and necessary act of civilian dissent and protest against government activities has been undermined - I would politely put it - by the persistent presence of far-left "protesters" on our streets. They're not constructive, they're destructive, they're not critics of the west and western values, they're clearly opponents...