🇮🇱 vs 🇮🇷

[MU82]

Speaking of acting like this is a sport, the number of people online openly rooting for Iran, because they are mad at the US and/or hate Israel is truly disturbing and myopic.  And not just Twitter eggs, notable/known people doing so.

You can think Israel is evil and genocidal and still realize Iran is ruled by maniacs who despise the West, its way of life, and would glass them if they could.

Yes, there are extremists everywhere - certainly online, which is a total cesspool for this kind of crud, but also many hiding in plain sight. (Or not even trying to hide.)

As for this latest situation, and the opinions about it, there are all kinds of issues at play. For one, Netanyahu is clearly in self-preservation mode, and even many in Israel believe there's a Wag The Dog feel to the attack on Iran. For another, we have U.S. leaders persecuting college students for "antisemitism" even as they kowtow to Jew-hating Middle East dictators who would love nothing more than to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. (Unfortunately for the students, they don't have "free" jets to give U.S. leaders.)

I obviously am not rooting for Iran, as they currently are bombing where my brother and sister-in-law live. Israel is our ally, and deserves to be able to survive and thrive as a nation. 

As usual, it's a sh!tshow in that part of the world, and nobody really knows how to "fix" it.

[Uncle Rico]

Yes, there are extremists everywhere - certainly online, which is a total cesspool for this kind of crud, but also many hiding in plain sight. (Or not even trying to hide.)

As for this latest situation, and the opinions about it, there are all kinds of issues at play. For one, Netanyahu is clearly in self-preservation mode, and even many in Israel believe there's a Wag The Dog feel to the attack on Iran. For another, we have U.S. leaders persecuting college students for "antisemitism" even as they kowtow to Jew-hating Middle East dictators who would love nothing more than to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. (Unfortunately for the students, they don't have "free" jets to give U.S. leaders.)

I obviously am not rooting for Iran, as they currently are bombing where my brother and sister-in-law live. Israel is our ally, and deserves to be able to survive and thrive as a nation. 

As usual, it's a sh!tshow in that part of the world, and nobody really knows how to "fix" it.

Didn't LIV fix it?

[MU82]

Liv Ullmann wouldn't do any worse.

[MuggsyB]

Speaking of acting like this is a sport, the number of people online openly rooting for Iran, because they are mad at the US and/or hate Israel is truly disturbing and myopic.  And not just Twitter eggs, notable/known people doing so.

You can think Israel is evil and genocidal and still realize Iran is ruled by maniacs who despise the West, its way of life, and would glass them if they could.

JWags,

Lots of people are "rooting" for the Iranian regime.  And they are not "extremists".  They're virulent Israel haters and Jew haters.  Not to mention, stupid.  And if they actually do care about the Iranian people they should want Israel to take out the Mullahs and the entire regime.

[Billy Hoyle]

Liv Ullmann wouldn't do any worse.

Liv Tyler could significantly improve the situation. Man, I had such a crush on her in HS after that "Crazy" video

[tower912]

Liev Schreiber in 'Salt' is what the situation calls for.

[MuggsyB]

Liev Schreiber in 'Salt' is what the situation calls for.

What did he do?

[MU82]

JWags,

Lots of people are "rooting" for the Iranian regime.  And they are not "extremists".  They're virulent Israel haters and Jew haters.  Not to mention, stupid.  And if they actually do care about the Iranian people they should want Israel to take out the Mullahs and the entire regime.

Among those rooting against Israel (always): Dictators from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. In other words, the murderers that America's wannabe king recently fellated on the international stage so he could enrich his personal wealth and power.

[The Sultan]

Among those rooting against Israel (always): Dictators from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. In other words, the murderers that America's wannabe king recently fellated on the international stage so he could enrich his personal wealth and power.

For the love of God, shut the f*ck up with your politics. Can't we have a discussion about something like this without you pissing in the pool all the time?

[Pakuni]

Among those rooting against Israel (always): Dictators from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Nope.

[MU82]

Nope.

Hmmm.

Only a few hours after Israel's early morning attack on Iran, the Saudi Foreign Ministry voiced its opinion. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran," it said in a statement.

In November 2024, after just over a year of the Israeli offensive, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accused Israel of committing genocide at a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders in Riyadh.

https://www.dw.com/en/gulf-states-anxious-about-being-drawn-into-israel-iran-fight/a-72902889

Qatar, a hereditary monarchy, has long pursued a foreign policy shaped by its ideological alignment with Islamist movements. It has provided political and financial support to groups such as Hamas, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Al Nusra Front, Al Shabaab, and ISIS. Doha has hosted senior leaders from these organizations, including top Hamas officials and Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a cleric who justified suicide bombings against Israelis. The Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars has issued religious rulings calling for jihad against Israel.

But Qatar also has tried to play both sides, acting friendly with Israel when it suits them.

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/israel-international-relations-israel-qatar-relations

I'm quite confident saying that leaders of both Saudi Arabia and Qatar would be thrilled if all the infidel Jews and their genocidal Israeli state ceased to exist.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

JWags,

Lots of people are "rooting" for the Iranian regime.  And they are not "extremists".  They're virulent Israel haters and Jew haters.  Not to mention, stupid.  And if they actually do care about the Iranian people they should want Israel to take out the Mullahs and the entire regime.

I don't know of anyone "rooting" for the Iranian regime. Even those who are against Israel for its actions in Gaza aren't "rooting" for the Iranian regime. I would suspect most are in favor of a regime change in both Iran and Israel (maybe even the population of both countries). That may be how we get to more stability in the region.

[Uncle Rico]

I don't know of anyone "rooting" for the Iranian regime. Even those who are against Israel for its actions in Gaza aren't "rooting" for the Iranian regime. I would suspect most are in favor of a regime change in both Iran and Israel (maybe even the population of both countries). That may be how we get to more stability in the region.

Netanyahu is a war criminal. 

[MUBurrow]

Nope.

Longtime friend and close ally of Iran... ::checks notes:: Saudi Arabia.

[MUBurrow]

Hmmm.

Only a few hours after Israel's early morning attack on Iran, the Saudi Foreign Ministry voiced its opinion. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran," it said in a statement.

In November 2024, after just over a year of the Israeli offensive, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accused Israel of committing genocide at a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders in Riyadh.

https://www.dw.com/en/gulf-states-anxious-about-being-drawn-into-israel-iran-fight/a-72902889

Qatar, a hereditary monarchy, has long pursued a foreign policy shaped by its ideological alignment with Islamist movements. It has provided political and financial support to groups such as Hamas, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Al Nusra Front, Al Shabaab, and ISIS. Doha has hosted senior leaders from these organizations, including top Hamas officials and Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a cleric who justified suicide bombings against Israelis. The Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars has issued religious rulings calling for jihad against Israel.

But Qatar also has tried to play both sides, acting friendly with Israel when it suits them.

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/israel-international-relations-israel-qatar-relations

I'm quite confident saying that leaders of both Saudi Arabia and Qatar would be thrilled if all the infidel Jews and their genocidal Israeli state ceased to exist.

#ignoringsunnivsshiatomakeapointabouttrump

[Pakuni]

Longtime friend and close ally of Iran... ::checks notes:: Saudi Arabia.

[Pakuni]

I'm quite confident saying that leaders of both Saudi Arabia and Qatar would be thrilled if all the infidel Jews and their genocidal Israeli state ceased to exist.

That's not what you said.
You said they are "rooting" against Israel. They aren't. The Saudis and Iranians have a long history of enmity and have had proxy battles across the Middle East.
The Saudis may not be fans of Israel, but they much prefer Israel to a nuclear Iran. They'd like it even more if Israel rid the world of the Iranian mullahs.

[Uncle Rico]

What's so bad about Iran?

Personally, I'm an evangelical and dream of a theocracy.  Say what you will about them, but they get a lot right

[MuggsyB]

I don't know of anyone "rooting" for the Iranian regime. Even those who are against Israel for its actions in Gaza aren't "rooting" for the Iranian regime. I would suspect most are in favor of a regime change in both Iran and Israel (maybe even the population of both countries). That may be how we get to more stability in the region.

You would think that, but there's a sizeable minority that's vehemently anti-Israel and antisemitic.  Regardless of policy decisions there.  And frankly suggesting they're only extremists is simply untrue.  So while they may want regime change in Iran, that's not as high on their list as the destruction of Israel. 

[Pakuni]

anti-Israel and antisemitic. 

These are not synonymous.

[MuggsyB]

These are not synonymous.

I didn't write they were synonymous. 

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

I didn't write they were synonymous. 

Well you went from "lots of people" to "sizable minority" pretty quick. I would also contest sizable minority. I'm not the end all and be all on this but I personally have not heard anyone - ANYONE - rooting for the Iranian regime. I also didn't suggest anyone who is rooting for the Iranian regime is an extremist but I wouldn't disagree with that characterization. Lastly, I do not know who the "they" refers to in your last sentence.

[MuggsyB]

Well you went from "lots of people" to "sizable minority" pretty quick. I would also contest sizable minority. I'm not the end all and be all on this but I personally have not heard anyone - ANYONE - rooting for the Iranian regime. I also didn't suggest anyone who is rooting for the Iranian regime is an extremist but I wouldn't disagree with that characterization. Lastly, I do not know who the "they" refers to in your last sentence.

You didn't.  But many do.

Lots of people is a  sizable minority. 

[MU82]

That's not what you said.
You said they are "rooting" against Israel. They aren't. The Saudis and Iranians have a long history of enmity and have had proxy battles across the Middle East.
The Saudis may not be fans of Israel, but they much prefer Israel to a nuclear Iran. They'd like it even more if Israel rid the world of the Iranian mullahs.

Fair enough. Ish.