Why does the fact that Israel voted for Ariel Sharon (responsible for the massacre of thousands of people) get overlooked.

Politics

I hate the whole "Gaza voted for Hamas in 2006" justification for collective responsibility of all Palestinians so I'm not trying to apply it here just point out a double standard.

Israel has its own share of leaders that committed massacres; and I don't mean 'collateral damage' during wars but literal massacres. I could make this argument this argument for Begin (Deir Yasin), Shamir (King David bombing) or Bennet (Qana massacre) but I'll stick to Sharon since he was responsible for a massacre that likely killed thousands (although Israel claim it was only 800) as well as the fact he is considered responsible for another massacre decades prior (Qibya).

If you don't know the backstory:

Ariel Sharon allowed a Phalangist militia to enter Palestinian refugee camps (that the PLO had evacuated from after a guarantee from the US they would be protected) in Lebanon despite knowing the militia's history of sadistically murdering and raping civilians. As expected, the militia went through the refugee camps killing unarmed civilians (likely a majority of victims were women and children) and there were multiple instances of rape. Israel determined that there were 800 victims but some reports are as high as 3,500.

Israeli soldiers were stationed in and around the refugee camps. There were reports and testimonies suggesting that some Israeli soldiers were aware of the atrocities taking place in Sabra and Shatila as the massacre unfolded. Obviously Sharon denied he knew what was going on while it was occuring.

Sharon was forced to resign as Minister of Defence after the Israeli-led Kahan Commission found that he was responsible for the massacre. He didn't get criminally convincted for the massacre but that's no surprise considering that low-level Israeli soldiers hardly face any prosecution (and if so very light prosecution) for killing Palestinians.

I just find it insanely hypocritical that Israelis get so enraged by Palestinians for 'voting in Hamas' and 'supporting terror' while they literally voted for a man that was deeemed responsible (by their own legal system) for a massacre that was similar to October 7 in terms of its barbarity and sadism.

in lonerboxby SadHead1203

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StevenColemanFit

The collective responsibility I hold the gazans too is supporting Hamas, for cheering as a dead naked Jewish girl was driven through their streets on Oct 7th, literally everyone cheered, not one person seemed to take the approach of ‘maybe this isn’t compatible with peace’.

I hold them responsible for educating their children to go to war instead of attempting to get to peace, their kindergartens literally teach the children to go to war and kill Jews.

I hold them responsible for participating in Oct 7th, I hold them responsible for holding hostages.

I hold the 80% that say they support Hamas and Oct 7th responsible.

Not the fact they voted for Hamas in 2005

AnTotDugas

Collective blame is always immoral. It's a failure of your ability to imagine individuals instead of a collective.

Your bias muddies your ability to acknowledge the existance of individuals in Gaza who did not cheer and would not cheer, so you personify "Gazans" and pretend all of them are simply an appendage of a broader nationperson. But collective is not a person. And so blaming all of a people as if "the collective" took some immoral action will always be wrong.

StevenColemanFit

I acknowledge that there are individuals in Gaza that would not have cheered and know it was a bad day.

But I also acknowledge they’re sadly the minority