Notices by Baruch 🇮🇱 (baruch@babka.social)

The name #Minnesota is derived from the phrase "Mni Sóta Makoc̣e," Dakota for "land where the waters reflect the sky." The new #flag reflects the name when hung vertically, depicting a broad light blue river flowing into a dark blue nighttime sky illuminated by the North Star.

The Hebrew word for life, chaim, is phrased in the plural and literally translates as “lives,” indicating multiple phases and expressions of a single, never-ending life…

In stark contrast to the culture of “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die,” when Jews have occasion to drink, they say “l’chaim!” (to life) reminding each other that there is so much more to life than the shallow indulgences of the here and now, and that every meaningful act one does and every mitzvah one performs creates an energetic imprint that outlives our temporary time in a physical body.

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/5786527/jewish/Life-Chaim.htm
#Hebrew #Judaism #Torah #HebrewWords #Lchaim

@glynmoody Israel has no choice but to fight for survival until Hamas stops attacking. How many people have to die before Hamas gives up their homicidal lunacy?

@glynmoody Israel has followed every procedure there is for minimizing civilian casualties, issuing warnings before attacks, providing safe passage for aid, and evacuating bystanders. The civilian casualty ratio in World War II was 65%, in the Korean War 74%, in the Persian Gulf War 87%, and in Iraq 66%. Israel has achieved a lower rate than those by all accounts, even when using the inflated numbers provided by Hamas. All this while fighting for their own survival against an enemy who is actively targeting civilians. There is a lot of death and destruction in war and the responsibility for that carnage is on the attacker, not the victim trying to save lives.

@glynmoody Yes, those are the figures I am talking about. 61% is based on the inflated casualty numbers provided by Hamas. A comparable example to the war in Gaza to remove Hamas would be the Battle of Mosul in which US coalition forces fought to unseat ISIS. The US has one of the most advanced armies in the world and they had an 83% civilian casualty rate in that battle. 61% is lower than 83% by a wide margin. The numbers show there is nothing more Israel can do to save lives, despite all that we armchair quarterbacks might think. There simply is no nice, surgical war. The way to reduce casualties is to end the war.

Emily, safely back at home, holds up her own kidnapped poster. If anyone wants to tear down this particular poster, go ahead.
#Israel #BringThemBack #BringThemBackNow

@jeffjarvis Why mention Bluesky and Twitter when the thread is right here on Mastodon? https://dair-community.social/@emilymbender/111463994209220519

The guy who wrote the viral quote, "If you have less empathy towards victims because of how you feel about their government, propaganda is working on you."

https://www.thedailybeast.com/what-my-viral-post-on-israel-hamas-propaganda-really-means

EU nations condemn Hamas for what they describe as use of hospitals, civilians as ‘human shields’

https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/11/13/eu-nations-condemn-hamas-for-what-they-describe-as-use-of-hospitals-civilians-as-human-shields/
#Hamas #Gaza #Palestine #Israel

@aral Monopolies enable businesses to abuse their customers, so helping anti-trust is helping people. They are not a contradiction.

@nocontexttrek This is sufficient context! Mission objective failed. 😔