Ukraine vs Gaza War Compared

December 3, 2023
UkraineGaza
Conflict Start Date (Duration)24 February 2022 (647 days)7 October 2023 (57 days)
Civilian Deaths10,000+ (525 children)15,523 Palestinians (~47% <18 years),
1,200 Israelis (~ 2.4% <18 years)
Civilians Injured18,50041,300 Palestinians
6,900 Israelis
US Provided Weapons RestrictionsSupplied Ukraine with weapons that could not be used in the attacker’s territory (Russia)Supplied Israel with weapons with no restrictions
US Financial AidThe US directed more than $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine, which includes humanitarian, financial, and military support.The US has already committed $3.8 Billion to Israel this year as part of the 10-year budget for aid to Israel. An additional $14.3 billion has been requested and $14.5 approved by the House.
What’s HappeningUkraine is trying to regain roughly 18% of its internationally recognized territory that remains under Russian rule after Russia attacked Ukraine to create a larger land barrier with the European Union.Following a brutal terrorist attach, Israel is trying to eliminate 40,000 Hamas fighters and likely reduce the Palestinian-controlled area by 50% or more to create a corridor of separation between Gaza and Israel.
Population/area44 million (603,628 km²)2 million (365 km2) – 0.18m²/person
Ukraine versus Gaza Conflicts Compared

I’m still struggling with the extent of the collective punishment imposed by Israel along with questions about what our view of justice would be with similar events during WWII.

By the way, here’s a summary of Israeli vs. Palestinian fatalities due to conflict over the last 15 years.

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Posted by markmichaelis

Imagine the Behavior of Hamas and Israel During WWII

November 2, 2023

Imagine the following scenario in WWII:

  • Germans bombed an Allied refugee camp comprised of 50% children that the Germans had held captive because it would kill some of the adult Allied militaries who controlled the camp and who committed horrific atrocities.
  • Allies bombed a German refugee camp comprised of 50% children that the Allies held captive because it would kill some of the adult German military who controlled the camp and who committed horrific atrocities.

Questions:

  • Which of these two scenarios is just or at least not evil or against international law?
  • If neither, what would need to change for the bombing to be justified (the percentage of children, the percentage of refugees, the severity of the atrocities, the number of civilian supporters of the attackers in the targetted territory…)?
  • What is characteristic about Israel’s bombing of Gaza that justifies the above scenario?

Gaza Review (Oct. 7-Nov 2, 2023)

  • Israel declares 10,000 bombs have been dropped on Gaza
  • At least 9,061 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza, including 3,760 children
  • Nearly half (47.3%) of the Gaza population are children, and of those forty percent of Gaza’s population is under the age of 14.
  • Less than an estimated 0.25% of the Gaza people (mostly dual citizens) have been allowed to flee Gaza.

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Posted by markmichaelis

How is Collective Punishment Justified?

October 15, 2023

Imagine you are sitting in class and one of your classmates throws something at the teacher while her back is turned. As a result, the entire class is punished for the crimes of one. This is called collective punishment.

“Collective punishment is a punishment imposed on a group for acts allegedly perpetrated by a member of that group.” The group may be ethnic or political or just the family, friends, and neighbors of the perpetrator.” Collective punishment, targeting individuals who are not responsible for the wrong acts, is unjust. In fact, collective punishment is a war crime prohibited by treaties in both international and non-international armed conflicts. The law on this seems very clear.

Why then, is it okay for Israel to drop more than 1,000 bombs per day on the Gaza Strip? In case that isn’t bad enough, Israel then proceeds to turn off access to food, water, and electricity. When you consider that the Gaza Strip is an open-air prison where 2 million Palestinians have been captured for more than 15 years without a trial, they are fish in a barrel. To pour salt on the atrocities, why does the USA not only condone such behavior but also send additional arms to support it?

What is even more baffling is that I would think that the Israelis would identify with injustice at this level and do all they could to prevent it from happening ever again. What makes it okay for them to proceed with such violence, and how does it achieve justice?

Obviously, I’m not condoning the actions of Hamas in any way. Nor am I minimizing the horrific history of the Second World War. But as horrific as they are, how does it justify bombing and then starving a majority of prisoners who can’t defend themselves? The injustice here seems extreme. What am I missing?

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Posted by markmichaelis

Meeting Two Village Chiefs

September 27, 2023

Our host in Sawla, Moses, leads the Ghanaian portion of International Assistance Partners (IAP). This afternoon, Moses took us to meet with two village chiefs. We sat down and talked with the first in his meeting room.

He believes that some of the problems in Ghana are due to the continued use of colonial practices: English, for example. He thinks the country would be better off abandoning teaching English. Admittedly, I’m an Anglophile with little understanding of Ghanaian issues, but I disagree. In fact, I suspect Ghana is doing as well as it is, compared to its neighbors, because English is the primary language.
While we were there, a visitor came to meet with the chief. Only, he wasn’t allowed to speak directly to the chief. Rather, he spoke to an interpreter, in English, and the interpreter repeated what he said, to the chief, still in English, and back and forth the conversation proceeded. What? What is the value in this? How can any effective business happen if an interpreter, speaking the exact same language as the source language, is required.
Not just that, the visitor was asking the chief whether he could interview a woman in the village who applied for a job in a different town. The woman applied for the job, and now the interviewee has to request permission from the chief to interview the woman. I’m an ignorant American, but this is crazy.
Next we visited another village chief in his home, a mud hut. It was a totally different interaction.

This second chief lives in abject poverty and is grateful for the well that IAP has dug for his village. We sat outside his house with his wife and had a conversation, albeit limited since he didn’t speak English.

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Posted by markmichaelis

Live Like You Were Dying

June 13, 2023

Love like there is no tomorrow,
fight poverty and injustice,
and seize today’s adventures

Last year I was driving along and listening to the (country) song, “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw and singing it with all my heart. I felt like those words are a core part of my motto, “Be all that you can be.” The lyrics for the chorus are:

I went sky divin’
I went Rocky Mountain climbin’
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I’ve been denying
And he said someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin’

See full Lyrics by Tim McGraw

I confess my first association with “Live Like You Were Dying” was with activities like “sky diving, rocky mountain climbing,” traveling, etc. However, when I’m on my deathbed, assuming I even get the chance to ponder my life, I’m not sure I will be grateful for all the adventure-type activities, and I doubt I will be regretful of any such activities missed. However, the answer isn’t as simple as that. Perhaps there are three perspectives on a life that “Lived Like You Were Dying”

  1. When I can no longer go sky diving, will I regret not going; will I regret not visiting every country in the world, or visiting the Palawan Island when those activities are no longer possible? While I may still have many years of life left, at some point there will be things that I wanted to do but I can no longer do. Will I be disappointed that I didn’t do some of those things?
  2. My heart breaks at the extreme poverty and injustice at the margins of society where hope is lost. Also, those of us in the Western world are incredibly blessed and we can do something about that suffering. I’m confident that the more I do to improve people’s lives, (especially if I get to know those people) the more fulfillment I would have. I don’t expect I will regret not seeing Antarctica if it is because I was consumed with alleviating poverty or injustice (at a minimum Elisabeth and my approach accomplishes this using the profits from IntelliTect). 
  3. When I’m on my deathbed perhaps my reflections will be solely focused on time not spent with those I love or not having those that loved me and will miss me at my bedside?

In summary, I suspect that when I can’t be adventurous anymore, I will regret not having been more adventurous. Similarly, when I’m not as capable of helping those experiencing extreme injustice, I will wonder if I should have done more. But, when I’m on my deathbed, time with loved family and friends will be my focus, satisfaction with helping others will be cathartic, and adventure will be irrelevant.

Surprisingly, however, I find that this last sentence does not suffice for the guiding insight. Why should sentiment on your deathbed be the primary consideration for how you live most of your life? Instead, I choose to:

Love like there is no tomorrow,
fight poverty and injustice,
and seize today’s adventures

(I’m eager to improve this last sentence and request suggestions… but for now I’m choosing published over perfection.)

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Posted by markmichaelis