Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a limited number of U.S. troops to prepare for deployment in support of Israel, as reported by multiple sources.

Approximately 2,000 troops have been selected to be on standby for advisory and medical assistance.

The troops will be drawn from various branches of the U.S. military, including those already stationed in the Middle East and nearby Europe.

While their specific units and deployment locations have not been disclosed, it has been emphasized that they will not have a combat role.

The U.S. is extending support to Israel, which is engaged in a conflict with Hamas, primarily focusing on intelligence and planning assistance for potential hostage rescue operations.

  • LostMyRedditLogin@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    141
    arrow-down
    15
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Just why? Israel is a terrible ally and have continued to allow settlers to move into the West Bank stopping any attempts at a peace process. The US should wipe their hands of this mess instead getting into another quagmire.

    • metaStatic@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      78
      arrow-down
      8
      ·
      1 year ago

      because the Christian death cult running the states wants it to happen so their imaginary friend can come back.

      • BertramDitore@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        62
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        Yeah, this is way more serious than people realize. The extremist Christian evangelical movement has a disproportionate amount of influence over Israel and how the world views it. They fund schools, museums, archaeological digs and many other things, but with an obvious bias, and often not in the best interest of anyone but those who share their apocalyptic worldview.

        It’s pretty wild, and can come off as a bit conspiratorial, once you realize that much of the American support for Israel is for the purpose of preparing for a world-ending war and the resurrection of a mythical character who lives in a collection of short stories.

        • TinyPizza@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          17
          ·
          1 year ago

          A former friends mother lost her Catholic mind to some nonsensical flavor of the evangelical god juice and took a trip with a bunch of other lunatics to Israel. Know what they did? Provided free labor to settlements and farms because it was such a transcendent experience to pay 5-10 thousand dollars to go to the holy land and work for gods original chosen people. They love this shit because it brings the world closer to annihilating itself and the fabled rapture they want so very badly.

          So fucking over all these lunatics asking us to respect their religious beliefs that are focused at quickening the end of human existence. Is it so hard to just eat pizza and be grateful for the time we have here?

          • Maeve@kbin.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            5
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            There are radical Israelis over there trying to breed the prophesied heifer in test tubes, according to my now-deceased political blogger friend.

        • QHC@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          15
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          I know this from personal experience after reading the entirety of the Left Behind book series as they were published. At the start I was spending my summers in the equivalent of that Jesus Camp documentary, and by the time I finished was at the end of my personal deconversion journey and come out the other side as an opinionated college atheist.

          So, yeah, quite terrifying to see that kink for the apocalypse continue to play out in front of us.

          • BertramDitore@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            1 year ago

            Thanks for sharing! I’m sure it wasn’t easy to get out, I’ve got nothing but respect. Those lifestyles are often prisons for life. I was lucky to figure out atheism very young, and with the surprising support of my family, but I know that’s not usually how it goes.

      • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        12
        ·
        1 year ago

        Yup the far Christian right want all jews in Israel because their book of fiction says all jews need to be in Isreal to bring about the rapture. Remember when Trump said jews should have dual citizenship?

        • Maeve@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          Remember when Trump said jews should have dual citizenship?

          No, but I remember when he claimed to be Israel’s Messiah. I sent this article to a family member and they replied “Biden 😅 “ and I replied “Yeah, but trump would do the same and push to use nukes.” They’re not necessarily a D/R, in fact they’re so disgusted, they said voting is useless, they’re sticking to mutual aid (Their state and mine have a gerrymandered voting district map case before the court upcoming).

      • Maeve@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        10
        ·
        1 year ago

        Eh, Israel also is supposed to protect “our interests” in the Middle East, strategically positioned, etc. As an old friend who had a political blog for the Chicago Times once said (glad he’s not here to see this crap): all wars are Wall Street’s wars.

      • R0cket_M00se@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        I want everything they think is going to signal the end times to happen just so when it doesn’t they have no more excuses.

        I know they’ll just reinterpret and invent more, but it would still be funny to the rest of us.

        • Maggoty@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Please no. A lot of people will die just for them to say it wasn’t enough suffering.

      • pewter@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        1 year ago

        I think this claim is very overstated. People online often say this, but I’ve never heard of real people saying this.

        • Birdie@thelemmy.club
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          14
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Attend an evangelical or Pentecostal church for a few months. It’ll come up. They still believe Jesus is coming back and he can’t do so until the temple is rebuilt. Which would require the razing of the mosque.

          A family member of mine is a preacher and he and his family are gleefully announcing the end times are here!! It’s happening!! The red heifer has been born!! It’s absolutely disgusting how they want Israel to get rid of the Palestinians so they can get on with the rebuilding of the temple.

          • SARGEx117@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            7
            ·
            1 year ago

            Well if they’re anything like my own relatives who are giddy that “it’s finally happening”, have you brought the parallels between their antichrist and a certain ex-president?

            I did, and now half the family refuses to acknowledge my existence at family reunions. So it worked out pretty well for me.

            I remember a few years ago coming across a website that had a huge list of over 100 things, referencing various Bible verses and then giving their real world parallel. I’ve tried looking for it again, but can never seem to find the right one.

          • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            These idiots don’t realize the temple could have already been rebuilt because Isreal controls that location already.

    • charliespider@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      Because Hamas kidnapped some American citizens and is holding them in Gaza. The US would likely prefer to attempt any rescue themselves or at least assist in any attempts.

    • GBU_28@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      Unfortunately Israel is the only “western aligned” middle east country, so for that reason we go all watermelon eating contest on their bhole

      • ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        10
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        1 year ago

        We don’t have universal health care in America and it’s their fault but we pay for them to have universal health care. So no, they’re not our ally, we’re vassals.

          • ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            8
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            AIPAC funnels money to anti-UHC candidates like Shontel Brown despite the reality that the american taxpayer funds Israeli UHC.

      • Wakmrow@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        Gee I wonder why Israel is the only Western aligned middle east country it’s almost like they do a genocide and the West sends aircraft carriers to protect them

    • Limitless_screaming@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      have continued to allow settlers to move into the West Bank stopping any attempts peace process.

      This is exactly why; they keep the place destabilized.

  • Sanctus@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    46
    arrow-down
    7
    ·
    1 year ago

    So this is what its like watching a powder keg get packed. I am not fighting in WW3 for sake of an apartheid state. They pushed these people to their breaking point. If you don’t want devils, stop forcing people to live in hell.

    • ∟⊔⊤∦∣≶@lemmy.nz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      19
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      I read a very enlightening comment earlier, that explained how the Netanyahoo regime and Hamas were co-dependent. Because Hamas keeps being terrorists, Netanyahoo can stay in power, and because the IDF keeps killing Palestinians, Hamas keeps getting support.

      • Maeve@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        USA fighting by proxy at the least. To combine parts of what two other commenters said, “I do not support this” “…apartheid state.”

        BDS. Free Palestine 🇵🇸

    • GBU_28@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Agree in general but the thought is that US involvement comes if Iran fucks around in the west bank.

      Israel doesn’t need physical US help obliterating civilians in gaza

  • bemenaker@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    39
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    Israel does not need US troops help to slaughter mass Palestinians. They have had no problem doing that on their own for decades. We need to keep our troops out of further war crimes. We committed enough of those in Iraq.

    Should Hamas committed a brutal act of violence and terrorism like they just did, no. Can Israel respond to that yes. Does that response give them the right to make a million civillians homeless or dead, and steal more land, no.

    • Syringe@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      If I had to guess, this would be more about putting the breaks on genocide by giving us a hand on the wheel. Given how the Biden admin has handled Ukraine, I’d say that their team has been very pragmatic about escalation.

      That said, we just got out of one pointless forever war in Afghanistan. I don’t think we need another.

    • TheGreatFox@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      20
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      But have you considered how much money the weapons industry shareholders will make?

      • Echo71Niner@lemm.eeOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        14
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        weapons industry shareholders

        They’re eagerly seeking yacht upgrades, practically drooling at the prospect of a regional conflict, likely daydreaming about the financial windfall.

        • TheGreatFox@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          1 year ago

          Well, yes, but: Even more money! If the numbers don’t go up, and by more than predicted, it’s considered a failure.

    • charliespider@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      8
      ·
      1 year ago

      Hamas kidnapped some American citizens and is holding them in Gaza. The US would likely prefer to attempt any rescue themselves or at least assist in any attempts.

  • Cleverdawny@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    29
    arrow-down
    15
    ·
    1 year ago

    US considers humanitarian deployment of troops to provide advice and medical aid

    Lemmy: omg how TERRIBLE

    • MimicJar@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      As a genuine question, how often does the US do this? If this is relatively common then it’s probably fine. If this is unique or step one of what eventually becomes something else, there is some cause for concern.

      I’m not saying it’s a good/bad idea, just want to put it in context.

      • PugJesus@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        15
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Pretty common. Obviously, this is a higher profile situation than most, but 90% of the military is ‘things other than shooting and killing’, so opportunities to combine good practice and good PR are often taken. Because of things like this, you end up with US Army dentists doing free drillings and extractions in Africa, shipping medical supplies to countries that need it, etc etc. Idle hands are devils’ work, and all that.

      • Cleverdawny@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        9
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        This is a relatively common type of deployment to places where the US wants to be seen helping but doesn’t want to participate in the actual shooting. So they set up some field hospitals and send some people over for things like military intelligence coordination

      • BaroqueInMind@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Every single natural disaster that happens on US soil or territories are handled with help from US Army National Guard distributing rations, water, and engineers rebuilding everything for people using gov $$$.

        Of course this is common for a country with a supply chain so powerful it can deploy a fucking ice cream barge protected by a massive carrier battle group to Japan in the middle of the most fiercest combat during WW2 (there is a story circulating about how a Japanese navy admiral truly realized they lost the war by realizing that existed), or an entire Airborne division rapidly planned and air dropped from the middle of Virginia into anywhere it wants on the planet in 72 hours.

  • Bwaz@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    14
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    And here I was wondering how Israel was going to be able to stand up to the multitudes of the Palestinian armed forces.

  • randon31415@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    18
    arrow-down
    7
    ·
    1 year ago

    American troops operate under a uniform code of military justice. The IDF is headed by someone who called Palestinians “human animals”. While I don’t want American troops involved, Americans would be less likely to commit war crimes and genocide.

    • Edgelord_Of_Tomorrow@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      1 year ago

      The IDF have been extremely critical of their leadership. Historically, soldiers being forced to fight a war for leadership they don’t support frequently ends badly for leadership when they return home.

    • FMT99@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      Maybe so but the whole world will see this as Americans back in the middle east, killing Muslims, again.

      This seems like a horribly misguided plan.

      • Maeve@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Endless war. My tax dollars can’t support universal health care, free and reduced breakfast/lunch for school children, decent housing, education, women’s reproductive rights (which Israel has), crumbling infrastructure, though.

    • Death_Equity@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      1 year ago

      Americans would be less likely to commit war crimes and genocide.

      You haven’t studied American warmaking history in the slightest, have you?

    • lettruthout@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      Yeah, so they’re saying the US should support one religion over another? Both are nonsense. US support so far has only continued the cycle of violence.

    • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      1 year ago

      Choosing to support no evil may ultimately result in the greatest evil occuring. This is actually the subject of one of the more famous Witcher short stories, and it highlights this very well. I’ll try to quickly summarize.

      A wizard tells him to kill this one girl because she was born in a celestial event that was a bad omen. The girl tells him to lure out the wizard so she and her gang can kill him. Geralt refuses both.

      The girl confronts the wizard, who is safe behind his tower. Unless he comes out, her gang will start killing the townspeople wantonly. The wizard doesn’t give a shit. Geralt steps in and kills the gang and the girl, and tells the wizard he’ll kill him too if he does anything to her corpse.

      The lesser evils were killing the wizard or killing the gang, and Geralt preferred to pick neither of them. But in doing so, an even greater evil became possible. Unless he took action, the worst outcome would come to pass.

      This honestly has nothing to do with Israel at this point. I’m just saying that deciding against lesser evils may, in itself, may be a worse evil. Inaction is still an action.

  • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    16
    arrow-down
    7
    ·
    1 year ago

    This… Seems sensible? Iran has threatened to enter Gaza, and everyone should agree that that happening would be really bad. They’re the ones funding Hamas.

    • peopleproblems@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      With the attention it’s brought, and the statements from Iran, I’m a bit worried that whatever they’ve been receiving from Russia in exchange for Iranian weapons has given Iran an inflated head, and feel like they can finally have something go their way.

    • Echo71Niner@lemm.eeOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      I truly fucking hate this situation, the deployment of American troops. Regrettably, I can already envision the headlines: ‘U.S. Troops killed in Israel,’ serving as a potential catalyst for dragging the U.S. into a regional conflict.

  • fiat_lux@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    Yesterday: Biden warns Israel that occupying the Gaza strip is a big mistake (strategically)

    Today: US puts troops on standby in Israel.

    Well, I guess we now know what the US thinks is a better plan. And it appears to be basically the standard US plan of placing military units all across the map.

    Sometimes I wonder if the US will ever have a Roman-style “we extended our borders too far to adequately defend the empire” tipping point.

    • Fades@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      17
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      I get where you’re coming from but they’re sending a limited numbers in non-combatant roles only (for now). Providing existing allies with that sort of thing isn’t extending borders

      • fiat_lux@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        in non-combatant roles only (for now)

        Consultancy roles are a shield for providing strategic support and direction without visibly endangering your own troops and engaging in unambiguously direct acts of war. Providing existing allies with resources is not a free service either, even if it only costs “you owe us one” future diplomatic and economic pressure. The US did not get to where it is through altruism.

    • Edgelord_Of_Tomorrow@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Whatever anyone says about the historical context aside, in the plainest of terms this war began with an enormous assault by Hamas against Israel, and so the US is bound by treaty to assist - whether they like it or not.

      • fiat_lux@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        I doubt the pentagon made this decision ignoring the wider context and long-term motivations of all parties involved, and I think it would be a mistake to reduce any conflict in the world to such a simple equation.

        Also, does Israel have a defence treaty with the US? This is a genuine question. I was under the impression there was only a tax treaty, and Israel isn’t a member of NATO either, which I thought would exclude that.

          • fiat_lux@kbin.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            It was because I used the search term “us israel treaty” and it came up with tax treaty results, when apparently it’s called a “bilateral defense cooperation agreement” or “Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration”. I apologise for not being fully informed on the differences between those concepts beforehand, and not knowing that the word ‘treaty’ would not be applicable in a situation where the word ‘treaty’ was being used to describe it.

            too lazy/dumb

            Thanks for also reminding me that I shouldn’t ask questions unless 100% healthy.

            • BaroqueInMind@kbin.social
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              edit-2
              1 year ago

              No, you’re good; no need to apologize. I’m more dumb than you so it balances out. Please do not mind me.