Beezelbub's Game

I really don’t like both-sides cartoons. You know, cartoons that equate both sides, like cartoons making Donald Trump and Kamala Harris seem equally bad when they’re not. Editors love them because they don’t take sides and usually when I see a colleague do one, I think, “You wimp.” It’s an easy way to get reprints of your work.

And I have wimped out myself a few times but mostly because of pressure from an editor. I felt dirty every time an editor forced me to do one. But today, I don’t feel dirty as this is a both-sides cartoon.

I don’t see Israel equal with Hamas or Hezbollah. All three are governments but two are also terrorists, and a war criminal runs the Israeli Defense Force. When you plant boobie traps, you’re taking on the behavior of terrorists.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. An arrest warrant has been issued.

I had a few readers howl at me for last week’s cartoon on Israel’s pager attack on Hezbollah. I don’t have an issue with the IDF killing Hezbollah terrorists. What I have an issue with is the way they go about it. Like with their war with Hamas, I have an issue that the IDF doesn’t try to avoid killing civilians. Hell, they even bombed humanitarian workers.

For the readers screaming at me, it’s almost like being a sports fan. Sure, a good sports fan supports their team no matter what, even when their team loses. A lot of fans like myself know that you can love your team while finding faults with it like the owner is an evil fuck who’ll milk his fans for a free stadium, or it’s time for a coach to go, or even find fault with a player, “like why did you draft a kicker in the first round?”. The Raiders did that once.

Some of the most honest are Cubs and Saints fans. Fans of the Saints used to wear bags on their heads and the Cubs were cursed by a goat. But have you ever met a Cowboys fan? It can become intolerable to talk to some of them. I used to think it was part of the game to talk shit to people about their team, but others don’t see it that way, and they often have to be dishonest while supporting their team, like committing when they’re guy deflated balls. I take it back…Tom Brady fans are the worst.

Now, when you talk politics, your opponent will leave out pertinent facts for his team, like his team trying to steal an election. And if your opponent is a MAGAt, he’ll lie. I have never heard a MAGAt argue for Trump without telling a lie. It’s impossible to do. It’s become the same way with people who support Netanyahu’s war.

No, Netanyahu didn’t start the war, but he doesn’t want to end it either. And an argument can be made that actions by him and Donald Trump encouraged Hamas to attack Israel.

Yes, Hamas is a terrorist organization but Palestinians are not terrorists. When you refuse a two-state solution, put kids in prison for throwing rocks at tanks, conduct an embargo on Gaza, keep sending settlers to their territory, allow those settlers to murder them, and stick your fingers in their eyes by declaring Jerusalem is your capital, you’re stirring the pot. It’s almost like you want to start a fight.

When Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and shut out Palestinians by only listening to Netanyahu, he took sides.

I take sides too and the side I’m on is the civilian’s side. I don’t want any more civilians killed in Israel, Gaza, or Lebanon. I don’t view Israelis, Palestinians, or Lebanese as the bad guys, but Hamas, Hezbollah, and Benjamin Netanyahu are evil.

On another note, I didn’t add the war in Ukraine in the cartoon because if there’s a devil, he’s rooting for Putin.

Drawn in 30 seconds:

Timelapse with a voiceover:

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