War In Gaza

The reason why I have not yet written about the Israeli offensive into Gaza, besides the fact that it's the holidays and I've been spending time with loved ones, is because, unusually for me, I don't have a clear cut answer. However, since the story is growing rather than going away, with the latest twist being that Israel's nuclear plant may be a target, I thought I would offer my two cents.

Let me start by saying I generally side with the Israelis. They have acted with much greater restraint than I would have in their situation. However, they hurt their cause so much with their poor PR. This may be helped with the new IDF youtube channel. It certainly is a unique perspective. However, it will not address the basic issue that Israel will always struggle as long as it tries to be both victim and victor. If you're going to attack, completely destroy your enemy. Mercy merely provides them the continued existence to regroup. If you need to deport everyone in Gaza to the West Bank in order to be safe, do it. Half measures only make you appear to be the bad guy while not solving the issue.

The Palestinians squander so much of the slanted press coverage they get. They have understandable grievances. If they made clear, reasonable demands and used civil disobedience only, they would have prevailed long ago. Instead, they resort the terror, which de-legitimizes them.

The worst part of watching this mess is knowing it will likely not be solved in our lifetimes. We are doomed to watch the same battles over and over with only the details changing. I sincerely hope that I am wrong in assuming this.