Think the U.S. is politically divided?
We are, pretty much 50-50 (or 52 Kamala, 46 Trump, in the most recent poll).
In Israel, it is far worse, because Israel lives in a much worse neighborhood, where bad decisions have lethal consequences.
Military, intelligence and government ineptitude resulted in the 10/7 massacre, for which Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has never accepted full responsibility.
There are only a couple of things keeping him in office — a frail majority coalition that includes the most radical Israeli splinter parties, and the notion that nations should not change horses while at war.
The second reason is seriously frayed, as hundreds of thousands of Israelis, as I write this, are protesting Netanyahu’s policies, and the nation’s largest trade union, Hisadrut, started a national general strike, which ended after a court order.
A decent overview of the facts is presented by Al Jazeera, whose English-language branch is generally reliable, although somewhat tilted against the government.
The issues involved with a cease fire are very tricky, with both Israel and Hamas maneuvering to get the best possible terms.
And while that is happening, hostages are dying, such as the most recent six that kicked off the massive protests.
From the start, Netanyahu has insisted Israel’s goal is to achieve “total victory,” defined as Hamas being defeated and driven from power. On October 8, Israelis agreed with him.
The majority no longer does, it seems.
Natanyahu, who goes by Bibi, is open to a temporary cease fire, like the one, in November of last year, during which some hostages were returned and a greater number of Palestinians jailed in Israel were released.
He is opposed to a permanent cease fire, as that would leave Hamas in control of Gaza. Leaving Hamas in power is also opposed by the U.S., as recently stated by Vice President Kamala Harris (see photo above). Importantly, a cease fire between Hamas and Israel was in effect on Oct. 7. That did not stop the massacre.
However, it seems Bibi is not supported by Israelis, two-thirds of whom want him out of political life.
Like Bibi, and Kamala, I am in the “total victory” camp, and had to grapple with why most Israelis would be willing to call off the war without achieving the destruction of Hamas.
Even though most Israelis are not religious, they are imbued with the notion from the Talmud (Jewish oral law). that anyone who saves a life is thought to have saved the world.
That is why Israel routinely exchanges massive numbers of Arab prisoners for a handful of Jewish soldiers, such as the 2011 exchange of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for 1,029 Arab prisoners, some of them implicated in crimes, up to murder.
That has been the tradition of Israel, and that is what many Israelis want now.
I can’t put myself in the shoes of the families of the hostages, I don’t know how I would feel if Hamas were holding my son or daughter. I would probably want them released, and damn the consequences.
But those consequences might be death for someone else’s son or daughter.
Leaders of Hamas have vowed they will replicate the Oct. 7 massacre — the largest killing of Jews on a single day since the Holocaust — again and again. As Maya Angelou wrote, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
If left in power, Hamas will kill again. There is no question about it. And not just Jews. On Oct. 7, 71 foreign workers were killed, mostly Thais. Arabs were killed and taken hostage, too.
Israelis know about the savagery of Hamas, but the majority are willing to take the risk.
I disagree, but it is their country, and their lives.
Unfortunately Israel needs to devalue the hostages. It’s an incredibly awful way to live but if they don’t, Hezbollah will eventually use the same tactic and many more Israelis will potentially be kidnapped knowing it tears at the fabric of the country.
Sadly, I concur. But NO Israeli leader can dare say we will do what we can, but we will not make concessions that hurt the security of the nation.
I don’t purport to be smart enough to figure this one out. Hamas and Hezbollah are both terrorist groups the can and should be eliminated from the face of the earth. Israeli citizens have time and again returned an ineffectual leader that can’t grasp the obvious. It’s terrible that 1700 Israeli citizens died last fall; it’s equally tragic that tens of thousands of Palestinians have died in the conflict. The UN has become a useless joke. And with the US taking a hands off approach to defending democracy (except to send arms and money), I think we’re basically screwed. But this is why the world still needs the US to step up and do the right thing.
Netanyahu is faced with a Kobayashi Maru question. Whichever path he chooses he will be chastised for his decisions. Hoping his strength of mind in making war decisions protects Israel and prevents future invasions. There are no straightforward answers except prevention of future attacks against Israel.
I always like a “Star Trek” reference.
Once upon a time, before Jimmy Carter, the US rescued its citizens who were taken hostage. The Marines were created to attack the pirates (yesteryear’s terrorists), free US hostages and US vessels. US strategy nowadays opts for negotiations, allowing the Houthis to control shipping at their whim, allowing Hamas to hold and murder US hostages and expecting Israel to do our dirty work – and then allow public opinion to influence our leaders to express sympathy for the Gazans without attributing that suffering as having been continuously caused by Hamas. Meanwhile, the U.S. does nothing to bring our citizens home from Hamas captivity.
As has so often been said, if Hamas stops terrorizing Israel and Israelis, no one will ever due in either side. If Israel stops defending itself, it perishes.
A ceasefire that allows Hamas to regroup means billions of redevelopment dollars will be diverted to construct more tunnels and for Iran to replenish the Hamas arsenal. A ceasefire now ( without demolishing Hamas) will bring the remaining hostages home (some dead, some alive) and the next “October 7” will result in thousands of innocent Israeli deaths by that next vicious terrorist attack. Is that a proper trade?
September 11 will soon be here. The 9/11 terrorists were inspired by the same radicals who seek to obliterate Israel every day. How would your readers feel if 9/11 happened every month or 6 months, etc.? At some point, we would say enough is enough and terrorists would be attacked on their home turf. We might feel bad about the collateral deaths. But it would be our innocent deaths or theirs. And that is the decision facing the Israeli government.
Excellent point about where the rebuild bucks will go.
“There is much we can learn from each other. Why can’t we have peace?”
“Peace? No peace.”
“What do want us to do?”
“Die. Die”
(Another movie reference, from Independence Day. Seems appropriate to the current situation vis a vis Israel and Hamas.)
Harold said it all, truthfully and eloquently. Thank you. Hamas and all the other terrorists are Nazis. Their goal is the total and painful destruction of the state of Israel and all Jewish people everywhere. Benjamin Netanyahu is doing the best any human being can do in this horrendous situation. Remember, like many Israelis, he lost a sibling because of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish terrorists.
For those who don’t know, his brother was killed in Israel’s amazing rescue of hostages at Entebbe (for which students would blame Israel today).