This moment breaks one’s heart. We have been under constant rocket fire (around 2000 rockets shot in 15 days – covering two-third’s of the country) from a racist, misogynistic, fascist, anti-Semitic terror organization placing 5 million people into bomb shelters on a day to day basis. In order to make this stop, we have bombed them, killing many innocent civilians, among whom the terrorists are embedded.
Personally, I don’t see an alternative to what we are doing. Hezbollah in Lebanon, Al-Qaeda in Syria and in Sinai are all closely following the outcome of this conflict. If Israel does not do serious damage to the terror infrastructure in Gaza (including tunnels that come into Israel to be used to attack civilians and to kidnap soldiers), the lesson for our ‘friends’ in the neighborhood will be clear. If we do this “right” a message of deterrence will be sent throughout the region. Unfortunately a lot of people will be paying for this dearly. International pressure on Israel might also prevent us from completing the task at hand.
The biggest challenge for us now as citizens, parents and educators is not to lose empathy and concern for what is happening to the other side (the innocent civilians). Not everyone here is up to this challenge. Like many nations, when under attack, a lot of people here take an “all or nothing, us or them” attitude. This is dangerous, can raise chauvinistic nationalism and causes the worst to emerge from some people. At times like this, I feel like I am swimming against the current…
Hope to see you in December.
Best,
Avi