It has become fashionable to compare the current spate of campus demonstrations against the carnage wreaked by the Israeli invasion of Gaza with the anti-war protests of the Vietnam era. As someone who was part of that half-century-ago movement, I am deeply resentful of the false equivalence of what we did and the “Free Palestine” attacks that have become college students’ cause-du-jour.
Netanyahu played into Hamas's hands. Instead of responding with a technology and intelligence-based, longer term scalpel, to appease his right-wing--and cover his failure to provide the security he always promised--he chose and continues to choose the sledge hammer. Ben Gvir might be pleased to see Gaza destroyed, but this response is going to increase, not decrease, the threats Israel's long term security. There's a lot of pressure from the US and other Arab states to try to make Netanyahu change tactics. Let's hope it takes.
Hi Larry, I agree and was a draft dodger myself 50 years ago against the war in Vietnam. I didn’t want to kill or be killed in a stupid war but I had mixed feelings and love my country. These college protesters have nothing at stake and don’t recognize how they’re spreading antisemitism. So complicated. Nice of you to start carving away at the issue. I wish they would listen.
I’m not a fan. His comments and his original statements about siege delivered the exact wrong message. Our perception of his conduct has been shaped by those words. But I’m not sure whether another PM would have acted differently. Optics, though, are our only reality these days. So we have American students marching for Islamic honour and genocide (of Israel) when they think they’re marching for the poor souls of Palestine. All of them hostages.
The October 7 attacks demanded a response. No question about that. The question is what is the best response for Israel's long term security...which is not necessarily what feels best in the short term...and then how to frame it for both internal and world opinion. Netanyahu was playing to his base so tough talk and brutal counterattack were his only options. Whether he could have achieved the same result in a slower, more measured military campaign is not clear, of course, but now we'll never know. Yes, the Gazans are almost all hostages but it is also true that they loathe Hamas, as the many pre-October 7 demonstrations across Gaza will attest. But we can be certain that Netanyahu responded precisely as Sinwar and the other Hamas leaders hoped he would...which should tell us something.
Thanks, David. To be clear, I think Israel's conduct...at least Netanyahu's...has been reprehensible, but this notion that Hamas are the good guys is simply too ridiculous for words. Hamas PLANNED to have its people slaughtered--can't get much worse than that.
I get your point. But recently Palestinians have shifted and are very much backing Hamas.
it's not a surprise. (I'm in Europe. More tomorrow.)
Netanyahu played into Hamas's hands. Instead of responding with a technology and intelligence-based, longer term scalpel, to appease his right-wing--and cover his failure to provide the security he always promised--he chose and continues to choose the sledge hammer. Ben Gvir might be pleased to see Gaza destroyed, but this response is going to increase, not decrease, the threats Israel's long term security. There's a lot of pressure from the US and other Arab states to try to make Netanyahu change tactics. Let's hope it takes.
Hi Larry, I agree and was a draft dodger myself 50 years ago against the war in Vietnam. I didn’t want to kill or be killed in a stupid war but I had mixed feelings and love my country. These college protesters have nothing at stake and don’t recognize how they’re spreading antisemitism. So complicated. Nice of you to start carving away at the issue. I wish they would listen.
Thanks. But if they were willing listen, they would be going about this far differently.
I’m not a fan. His comments and his original statements about siege delivered the exact wrong message. Our perception of his conduct has been shaped by those words. But I’m not sure whether another PM would have acted differently. Optics, though, are our only reality these days. So we have American students marching for Islamic honour and genocide (of Israel) when they think they’re marching for the poor souls of Palestine. All of them hostages.
The October 7 attacks demanded a response. No question about that. The question is what is the best response for Israel's long term security...which is not necessarily what feels best in the short term...and then how to frame it for both internal and world opinion. Netanyahu was playing to his base so tough talk and brutal counterattack were his only options. Whether he could have achieved the same result in a slower, more measured military campaign is not clear, of course, but now we'll never know. Yes, the Gazans are almost all hostages but it is also true that they loathe Hamas, as the many pre-October 7 demonstrations across Gaza will attest. But we can be certain that Netanyahu responded precisely as Sinwar and the other Hamas leaders hoped he would...which should tell us something.
A. Fu**ing. Men. !!
Thanks, David. To be clear, I think Israel's conduct...at least Netanyahu's...has been reprehensible, but this notion that Hamas are the good guys is simply too ridiculous for words. Hamas PLANNED to have its people slaughtered--can't get much worse than that.