The doctrine of deterrence has taken a beating. Few doubt that Israel can strike back at Gaza in a very powerful way, and yet that wasn’t enough to stop the attacks. I am still trying to digest this one.
Either side can easily be portrayed as the underdog, because victimhood is limited only by imagination. So we must consider the question not in terms of who is most oppressed, but who is most reasonable? Who is most willing to compromise, and whose goals will, overall, benefit Israelis and Palestinians most?
I'm a Jew in NYC and I made friends with a Palestinian in Gaza this week. Using @Snap Maps I was able to build a personal connection with a complete stranger and learn from their first-hand experience of whats happening on the ground in real-time. Heres the story + some takeaways
The genius marketing of Hamas
Gaza operates as an independent state, whose leader has a stated goal to commit genocide against its neighbor
Naturally, Israel has a strict border with this neighbor - what people call a "blockade"
And, Hamas has branded this block... See more
People ask me all the time if I am "pro-Israel" because I am a Jew who has lived in Israel, and my answer is that being "pro-Israel" or being "pro-Palestine" or being a "Zionist" does not properly capture the nuance of thought most people do or should have about this issue. It certainly doesn't capture mine.
I have a lo... See more
A similar homology applies to the term “terrorism.” During the period of Jewish struggle against the British military in Palestine, “terrorist” had a positive connotation. In the late 1940s, American newspapers ran an advertisement with the headline, “Letter to the Terrorists of Palestine,” wherein the Hollywood screenwriter Ben Hecht wrote, “My Br... See more