The Continuing Battle of Gaza

The fallout from the Gaza War continues in Israel, although it is not widely reported here.  You can read transcripts of accounts from IDF soldiers here.

This transcript is harrowing.  On the one hand, I cannot argue with the premise that protecting the lives of IDF soldiers is paramount. This is a military theatre in which the distinction between civilian and combatant is blurred by virtue of Hamas' appalling actions.  A young boy could, in fact, be a combatant.  But, he could also just be a young boy in the wrong place.  Thus, on the other hand, I'm not sure how any sophisticated person cannot but feel great ambivalence about these accounts.  

Gideon Levy's column in Haaretz is a particularly harsh critique of the IDF.  This editorial in Haaretz is also worth reading.  This editorial asserts that the declared achievements of Operation Cast Lead are dissipating...if there were in fact any in the first place.

However, the most disturbing bit of news recently, which has received almost no coverage in the United States, is the cottage industry of t-shirts for IDF soldiers and others.  What's wrong?  Well, for example, one t-shirt depicts a soldier next to a woman with bruises with the caption, 'Bet you got raped!'  Citing more examples is meaningless; check out the article and see for yourself.

There is no justification for this.  Whether you believe the Gaza action or any other Israeli action was justified or not, no army in the world should be printing these kinds of shirts.  Clearly, the creation of these t-shirts is more than an innocuous 'boys will be boys' kind of fraternity prank.  There is something more sinister--a complete dehumanization of Palestinians.  

We should know from long, sordid, experience of human inhumanity that once your opponent becomes dehumanized, it is a long climb back to civilization.

Israel...

Here's a link to an interesting article by Bradley Burston, a columnist for Ha'aretz.  Burston is responding to an essay by Anne Roiphe; I followed the link to the essay, but nothing was there.

He boils down the conflict to one word:  rockets.  He makes a good point, but like all attempts to distill a very complex problem into a single word, it presents A truth, but not the entire truth--which is the entire point.

There is no single truth about this wretched conflict.  Who's right?  Who's wrong?  Those questions are meaningless.  Is it 'their' fault?  Is it 'our' fault?  Who cares any more?  

The goal--real or an utterly unattainable fantasy--is that Israel should be able to live without threat from its neighbors within secure borders.  Peace?  I didn't mention peace.  Peace may or may not come.  Do the Israelis have peace with the Egyptians?  The Jordanians?  Well, they don't have war.

This is what the Israelis want.  We know what the Palestinians may want:  no Israel and no Jews.  We know they can't have that.  So, what now?  Is there anything short of the Israelis packing it in and moving to Canada that will make it possible for their to be no war between the two?

In the long-term, Israel is in the weaker position:  the demographics favor the Palestinians.  So, what do we do?

One actual solution that would have a great chance of working is that every Jew in every part of the world move within the next five years to Israel.  This would have two important consequences.  First, the vast majority of these would be non-Orthodox, centrist or moderate Jews.  The entire Israeli political landscape would change domestically and in foreign affairs. People like Bibi Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman would not be elected.  Second, the demographic equation would alter in favor of Jews.

Obviously, this ain't happening, so we need to have other solutions!

Gaza

An Israeli missile killed Khaled Shalan, a leader of Hamas responsible for a number of the rocket attacks on Ashkelon.  What's important to keep in mind, however, is that the 'truce' is a farce and that Hamas continues to pummel southern Israel with relative impunity.  Maybe this assassination (which is what it was) will make some difference...maybe not.  You have to wonder how long this 'status quo' can continue.  The only question, in my mind, is:  what is the most effective mechanism to stop the bombs in the first instance and topple Hamas in the second instance.

Meanwhile, Israel is allowing limited goods to pass through Gaza crossings in a gesture to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the United States.  I think this is wise--certainly good PR, but here, too, it will have no real impact on the actual situation in Gaza.