The massacre of Israelis by Hamas was horrendous, 1,400 slain, as we all know.
Killings in Gaza
The killings in Gaza are horrendous, 8,500 slain, as we know so far. And now we know also some 100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers in the Occupied West Bank. Another 1,000 there are homeless.
Demonstrations are well placed
There must be at least a “pause,” if not a cease-fire to get humanitarian aid in and people out of dangerous places. The worldwide demonstrations against Israel and for Palestine are certainly justified. So are demonstrations for Israel.
From the Jordan to the Red Sea
But the problem that has existed over many decades (some say 100 years) is that both sides want everything from the Jordan River to the Red Sea. And both sides appear to want ethnic cleansing. Really? Aren’t we all people with the same hopes and dreams for our families?
Adam Kinzinger
Former Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger has been on television quite a lot in recent days. He said Israel likely is being tactical and trying to avoid civilian casualties as it goes after Hamas.
With Israeli weapons, he said, many more casualties could have been expected with indiscriminate bombings. Perhaps he’s right.
Don’t forget the U.S. history
Remember that in World War II, bombings of Tokyo killed some 100,000 people. Bombings in factory areas only weren’t successful, so the U.S. decided to bomb the homes of the civilians who worked there.
Then we killed another 200,000 in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Allies killed some 500,000 Germans, mostly civilians, in bombing raids over Germany. Another 80,000 pilots lost their lives.
The U.N.’s role
I’m looking at this pretty simply. But wasn’t the United Nations started to keep these things from happening? The U.N. Security Council backed a move for a ceasefire, which the U.S. vetoed. Would Hamas have accepted such a thing, even if Israel did?
President Biden’s role
President Biden certainly has the international experience to handle all of this. I hope he’s up to the job. He’s asked Netanyahu for a “pause,” which the embattled Israeli prime minister has rejected. But aid must flow to the innocent Palestinians caught up by the war. I think no one disputes that.