I am a born middle-of-the-roader. Not behind the wheel, but politically. I tend to see both sides of an argument, which is probably why I did so poorly in debate class. But I wonder if it might not qualify me as an arbitrator in some of today’s world crises: Russia vs. Ukraine, or Israel vs. Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Syria . . . Seriously, though, there are two sides to nearly all human conflicts. Even the Israel-Hamas war.

I am pro-Israel, and always have been. I’m also Jewish, so that’s pretty much a no-brainer. But I am first of all a human being, and I am pro-innocent people from everywhere. And that includes the Palestinian civilians who happen to be living in Gaza. They did not invade Israel; Hamas did. The civilians did not kill 1,400 innocent Israelis; Hamas did. The Palestinian civilians did not start this thing. Hamas did!

Does Israel have a right to respond, and to defend itself against further attacks? Damned right, they do! Every country does. And no one does it more quickly or more effectively than Israel. Do they have a right to be angry? furious? livid? pissed off? You bet they do. But . . .

But whatever happened to the idea of a proportional response? Israel is rightfully angry/furious/livid/pissed off because 1,400 of its civilian citizens were brutally slain, and scores of others taken hostage — not in a true military action, but by a horde of barbarians in the most savage way imaginable. But does that warrant more than a week of ceaseless bombing and shelling of thousands more innocent civilians on the other side of the fence? Or the creation of a humanitarian crisis for millions more innocents? In my humble opinion, it does not. It is not reasonable. It is not proportional. It is not acceptable. It is, in the most literal sense, overkill.

The State of Israel, and the Jewish people as a whole, have always stood for peace, honor, decency. We believe in a just God. There is no decency or honor or justice in what Hamas has done; but neither can I believe that a response of the magnitude we are seeing from the State of Israel today is decent or honorable or just. It’s just unchecked anger. That anger should be directed at the guilty party — Hamas — not the general population of Gaza. It is Hamas alone that should be Israel’s target.

I still stand firmly behind Israel; but I cannot stand behind the extent of Mr. Netanyahu’s response. My voice will never reach his ears, but hopefully someone else’s will . . . and soon.

Just sayin’ . . .

Shalom,
Brendochka
10/19/23