Regarding Bill Sherwonit’s opinion on the Palestinian-Israeli situation: I suggest Sherwonit further his education a bit. Democracy Now’s oppressor-victim narrative has a role, but it doesn’t really work here. Here are a few more facts they probably didn’t mention. First, Hamas is a terrorist organization whose aim is to destroy Israel and kill as many Jews in the process. Hamas governs Gaza and is a proxy of Iran. Second, Hamas conducts its military operations in mosques, apartment buildings, homes, hospitals and schools, and thus uses Palestinian civilians as human shields.
Hamas’ goal is to maximize that civilian casualty count to get people like Sherwonit to sympathize. I think Israel needs to do everything to minimize civilian casualties, but I also think they have every right to take Hamas out. I would not want them as my neighbor. For further education, I suggest Big Think’s interview with Ian Bremmer on YouTube and Sam Harris’ podcast called ‘The Sins of Moral Equivalence.’ I do wish the Israelis and Palestinian leaders would choose to find a peaceful solution to this decades-long problem.
— Todd Robicheaux
Anchorage
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