First, in regards to the horror of war, Hamas installs themselves and their weapons amongst civilian populations to intentionally force collateral damage. Terrible but true. Israel does everything it can to minimize civilian casualties but no country can ignore repeated attacks.
It is important to remember that prior to this latest round of attacks, Hamas and associated terrorist groups such as Islamic Jihad launched 800 rockets at Israel – and that is just this year! There have been 8,000 rockets launched at Israel since Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005!
Israel has shown more restrain than any country could be expected to. That said, civilian casualties cannot be avoided. In fact, Israel's track record is better than the USA's.
According to a recent report issued by Stanford and NYU, "June 2004 through mid-September 2012, available data indicate that drone strikes killed 2,562 - 3,325 people in Pakistan, of whom 474 - 881 were civilians, including 176 children. " This is only drone attacks in Pakistan!
A reality check: Hamas is the sworn enemy of Israel and has pledged, as one of its core principles, the destruction of Israel. For negotiations of any solution to have merit, lets start with a recognition of Israel's right to exist. Lets also consider the immediate upside to the people of Gaza and the West Bank if they were ready to accept Israel's right to exist.
The Human Development Index, a composite statistic that considers life expectancy, education, and income, puts Gaza and the West Bank ahead of Egypt! In fact, out of 178 countries listed, Gaza is 101, only two spots below Iran and in better position than India and most of Africa! But with peace and the free flow of trade, the economies of Gaza and the West Bank would explode – at last a positive explosion. We could easily see Gaza become a true jewel by the Mediterranean Sea, with tourism bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars. Instead, we have radicalism voted into power in Gaza and a corrupt government in the West Bank. The people of Gaza and the West Bank need to recognize their real enemy and pursue their own Arab Spring. They should overthrow Hamas and embrace Israel in peace. The streets of Gaza would flow with milk and honey instead of blood if only they chose the path of peace.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Gil