Endorsing Cast Lead, Not Endorsing The Way Israel Goes About It
I was just watching Al Jazeera, which is the only international broadcaster with reporters in Gaza; Daniel Pipes, direct of the Middle East Forum, appeared on a show to explain what he thought about the war in currently raging in Gaza.
Pipes worded my own position, and that of many others, quite perfectly when he said that he endorses Israel’s decision to go to war with Hamas, because the rocket attacks aimed at Israeli civilians are utterly unacceptable, but that he does not endorse “the way they go about it.”
“I do not know what they hope to achieve,” Pipes said, “I don’t know what it is they want to accomplish.”
He added that too many civilians were killed and that the Israeli attack gives him the impression that Israel’s (army) leader do not really know what they’re doing. They do not, he said, strike him as particularly competent individuals.
Well said.
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I could certainly be wrong but the way Israel’s military managed to isolate north of Gaza, letting no one in or out looks more like some kind of “collective punishment” against the Palestinians for not distancing themselves from Hamas.