gazing past Gaza

As I write this, we're almost two weeks into what many in the media are calling the "Gaza War." It began with Israeli airstrikes, followed by a ground invasion. Israel says that they're responding to continual missle attacks by the Hamas faction of Palestinians—who claim that they're responding to the Israeli occupation. Both sides are right, and both sides are wrong.

I won't delve too deeply into my personal opinion. I'll only say that Israel, backed by the US, has overwhelming military superiority over the Palestinians. Still, that doesn't make the actions of Hamas—or other groups that pursue the path of violence, especially against civilians—morally correct.

What is usually offered is the "two state" solution: an independent Israel beside an independent Palestine. Perhaps that's what may happen. It would certainly be a big step forward from what we have today. Still, I've always thought that a democratic, unified state of Israelis and Palestinians is what really needs to happen. It may take a while to bring about, but it seems to be the only endurable solution.