The problem as I see it is that the "Washington consensus" view on Israel policy is stuck in the 1970's, a time when Israel could reasonably portray itself as an embattled tiny nation under attack from all of the surrounding countries simultaneously.
That hasn't been true for decades, though: They made a difficult peace with Egypt at Camp David, and made peace with Jordan in the 1990's. And since Yitzak Rabin's assassination, Israel's driving policy goal has been to expand their territory into the occupied West Bank and turn both Gaza and a few areas of the West Bank into open-air prisons for an oppressed work force they can use when they want.
Gazans have tried peacefully protest this for years, and gotten shot for it with some evidence medics and rescuers have been particularly targeted by snipers. The fairly peaceful folks of the West Bank have had their homes and land stolen from them regardless of whether or not they have had any involvement in terrorism. Palestinians in both areas have tried political protests and diplomatic efforts to try to get international help for years and gotten nowhere, most recently receiving a US veto at the UN just yesterday.
So my question is for those who defend Israel's actions in Gaza: If you're a 16-year-old born and raised in Gaza right now, what exactly are you supposed to do?
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