Instead of carrying out a proactive vision for peace, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes it very clear that “mowing the lawn” every few years — in which innocent civilians, including many children, are killed — is an acceptable foreign policy.
His reactive military nightmare could have been avoided weeks ago by setting up negotiations to work on the much more difficult root problems — for example, easing the restrictions on the blockade and the borders with Egypt and Israel. Not perfect, but a start.
Accepting the inevitable continuing loss of innocent life is not only terrible foreign policy but also an unforgivable sin. And are the lives of Israeli soldiers also so expendable that Israel’s rites of mourning become a routine matter?
Mr. Netanyahu has once again sacrificed innocent lives and his own soldiers for nothing. If he does not negotiate, the 2016 Gaza war will be here soon.
Forest Hills, Queens
The New York Jewish Week brings you the stories behind the headlines, keeping you connected to Jewish life in New York. Help sustain the reporting you trust by donating today.
