I have strong feelings about the situation in Gaza, though I know friends on either side will disagree. The attack by Hamas was horrendous, and Israel had every right to strike back. I find myself thinking of the Biblical injunction of an eye for an eye. That was not meant to approve escalating retaliation, but rather to put limits on vengeance. You are to hurt the other no more than you were hurt. The attack by Hamas killed about 1,200 Israeli civilians, including women and children. Israel's response has killed 20,000 Palestinians including many civilians and women and children. Basically, they have killed 16 Palestinians for each Israeli killed. That is disproportionate, and it is time for the bloodshed to end. I've had friends who call Israel's attack genocide, which t is not. To kill less than 1/2 of 1% of all Palestinians is unnecessary killing but not genocide. Genocide is destroying a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. While this is an overreaction, it is not nearly to that level. We first need a ceasefire, then we need people on both sides of the conflict to work to create a free and independent Palestinian state. Sadly, the problems are not on one side only, but rather there are people on both sides who don't want that to happen.
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