Moreover, she appears to recognize that Hamas (etc.) perceive Obama as giving them the green light (second to last paragraph) "Why they are willing to pay such a price to do so this month where they didn’t bother last month is a troubling question." when earlier she attributes such clarity of thinking to those who 'hate' Obama.

Not so much an intellectual exercise as an exercise of moral cowardice, I think.

You never get to the crux of what motivates Hamas and Islam in general, like so many who have been brainwashed by the dark system of lower education.
I know it's forbidden for the godless, amoral elite gods of Orwellian re-education to use the world 'evil' but that's what it is.
There is a cosmic showdown between two opposing forces, the holy One of Israel and haSatan and his minions.
In this battle against evil, Israel suffers from the same weakness and timidity that brought down their first King.
Israel is more worried about worthless world opinion than sending a message to those who openly call for their extermination and that makes a bad outcome for Israel certain , appeasement, goodwill gestures and capitulation to evil always makes suffering in Israel a sure thing. History repeats, repeats, repeats.

I Samuel 15.
Then King Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.”…. Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously.

And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”.

33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.