The Blogs: Hunger & Anger. Gaza & Israel.

Hours before I intended to post this essay, Hamas released a video of a skeletal-like Israeli hostage still held captive in an underground tunnel, being forced to dig his own grave. To date, the Red Cross has not visited any of the innocent, Israeli civilians kidnapped nearly two years ago. There’s little doubt that healthy Hamas fighters are intentionally starving their captives, yet it’s Israel that’s being accused of “genocide” by much of the international community. How is that possible? Perhaps it’s because the ongoing, horrible situation epitomizes a Rorschach test – meaning, people see what they want to see, or are at least what they’re predisposed to seeing.

For example, here are some undisputed facts:

Since it was violently attacked on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has helped facilitate more than 1.86 million tons of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, more than 78% of which has been food. The only comparable effort in modern history is the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49, during which the Allies delivered 2.3 million tons of supplies to approximately the same size population in West Berlin – though notably that aid was going to an ally. According to scholar John Spencer at West Point: “There is no historical precedent for a military providing the level of direct aid to an enemy population that Israel has provided to Gaza.”
Despite an ongoing military conflict started by those who govern Gaza – leaders initially elected by its citizens, who continue to call for the destruction of the Jewish State, and who continue to hold and torture innocent, civilian hostages – Israel has not only provided aid and even medical care to Palestinians in the coastal strip, its army (the IDF) has announced daily pauses in operations in order to ensure safe distribution of such aid.

While there is disagreement on the extent of food shortages, there is no dispute that much of the aid has been intercepted by looters, gangs, and Hamas itself.

Finally, several prominent and highly influential news sources have published heartbreaking photographs of emaciated children in Gaza, claiming that their dire conditions were caused by severe food shortages – only later to recant and correct the stories, clarifying that the sick children had various pre-existing, unrelated medical conditions. And this has happened multiple times.

However, here are other, undisputed facts:

There are serious food shortages in Gaza, which have almost certainly caused many deaths, and which clearly jeopardize the health and well-being of Palestinian civilians, especially children.

For several weeks last spring, the Israeli government’s policy was to halt aid. The likely objective was to pressure Hamas into concessions, not to starve the population – but the blockade did occur, and civilian deaths followed.

There have been casualties and killings at aid distribution sites. To be sure, the causes and intentions of those involved aren’t clear, but the incidents transpired, and they happened under Israel’s watch.

Finally, some Israeli ministers on the very far right have not only expressed little concern regarding reports of pervasive hunger, but they have continued to advocate a policy of restricting aid, and they have openly discussed re-settling Gaza with “voluntary relocation” of Palestinian citizens there.

So where does this leave us, other than exasperated. And at odd with one another. Diehard defenders of Israel will point to the first set of facts above and essentially ignore or dismiss the second. Critics of the Jewish State will do the exact same, just in opposite fashion.

To be sure, many who lambast Israel, especially on social media, have a most extraordinary myopia. Not only do they ignore virtually every other global conflict or humanitarian crisis around the world (past or present), they also conspicuously omit mention of Hamas – an organization whose core beliefs are antithetical to every single progressive value, except one it seems: antipathy to Zionism. But it’s actually this very feature of Hamas – the fact that it doesn’t subscribe to Western, liberal norms – that creates a different problem for Israel.

For Hamas, the destruction of Gaza and the death of thousands of its people isn’t actually problematic; in fact, it’s strategic. That’s precisely why there are tunnels for fighters, but not shelters for citizens. That’s precisely why its weapons are hidden and launched from neighborhoods, schools, mosques, and hospitals – all of which has been corroborated repeatedly by multiple sources. But that’s also precisely why Israel’s decision to halt aid didn’t work – because the notion of using leverage premised on Hamas concern for its own citizens was tragically absurd. (A related theory was that reducing aid which was being stolen and then sold would hurt Hamas financially, which apparently it did.) Regardless, the resulting international excoriation and isolation of Israel was sadly predictable, and exactly what the terror group hoped for.

Still, when so many proud Zionists (in Israel and the U.S., Jewish and non-Jewish, across the political spectrum) share in the world’s critique – because they simply no longer understand what’s being accomplished in Gaza when the human cost is so high – it should be a moment of serious internal reckoning for the Jewish State.

There’s one final part of this war that makes it so painful. Israel’s stated goals, even if they’re completely understandable, are essentially mutually-exclusive – especially given the nature of its enemy. Even conservative commentators in Israel have noted the inherent contradiction between securing the hostages and destroying Hamas, at least concurrently, compounded by the humanitarian aid crisis. All of which prompts this:

Growing up, I was never a Star Trek fan, but the popular TV show featured a concept called “Kobayashi Maru” – a simulated no-win scenario designed to test character and decision-making skills when faced with a seemingly impossible situation. Sadly, there is nothing simulated about the nearly impossible situation Israel is facing today. I wish those with strong opinions who offer simple solutions would acknowledge this, especially when they are so far removed from the cruel reality.

In the end, when I talk with my family and friends in Israel, many of whom are currently serving in the IDF, they want nothing more than to live in peace with their neighbors. Desperately so. And I have no doubt that’s a majoritarian view. The recent announcement by the Arab League condemning October 7, criticizing Hamas, and advocating for new leadership in Gaza is a somewhat remarkable, encouraging first. So my passionate hope is that Israel’s leaders are able to pass the Star Trek test with a newly emerged, different kind of Palestinian leadership that genuinely desires the same.