Strike One

I do not experience cognitive dissonance keeping the hostages and their families in my heart and mind, and at the same time urging Israel to stay strong in the face of terrorist cruelty.

Nor do I experience cognitive dissonance wishing the complete and speedy eradication of Hamas, and at the same time hoping that Palestinian civilians can receive relief soon.

There are no easy answers.

But I know this. Today’s strike action is counterproductive for what the strikers want to achieve.

For one, the more pressure Israel’s government comes under to strike a deal, the more demands that Hamas will make, and the less likely that a deal will happen.

For another, the more PM Netanyahu comes under attack for doing what many consider to be the sensible thing, and the more he shows the backbone to resist that pressure, the more popular he becomes, and the less likely a change of government will happen in the next election.