Yesterday, when I was writing the post about the benefits of enjoying life again, I wasn’t yet aware of the tragedy that had happened in Gaza the previous day. Twenty-one reserve duty soldiers were killed in one incident, and three officers had been killed a short time beforehand. Twenty-four soldiers were killed within twenty-four hours. This was the worst calamity we suffered since October 7th. It’s impossible to think of anything else, and I noticed that different kinds of activities, even those aimed at cheering up the soldiers, were canceled.  read more

With the International Court of Justice (ICJ) scheduled to begin hearings next week on South Africa’s suit against Israel for committing the crime of genocide, the Israeli Government is busy preparing its defense. It will no doubt include the assertion that “the IDF is acting as morally as possible,”  as stated by Prime Minister Netanyahu in response to the suit. Social media’s abundant footage of soldiers planting Israeli flags on the Gaza beaches and singing about resettlement; vandalizing homes, shops, and religious sites; and abusing civilians and beating prisoners is sufficient to put paid to the morality defense. Were this not enough, there is the simple math of an average of 250 Gazans killed daily since the war began. Add to this the strategy touted by the military brass, which sees no limit to the number of civilian lives permissible to take in order to protect the lives of Israeli combatants, and the moral high ground crumbles beneath the IDF’s feet of clay. read more