Alex, a blockade is an internationally recognized act of war, too. And the Israeli blockade of Gaza has been in place for *over two years.*

Ground troops would be better than bombing — obviously, ground troops have more targeting control, although they can also act like Huns if they want to.

However, coming now, after more than 400 Palestinians have been killed by air strikes, a ground offensive is just going to add to the misery. Plus, the larger point, in my view, is that any military solution is doomed to failure. I don’t believe there is any military solution to this conflict. The only hope for a solution is political.

Just Added:

Also, given that Gaza is sealed shut, a ground offensive would have disastrous consequences, even if in other circumstances it might be justified. Remember, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip cannot flee from a ground offensive, or from any type of military action. They’ve got nowhere to go. They’re trapped in what is essentially one large prison.

Here is a reason-based argument.

Given the fact that the IDF is bombing a densely populated urban civilian area where it’s impossible NOT to kill civilians with the warfare method the IDF is using (air strikes with 2,000-pound bombs), coming here and telling us that the IDF does not target civilians is disingenuous at best and depraved at worst.

No really. Seriously. Fuck you.

Sincerely,
Still Your Mom

Why do you come here and spread your lies. In fact we all know that: Israel does KNOWINGLY, intentionally do so(target civilians), when they know conclusively that civilians are in the way. Most of us have seen it with our own eyes such as when reporters are targeted and killed by tanks, people are killed at the beach or civilian airliners are shot down. If you respond to the taking of two soldiers taken prisoner or killed, with a wholesale attack not only on your enemy, but embedded civilians. Killing thousands of civilians, making others homeless and destroying civilian infrastructure is a crime. We have seen the intentional attacks. We have heard the lies. The world will judge this Israeli regime criminal just as the Nazi’s were judged as soon as the US is no longer able to provide the support needed to commit these crimes.

Fuck you.

Sincerely,
Your Mom

The first point, that Dershowitz somehow drew an arbitrary distinction between the morality of Israeli and Palestinian children signing missiles is false to anyone who read the article. Dershowitz was making a clear point: Israeli Defense Forces GO OUT OF THEIR WAY to prevent munitions from hitting innocent targets, even to the danger of their troops and to the diminution of their mission. Hamas deliberately targets Israelis civilians. That, in essence, is their mission.

The second point, that he is somehow childishly naive for saying that Israel would not fire at a home with civilians in it, is typically linked to the types of garish images that Hamas banks on and hopes for when it offers its entire civilian population for martyrdom. However, the implication that Dershowitz is naive for saying so misses the essence of the argument: Israel does not KNOWINGLY, intentionally do so, when they know conclusively that civilians are in the way. Dershowitz raises the examples of Israel notifying potential targets because it is so absurdly unprecedented, and such a clear example of the chasm between the moral imperatives of the two parties in this conflict.

But for all your bravado and condescension, I guess the obvious point of his well-reasoned, well-argued, subtle, and powerful argument was lost on you, so you had to resort to knocking down a straw man. Next time, aim for the actual target, which for the IDF as well as polemicists and propagandists (such as yourself), is much more effective.