Gaza

Juan Cole surveys the American debate over the week-long Israeli war in Gaza and finds something surprising:
The Israeli propaganda blitz around their attack on Gaza has been greeted with uncharacteristic skepticism by the American public and even by some of the mainstream US press.
Juan attributes that to a couple of things, first among them is [...]

The Israeli air attacks on targets in Gaza are continuing for a sixth day after the Israeli government rejected a proposed ceasefire Wednesday, but pledged to expedite humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
From The Washington Post:
A top Hamas leader was killed Thursday in an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip, as violence entered its [...]

Over at our sister site, The Michigan Messenger, Todd Heywood reports that he just conducted a phone interview with Palestinian journalist Sameh Habeeb, who is on the ground in Gaza. Habeeb says an Israeli ground incursion into Gaza is currently underway. Israeli tanks are shelling Gaza.
Habeeb reported Israeli tanks had begun firing into Gaza and [...]

When you go on vacation and an international crisis breaks out, you get hounded by protesters.
From a pool report today:
About a half dozen demonstrators had assembled near the security checkpoint fronting the entrance to the $9 million rental home where [President-elect Barack] Obama and his family are staying.

So much for the empty-rhetoric option. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, now in its fourth day, has yielded more than 360 casualties — all of them are Hamas, right? In one of the most densely populated regions on the planet? In a war prosecuted from the air? — and apocalyptic rhetoric from Israeli politicians about crushing [...]

Pro-Israel and pro-peace groups argue both are possible.

There’s no sugarcoating this. Israel is looking like a country that is quickly losing its mind. Consider this statement:
In an interview Tuesday, Ambassador Gabriela Shalev said Israel’s main goal is to “destroy completely” what she called a “terrorist gang.”
I truly truly hope this is empty rhetoric. Because the evidence is accumulating that Israel is determined [...]