Natan Cohen-Magnus, Times of Israel, Feb. 28, 2024
Say what you will about Jon Stewart, but he is an intelligent and caring person, with integrity and a deep desire to do some good in the world. This was admirably demonstrated by his passionate backing of benefits for 9/11 first responders.
I like Jon. I don’t follow him closely, but I find many of his segments amusing, and see myself agreeing with him on more than one occasion. And it is because I like Jon that I felt compelled to respond to his latest monologue on the current war in Gaza. Stewart critiques Israel’s “incessant bombing of civilians,” a sentiment I came across repeatedly in a recent trip to the United States. People, from family I met to the US president, feel that Israel’s response is “over the top.” This is a point therefore, that is critical to address.
In the wake of the October 7th massacre, many Israelis, myself included, were enraged. I found myself thinking what I would do if I found myself alone in a room with Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded the attacks. These feelings have persisted amongst many in Israeli society, expressed in comments from friends of mine wishing to “destroy Gaza even further” to government ministers talking about nuking Gaza. These emotions, born of anger and a drive for revenge, are harmful to Israel’s position, but more importantly they fail to address the principal cause of the widespread destruction in Gaza — Hamas’s cynical use of civilian infrastructure….SOURCE
