Let’s do basics and then see if we can add value to the back and forth on whether Israel is capable of solving its own problems without the USA kicking in more firepower and cash.
Gaza borders Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. It occupies an area about one tenth the size of Rhode Island. Gaza has a population of about 2 Million people while its neighbor to the North, Israel is a little bigger than New Jersey with a population of 9.4 Million.
In other words Israel is huge compared to tiny Gaza, has a population close to five times as much, an immense military bought and paid for by the USA and they’re crying for more freebees from the USA so they can beat up Hamas again.
Israel likes to administer its beatings on its neighbors from afar, of course. That way, they inflict maximum casualties on people of all ages and suffer none of their own. And, they want to fight the war in your neighborhood, not theirs.
The last time Israel and Hamas went at it was 2014, Operation Protective Edge. It lasted 51 days. Hamas lost 2251 dead. Of which 1462 were civilians. Israel lost 6 civilians and 67 soldiers. In other words Israel brought the battle to Hamas and killed indiscriminately. While Hamas waited patiently to get a clean shot at Israeli soldiers and killed 67 of them in one engagement.
Fast forward to right now. Hamas took a page from the Israeli playbook. Hamas did not wait in Gaza to be hit again. They took the inevitable next battle to Israel. They killed a lot and took a lot of hostages and after one day Israel was on the phone to Biden.
Did Hamas do everything by the Marquis de Queensbury’s Rules…no. But if you watch how Israeli soldiers shoot out the eyes of young kids and bust up their knees (all with rubber bullets) they decided to cut themselves some slack.
What is clear is that the vaulted Israeli Army wants no part of actual honorable combat like the USA has been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, for the benefit of Israel and others. They want to stay as far away from Hamas fighters as possible and they want the USA to help them…immediately.
As Church Lady would say, “Isn’t that special.”
Comments are welcome at tomc[at]wednesdayswars[dot]com. Comments will be addressed in subsequent posts.