I happened today upon another blogger who brings an interesting perspective to the situation in Gaza — that of an anthropologist. As I have tried to point out, there are no winners in the current conflict, only losers. Indeed, Prof. Gabrielle Marranci questions whether both the Israeli government and Hamas have an ethos of death. By that he questions the extent to which both sides use the deaths of people on the other side as a means of perpetuating power.
I mentioned in my previous post that the upcoming Israeli elections are part and parcel of the political considerations within Israel. Yesterday’s news spoke of the various options open to Israel — withdrawal, re-occupation, or some sort of interim solution. And the talks going on today between Egypt and Hamas indicate that Hamas may be seeking a way to halt the killings. Whether a cease-fire results remains to be seen, but it appears that while diminished, Hamas’ ability to send rockets into southern Israel — and the recent spate of attacks from Lebanon into northern Israel — has not been eliminated. So one must at some level wonder why Israel is even considering abandonning its stated goal. Is it that the numbers of civilian casualties have become a political liability within Israel and internationally? One can only speculate.
Prof. Marranci wonders, as have I, when self-defense crosses the line and becomes mass murder, even genocide. That question is at the heart of the argument about proportionality. And if it does cross that line, what responsibility do the rest of us have in speaking out and acting to bring a halt to the killing?
I urge you to explore his blog as each person brings his or her unique perspective to the discussion.
