tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11439010.post3546015192225053716..comments2023-10-24T03:50:11.510-04:00Comments on Graffiti: Ruminations on political and economic life.: The futile pleas of John Kerry.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11439010.post-42619736436903583082014-08-02T01:01:55.247-04:002014-08-02T01:01:55.247-04:00The growing consensus among Israelis and their fri...The growing consensus among Israelis and their friends that Israel has no choice but to destroy Hamas militarily is hard to resist. I find myself joining it when I hear anyone complaining of civillian deaths in Gaza. But isn't the strategy self-defeating? The Israeli effort to destroy Hamas militarily is exactly what Hamas is seeking and is very unlikely to achieve its goal. Worse, it takes all attention away from the one major obstacle to peace that Israel could control: the West Bank settlements.Dean Rosencranznoreply@blogger.com