First, Lance I am sorry to hear about your family. What Hamas is doing is truly unthinkable and my heart goes out for the people of Israel.

As you know, the Jewish people are a minority that I have great empathy for. As a student of the Holocaust and a teaching assistant now for two semesters on its history, I have thought about Jewish victims a lot and I have sought to call out European and American antisemitism (Nazi or otherwise).

That said, I do not find it morally justifiable to support Israeli bombing of Palestinian civilian targets. Children did not vote for Hamas.

We have to be able to call out violence and feel sympathy for both sides. I do not expect Israeli or Palestinian victims to be able to do so. I understand they will feel the need for vengence. However, international law needs to be upheld. Civilian targets are never to be an aim.

Once again Lance, my heart goes out to Israel. I appreciate your commend and I will make it more clear in my blog post that I do not dismiss Israeli casualties.

Thinking about you and your extended family.