We have been glued to the news for the past 24 hours, watching the shocking attack by Hamas against innocent Israelis. (Read all of our coverage of the unfolding war here.)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyuahu said that what happened on Saturday—Shabbat and a holiday—“has never been seen before in Israel.” Think about 9/11 and the kind of shock and terror we felt. That is the level of devastation Israelis are now experiencing.
We are left with so many questions: How did this happen? Who is to blame for this catastrophic security failure? How will Israel respond? How will it save the hostages in Gaza? What was the extent of Iran’s involvement in this sophisticated operation? Will this change the Biden administration’s policy toward the Islamic Republic? And so many more.
Some of those questions will be answered in the coming days and weeks. For today, historian and former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren helps us make sense of the unfolding crisis.
Click here to listen to our important conversation.
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This is not a day to discuss “both sides.” Israelis were murdered in their homes and on the streets by a noxious terrorist organization. I’m a liberal. It is time that those on the responsible left stand against Hamas without qualification. We all feel terrible for Palestinians caught in the crossfire. But all the blame belongs with Hamas. We can argue for a 2-state solution and criticize Bibi on another day. Israel has a right to self-defense. Hamas deserves no safe haven. Talk about generational trauma on both sides muddies what is a very clear situation and moral imperative for Israel. They are at war and have every right to root out Hamas.
We are left with so many questions: How did this happen? It's perfectly clear how it happened and don't pretend otherwise.
Bari - I put this to you again. Biden gave Iran $6 billion and the BBC just confirmed that Hamas admitted it got aid for this savagery from Iran. Earlier, Blinken crowed that the Biden Administration restored the payments to the "Palestinians" that Trump had cut off.
Are you finally ready to renounce the Democrats and their support for these butchers? Or is "Never Again" just an empty platitude?