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Well, yes we do. Along with Avi Chlaim, Gideon Levy, Ilan Pappé, and a long list of Israeli and Jewish Mensches.

Because his voice has more chance, albeit slight, to give pause within his community. And also because he is an observant Jew. And also because he is an American Jew because Israel won't change until America conditions its support on human rights/civil rights. The sad truth is that. And, almost especially, because he has come from a 'right wing' place - he has 'made a journey' that many more Americans need to make. Despite that the mainstream media reports, more American Jews no longer support the Israel project.

His outspoken opinion, Sean, a chara, outweighs yours or mine in reversing this ongoing catastrophe sometime in a distant future.

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In a roundabout way I was trying to defend Peter, by pointing out that many more commentators out there, some like the people you mentioned, hold similar views.

Either way, I entirely agree with your comments.

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I know and appreciate that.

For irony, I dredged this from 2009: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123275572295011847

How Israel Helped to Spawn

Hamas

By Andrew Higgins

Jan. 24, 2009 12:01 am ET

Moshav Tekuma, Israel

Surveying the wreckage of a neighbor's bungalow hit by a Palestinian rocket, retired

Israeli official Avner Cohen traces the missile's trajectory back to an "enormous,

stupid mistake" made 30 years ago.

"Hamas, to my great regret, is Israel's creation," says Mr. Cohen, a Tunisian-born

Jew who worked in Gaza for more than two decades. Responsible for religious

affairs in the region until 1994, Mr. Cohen watched the Islamist movement take

shape, muscle aside secular Palestinian rivals and then morph into what is today

Hamas, a militant group that is sworn to Israel's destruction.

Instead of trying to curb Gaza's Islamists from the outset, says Mr. Cohen, Israel for

years tolerated and, in some cases, encouraged them as a counterweight to the

secular nationalists of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its dominant

faction, Yasser Arafat's Fatah. Israel cooperated with a crippled, half-blind cleric

named Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, even as he was laying the foundations for what would

become Hamas. Sheikh Yassin continues to inspire militants today; during the

recent war in Gaza, Hamas fighters confronted Israeli troops with "Yassins,"

primitive rocket-propelled grenades named in honor of the cleric.

Last Saturday, after 22 days of war, Israel

announced a halt to the offensive. The

assault was Instead of trying to curb Gaza's Islamists from the outset, says Mr. Cohen, Israel for

years tolerated and, in some cases, encouraged them as a counterweight to the

secular nationalists of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its dominant

faction, Yasser Arafat's Fatah. Israel cooperated with a crippled, half-blind cleric

named Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, even as he was laying the foundations for what would

become Hamas. Sheikh Yassin continues to inspire militants today; during the

recent war in Gaza, Hamas fighters confronted Israeli troops with "Yassins,"

primitive rocket-propelled grenades named in honor of the cleric.

Last Saturday, after 22 days of war, Israel

announced a halt to the offensive. The

assault was aimed at stopping Hamas rockets from falling on Israel. Prime Minister (....)

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says Mr. Cohen, Israel for

years tolerated and, in some cases, encouraged them as a counterweight to the

secular nationalists of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its dominant

faction, Yasser Arafat's Fatah. Israel cooperated with a crippled, half-blind cleric

named Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, even as he was laying the foundations for what would

become Hamas. Sheikh Yassin continues to inspire militants today; during the

recent war in Gaza, Hamas fighters confronted Israeli troops with "Yassins,"

primitive rocket-propelled grenades named in honor of the cleric.

Last Saturday, after 22 days of war, Israel

announced a halt to the offensive. The

assault was aimed at stopping Hamas rockets from falling on Israel. Prime Minister (...)

Expand full comment