| | | | | This week, Israel marked a full six months since October 7 – the day that changed the country forever and led to the ongoing war in Gaza that has left over 30,000 Palestinians dead, with many more wounded, hungry and facing possible famine. Maoz Inon – whose parents were burned to death in the home they loved on October 7 – reiterates that he and siblings' message has been one of "no revenge," but he argues that Israelis and Palestinians are locked in a war of precisely that. He asks: What can be done right now to ensure that the deaths of all the victims of this war will not be in vain? Sir Tom Phillips, the former U.K. ambassador to Israel and Saudi Arabia, asks if Hamas may have already won, noting they flipped the script of a militarily invincible Israel and exposed the fragility of its international support, prompting hard questions about its long-term sustainability. It is up to the West, moderate Arab states, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, he argues, to deny them any kind of final victory Ronit Calderon-Margalit, Orly Manor and Ora Paltiel – all Israeli doctors and public health experts – write that the public health disaster in Gaza is an existential crisis for Gazans, and that if Israelis don't do more to clearly demonstrate "our humanity, if we betray our own basic values, it will be catastrophic for us too." Amira Hass writes about the staggering amount of suffering in Gaza. She cites a report conducted with World Bank participation which shows that Palestinians in Gaza account for 80 percent of all people worldwide who are facing famine and severe hunger, as well as that 14,000 children have been killed and that 17,000 children remain without adult accompaniment. Etan Nechin writes about Sami Michael, the bold, celebrated Iraqi-born writer who championed liberalism and dissent, who died last week. He argues that half a year into Israel's war in Gaza, the novelist's unfulfilled legacy could be a guide out of the abyss. Tanya Domi writes that over the last 30 years, women's bodies have increasingly become strategic targets in conflicts around the world. But despite the shocking accounts of rape and sexual assault by Hamas on October 7 and since, she argues Israel's forensic failures mean perpetrators may not be brought to justice. Dahlia Scheindlin examines whether or not Israelis will vote Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu out. She says it depends on what the next elections are about, when they are called and what happens with both the Gaza war and the hostages still being held by Hamas. | |
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