Israelis overwhelmingly back war
JERUSALEM - Despite Israeli casualties and world criticism, a near-consensus in Israel supports the government's conduct of the Gaza war, views Hamas as the aggressor and considers outsiders' moralizing as hypocritical, ignorant or both. And in an echo chamber fed by ubiquitous updates on Hamas rocket and tunnel attacks, the minority of local voices that do agonize over Gazans' suffering are being silenced in a way rarely seen in a country long proud of its spirited, democratic debate.
JERUSALEM - Despite Israeli casualties and world criticism, a near-consensus in Israel supports the government's conduct of the Gaza war, views Hamas as the aggressor and considers outsiders' moralizing as hypocritical, ignorant or both. And in an echo chamber fed by ubiquitous updates on Hamas rocket and tunnel attacks, the minority of local voices that do agonize over Gazans' suffering are being silenced in a way rarely seen in a country long proud of its spirited, democratic debate.
A series of recent opinion polls have shown robust support for the war, reflecting years of frustration over rocket fire from Gaza and a new fear of Hamas' network of tunnels that stretch well into Israel and imperil communities along the border. Opposing views, coming primarily from leftist activists and intellectuals, have been met with threats, insults and charges of treason both in social media and face-to-face.
"We are faced with the false, antidemocratic equation that argues that aggression, racism and lack of empathy means love of the homeland," wrote Israeli author Etgar Keret in the Yediot Ahronot newspaper. Opinions that do not encourage "the use of power," he added, are derided as "nothing less than an attempt to destroy and annihilate Israel as we know it."
"They want to kill us. We have no choice," said 39-year-old Jerusalemite Gil Yair, referring to Hamas. "They are holding a gun to our head, and we have to take control of the situation."
Several polls this week have shown strong majorities are prepared to press ahead with the war.
A number of antiwar protests held in Israel's liberal hub, Tel Aviv, have been met by hard-line counter-protesters, who pelted insults and shouted calls for the doves to leave for Gaza. A popular comedian who expressed sympathy for Gazan women and children was unceremoniously dropped from a cruise line's ad campaign. And a public service announcement created by an activist group was rejected by Israel's state-owned broadcaster, even though the group was paying for the airtime.