After the 6-year-old’s father’s funeral * ‘Friendly fire,’ horrific oxymoron * I’m in the IDF and I don’t know Hebrew * Don’t bemoan Gaza in public * Anger is no strategy

[Times of Israel]( [The Blogs Weekly]( Thursday, December 21, 2023 From the blogs [‘Friendly fire,’ that horrific oxymoron]( By Michael Oren Casualties in these tragic accidents are doubled: those who are killed, and those who must live with their fatal mistakes Michael Hilkowitz [Did you know that Hamas has held 2 hostages captive for thousands of days?]( If we don’t bring them all home now, the hostages are at real risk of being stuck in Gaza for years and years, like Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed Michal I. Berman [A soldier’s laundry]( Other mothers no longer need to fold their son’s uniforms…their sons don’t need them anymore From the blogs [That 6-year-old boy kicking and screaming]( By Lisa Fliegel ’How do we talk to children amidst this cavernous loss?’ That’s what the blue-shirted counselors in the evacuees hotel ask me Jeffrey Cahn [5 reasons why Jews must not bemoan Gaza in public]( Won’t expressing our pain for Gazans make us more compassionate? Won’t failing to do so make us morally bereft? No and no Neil Gronowetter [Tax the antisemitism out of US universities]( Closing private checkbooks alone isn’t motivation enough to do the right thing and protect Jewish students [War is unsustainable]( By David Lehrer A world that has passed the 2-degree climate threshold is more terrifying than the destruction we are now seeing in Gaza Orel Tamari [Anger is not a strategy]( Rallying broad support for the war risks blinding Israelis to Gazans’ humanity and dashing hopes for a post-war peace Fred Maroun [I’m a pacifist, atheist Arab and I’m praying for IDF soldiers]( Lies about Jewish history and about Israel are responsible for this war and for every death on both sides [The shared pain of ordinary people caught in the crossfire]( By Sarah Bernstein Compassion is not a zero-sum game; rather, we should feel empathy for those suffering, regardless of our politics or allegiances Jonathan Lipow [Who should rule Gaza after the war? Ask the Gazans]( One option should be to set up an autonomous ’Gaza Authority’ that would function in parallel to the Palestinian Authority Susie Becher [Evolution of a take-no-prisoners culture]( The killing of 3 Israeli hostages by Israeli troops reflects a record of soldiers shooting first and asking questions later [If I don’t know Hebrew, how can I be in the Israeli army?]( By Steven Zvi Gleiberman My commander asked this excellent question when I didn’t understand him at the shooting range. I’m glad I have a good answer more choice voices Shayna Goldberg [Finding strength in the strength of others]( On the home front, it feels like we are trudging along, absorbing painful and devastating news one day after another Joel Roskin [Displaced Gazans could be in a far safer area – why aren’t they?]( The Al-Mawasi Strip was deemed most suited as a humanitarian zone. Instead, encampments are set up near Hamas installations Zion Evrony [Principles for ending the war and a roadmap to peace]( A Camp David Summit #3 will entail Israel’s full withdrawal from a demilitarized Gaza, and (almost) ridding the Strip of Hamas Stephen Games [That war when one side surrendered to the other to save lives]( Spoiler alert: It wasn’t Hamas — evidently, the world doesn’t want them to stand down [The Blogs Weekly]( [facebook]( [twitter]( [instagram]( [View in browser]( [Contact support](mailto:support@timesofisrael.com) [Advertise with us](mailto:advertise@timesofisrael.com) Were you forwarded this email? [Subscribe here]( [Unsubscribe]( from this List © 2023 The Times Of Israel, All Rights Reserved