The war in Gaza is awful.  And it's confusing.  There are multiple actors all with different incentives and short and long-term goals, or lack thereof. There are matters of national security, domestic politics, occupation, and religion all intertwined. There is a deep, complex history in this 139 square-mile plot of land that is difficult to understand — but it's a history one must understand in order to have a valid perspective. And on top of all of this, most of the world either doesn't care or has already picked a side, so they make their arguments in the context of that side only.

Is the Israeli invasion justified?  Is it proportional?  Is it wise?  My answers are probably yes, no, and probably not. But who am I to take these stands?  I don't live in a permanent refugee camp with little or no hope for the future. My ability to move freely about my own country isn't restricted.  And I don't live in an armored house, afraid that tomorrow I'll be hit by a rocket fired by Hamas.

And so...I don't have a set of pithy recommendations that can fit neatly into this blog.  Instead, I have a lot of questions, a lot of concerns, and a lot of sympathy for everyone involved.  Well, almost everyone involved.

Addendum:
To give you an idea of how the war is being discussed outside of America, take a look at this.