A good and respected friend of mine told me that to some extent Israel has been treating Palestinians with more “kindness” than their Arab “friends”. I don’t know if that is true, but I do know that using the word “kindness” to describe Israeli actions against Palestinians is a form of obscenity.

Whether Israelis actions do or not meet the standard of “genocide” in international law is not really the issue. What is important is that the Israeli response to a horrific attack has also been massive, continual, and indeed horrific.

Hamas is also is not innocent. Their actions too might have been genocidal. No matter what they should release the hostages. Palestinians and their supporters should be demanding the hostages be released.

An Israeli article in Israeli newspaper Haaretz  cited a well-regarded Israeli and international scholar, Nir Hasson has said, the number of Palestinian deaths in the war is much higher than figures by Hamas Ministry of Health’s (controlled by Hamas) which put the Palestinian deaths at over 57,000. He says its much closer to 100,000 and when you include related deaths caused by starvation and disease might even surpass that number.

As Fareed Zakaria said “at this level of 5% of the population this may be the worst case of war time death in the twentieth century.” Even the article critiquing this analysis said the death toll is “undoubtedly catastrophic and intolerable.” Isn’t that bad enough?

Fareed Zakaria, always a level headed commentator not given to hyperbole has called it “staggeringly high.” According to the UN, 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.1 million people have been displaced by that war. It is difficult to think what bad description would be excessive in the circumstances. Just as hard as trying to think how possibly the word “kindness” could apply to the actions of Israel.