Hamas Terrorism.

No question, what has happened is akin to, if not quite literally, war crimes and crimes against humanity. None of this can be undone, unseen or unsaid. As has been noted elsewhere, this is the greatest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, and it needs to be, at the very least, thoroughly condemned. This is a no-excuses zone, a place where qualification is not in order. It is quite literally a test of each person's humanity.

To think of the suffering and death related to this tragedy is almost too much to bear on an individual, family and even societal level. These were indeed vile, indecent and inhumane deeds. No question about that. 

It will get far worse long before it gets better, as the IDF enters Gaza in search of the terrorists. Military casualties along with civilian ones are likely to be of an order infrequently seen in previous regional conflicts. The IDF will pay as heavy a price as is necessary to destroy Hamas in Gaza. In fact, the resolve of all Israel expects nothing less. So, the IDF will do what it has to do. Going in, no one really knows how it will turn out. But the justification is there, and that's all that matters now.

Both collectively and individually, the strain is almost too much to bear, especially in Israel and for civilians in Gaza. The grieving process will be long, bitter and life changing. For those of us in the West, difficult days, weeks and months lie ahead as well as the fight continues. But Israel is confident it can accomplish its mission, and few doubt it. 

For my part, after a week of roller coaster emotions and incredible sadness, I have a binary choice ahead: either detach mentally or quite literally risk going crazy. Far be it from me to tell others what to do, but in my case, the time for almost complete emotional investment must necessarily come to an end. 

None of this changes the fact that this is indeed a war between good and evil. That is an ever present constant in all of this, coupled with who started this war, Hamas. I will let the IDF do its work, as it must, while hoping for a minimum of civilian casualties on both sides. 

Hamas opted for terrorism and a war on Israel. The IDF will finish it.