Hard-line Israeli think tank: Don’t destroy Palestinian attacker’s home

This is an argument against destroying the family home of the Palestinian teenager who stabbed Israeli-American Ari Fuld to death in a terror attack. What’s significant is that the BESA think tank publishing this is known as hard-line, usually opposing such thinking. The article implies that destroying homes as a policy has run its course–if it was ever effective as deterrence in the first place, which I doubt.

It turns out that the family of the teenage terrorist warned both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli military that their son was likely to carry out an attack, but the warnings came too late to stop it. The author questions whether, in a case like this, destroying the home would be deterrence–noting, again in an unusual twist for this think tank, that collective punishment in occupied territory violates international law. He notes that Israel’s Supreme Court up to now has accepted the military’s argument that destroying houses is a deterrent measure, not collective punishment.

It  can be argued, however, that the threat of destruction of a family home could impel family members to inform authorities that one of their members is about to carry out an attack. That said, destroying this particular house, under the circumstances, would undermine that very notion.

Israel has been destroying homes of terrorists for decades. It’s supposed to deter others from carrying out attacks. In my experience, it has the opposite effect, radicalizing additional members of the affected families and increasing hatred against Israel.

If this article leads to a change in the policy, I, for one, would welcome it. The costs of destroying houses outweigh the benefits.

Liberals–learn from Kavanaugh fiasco and get back to issues

Now that the Democrats have failed to stop an appointment by concentrating on a side issue (and that’s what all this sexual assault stuff is, admit it), will they realize that the only legitimate way to contest Trump’s policies and appointments is to argue the issues and persuade people?

It’s clear that the real problem that liberals have with Kavanaugh is not what he might have done in high school, but what he might do on the Supreme Court. That is a totally legitimate concern, and though it was not ignored, it was completely overwhelmed in the appalling circus of the confirmation hearing.

Yes, I know that the Republicans don’t play fair, and they don’t follow the rules. They deep-sixed a qualified candidate for the Supreme Court and don’t even try to make excuses beyond dirty politics. But if liberals are ever to make a comeback, they will have to persuade people, in the face of fake news, outright lies, and conspiracy theories from the other side, that their way is the best way for America.

There’s an election in less than a month. Time to get moving in the right direction after this disgusting distraction.