Can anyone make any sense out of the conflict in the Gaza Strip? I've tried listening to news coverage of the situation. In the few broadcasts that attempt to be more or less balanced, both sides of the conflict seem equally obnoxious and unreasonable. A few points come immediately to mind.
- It is never acceptable to indiscriminately fire rockets at civilian targets.
- It is reasonable to restrict trade into a region that actively seeks weapons to shoot at you.
- It is never acceptable to block food, water, fuel, and medical supplies to a civilian population.
I can't help but think that this situation could be resolved if the Israeli blockade would permit any and all humanitarian shipments into the Gaza Strip. Why doesn't this happen? Why do militants in the Gaza Strip continue to fire missiles when Israel opens humanitarian trade, as they did recently in November? Why does Israel feel compelled to block all trade if a single missile is fired? Wouldn't it be sufficient to block only the weapons and luxury goods until the missiles stop raining down?
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