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Will human rights groups join Gazans in condemning Hamas?

Opinion Editor's Choice

Palestinians walk near rubble of houses in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip

Molly Bernstein

As Netanyahu's wars on Gaza and on democracy continue, it's easier than ever to sink into despair. This opinion piece, whose writer requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of his position in the IDF – is a critical albeit disturbing explanation of how Israel too uses human shields in Gaza. Calls for refusing to serve in the IDF are growing, both from those who have been fighting in Gaza and also by those who see it as the best way to topple the Netanyahu government.

Palestinians in Gaza also took to the streets, protesting the war over the weekend and condemning Hamas. Here is how Israel could have leveraged this development for good, to shift a stale dynamic into a potentially constructive opportunity. And here is a call for international human rights groups to step up and also criticize Hamas for their brutality, a voice clearly missing from the discourse of the last year and a half.

In the background, we must also pay attention to the day-to-day racism in Israeli society, which has leeched into every aspect of life. Here is one suggestion for how we can improve the lives of Israel's Palestinian citizens. And here is one example of Israeli Arabs leading the charge.