While one may not wish to applaud Israel’s actions in Gaza, everyone should appreciate that they are reactive and designed to put an end to the wave of rocket attacks from Gaza upon Israeli civilians. The same explanation cannot be given for the rocket attacks themselves.

There is no element of defence when Palestinian terrorists launch rockets. They are not launching them to prevent an Israeli response. In fact, the absolute opposite is more accurate: They are launching them precisely to provoke an Israeli response and thus an escalation to the situation. If Israel were half as terrible as the Palestinians frequently claim then one would have to seriously question any logic involved in the continuing Palestinian rocket fire. 

Israel ended the occupation of Gaza in 2005, and there was no blockade of Gaza until after the Palestinians chose to invest in rockets instead of investing in the welfare of the people in Gaza. If only the Palestinians would invest in the welfare of the people in Gaza as much as they invest in weapons life would be so much better for both sides.

While the Palestinians are certainly the weaker party of the two, it doesn’t stop them being the aggressor. Only when this fact is openly admitted and dealt with appropriately in the western world, which heavily funds the Palestinians, is there any hope for peace.