May 17, 2018

Who’s to Blame for the Gaza Violence? – Editorial
According to the New York Times, “loudspeakers on minarets urged Palestinians to rush the fence bordering Israel, where they were met by army snipers.” The Washington Post reports that “organizers urged demonstrators to burst through the fence, telling them Israeli soldiers were fleeing their positions, even as they were reinforcing them.”
This suggests that Hamas incited protesters to dash toward Israeli military positions, likely knowing that many would be killed. If Palestinian leaders want to know who is responsible for the deaths in Gaza on Monday, they should glance in the mirror.
Leaders of the Palestinians have a choice: They can keep sending their young people to their deaths. Or they can turn from violent confrontation to constructive negotiation. The reality on the ground is that nothing will change until Palestinian leaders stop inciting violence and start telling their people the truth: Palestinians can have a state. But not until they accept that the Israel they loathe is in the neighborhood to stay. (Chicago Tribune)