If the Israeli government was trying to teach the
Palestinians a lesson with this latest pummeling, the unfortunate lesson
many learned was that the only way to deal with Israel is through
firepower. We asked people why this round of violence lasted only eight
days, unlike the 22-day attack in 2008. Some credited the Arab Spring
that has created a new wave of pro-Palestinian public sentiment that
governments have to respond to—especially in Egypt where the ceasefire
was brokered. But others believed the Israelis backed down because
Palestinian rockets had reached into the heart of Israel.
“It’s not that we want to kill Israelis but we want them
to know we are not helpless,” said Ahmed Al Sahbany, an engineering
student. “We want them to know that when they attack us mercilessly,
when they treat us like animals, we will fight back.” A rap song by a
West Bank group called “Strike, Strike Tel Aviv” that came out during
the fighting was a hit among many of the Palestinian youth.
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