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Israelis Regard Soldier Deaths in Gaza as a Price that Must Be Paid
(Washington Post) Griff Witte - "The nightmare of every parent in Israel is three officers knocking on your door," said Yaron Shor, who heard the knock last Monday and learned that his first-born son, Barkai - handsome, generous and eager to serve his country - was a casualty of the conflict in Gaza. The grim ritual has been repeated 63 more times across Israel in recent weeks. But despite a casualty count that is high by modern Israeli warfare standards, the toll has provoked little of the second-guessing that has marked past Israeli conflicts. Instead, the public has remained broadly united in viewing the deaths as the price that must be paid for confronting Hamas. Amotz Asa-El, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, said the public's willingness to stomach casualties has to do with the nature of the threat. Hamas rockets and tunnels "represent a direct hit at our society....We are personally targeted - each and every one of us - in our homes." Yaron Shor said Barkai: "died protecting the civilians behind him. We are very sorry for his death. But we can't say he died for nothing. He died for the right cause."