The Empathy War

After sixty years of counterproductive terrorism, the Palestinians and their allies appear to be learning the lessons of empathy. One of the consequences of global communication is the power to communicate that emotion on a vast scale. The anti-slavery movement may have been one of its first great triumphs. Gandhi demonstrated its enormous geopolitical power. There is a certain irony in the fact that nobody used it better than the founders of Israel. Their compelling narrative played a major role in enlisting American and world support for their enterprise of nation founding.

Today's disastrous assault on the Gaza relief flotilla may go down as the most catastrophic event in Israel's long war with its foes. The flotilla, bringing food and medical aid to Gaza, was an iconic appeal to that empathetic power - like the march on Selma, or the slaughter of peaceful Indian protesters by British machine guns. The Israelis appear to have played their part according to the script, attacking the flotilla in international waters, forcibly boarding the ships, and gunning down unarmed civilians.

Israel now seems to be ruled by increasingly fanatical and militarist leaders, and increasingly contemptuous of "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind." The logical consequence of settler power is apartheid and genocide, but continued Palestinian resistance by terror is likely to ensure that much of the world's reaction to those policies will be "good riddance." The empathy card turns that upside down. The question is whether the Palestinians have the courage and wisdom to play it.

For now, Israel has the unconditional support of the older generation of American Jews and their Christian millenialist allies. There are hints that the younger generation is in play. My guess is that the time for Israel to wake up and smell the coffee grows short.