Given the speed of Israel’s response, I’m concerned people in the West will lose sight of the scale, brazenness, and horror of the attack by Hamas. They invaded on land, in the air, and by sea. They entered homes and absconded with sleeping civilians. They took hostages. Executed soldiers. I have taken the current Israeli government to task many times in the last year and have condemned how the land of my birth treats the Palestinians for many years; but, today’s attacks and Israel’s response is very, very different. This was the most significant terrorist attack on Israel in over 20 years. Dozens of hostages taken and civilians killed. The response will be justified and, sadly, will set back other progress towards peace that was being made. As someone who has been vocally critical of the Israeli government for so long, I can’t help but feel like the international rebuke the country has faced (rightly and due to the government’s own actions) has emboldened its adversaries and given Hamas the sense that they could stage such a terrible and brazen attack. Today, as always, I support Israel. I want this war to end quickly and with the least possible loss of life. And then I hope (but don’t expect) that its resolution quickens the move to a more equal and verdant life for all those in the region.