The DSA says, at best, that Israel has the right to defend itself. Then it condemns virtually every effective method Israel uses to exercise that right.

What was Israel supposed to do after October 7?

Hamas fired approximately 5,000 rockets into Israel, invaded southern communities, murdered about 1,200 people, kidnapped roughly 250 hostages, and injured thousands, and openly promised to repeat the attack.

What would a “proportionate response” have looked like?

Should Israel have killed exactly the same number of people, destroyed an equivalent amount of property, and then stopped? Should it have left Hamas armed, organized, governing Gaza, holding hostages, and preparing to carry out another massacre?

That would not have been self-defense. It would have given Hamas permission to survive and prepare the next attack.

Critics answer with the phrase “collective punishment.” It is an emotionally powerful accusation, but it avoids the reality of how Hamas deliberately constructed this war.

Hamas embedded fighters, weapons, tunnels, command centers, and booby-trapped buildings throughout civilian areas. Its fighters operated from homes and public infrastructure. Hamas fighters sometimes drew Israeli soldiers into buildings, escaped through tunnels, and then detonated explosives after the soldiers followed them inside. Those tactics killed Israeli soldiers while also destroying more of Gaza.

Hamas built an enormous tunnel network to protect its fighters, commanders, weapons, and hostages. It did not open those tunnels to Gaza’s civilians, even though it knew civilians would become casualties in the war Hamas started.

Israel repeatedly issued evacuation warnings before attacking buildings and neighborhoods Hamas was using to conduct military operations. Hamas repeatedly kept civilians close to military targets because civilian casualties served its propaganda strategy.

Do Israel’s critics understand that Hamas fighters have fired upon Israelis while........

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