See below for a statement, signed by Sen. Mark Warner (who has been pretty strongly pro-Israel, but also has been advocating for an end to the war in Gaza for a while now), along with other Democratic U.S. Senators, which declares, 100% accurately, that “humanitarian conditions in Gaza are appalling and unconscionable,” and urges “the Trump Administration to press Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to immediately change course in its war in Gaza.”

Also see this statement by Rabbi Doug Kahn, which sums up my views – and presumably the views of many if not most of American Jews – very well. For me, as someone who believes in the right to an independent, secure Jewish state, living in peace with its neighbors, but who has been increasingly dismayed at the rightward movement over the past few decades in Israeli politics – and the movement AWAY from any sort of long-term vision for peace, coexistence, etc. – Rabbi Kahn’s words really make sense…

• “I have been reluctant to speak out — not because I do not share their concerns, and not because I think American Jews do not have standing to comment on Israeli actions…Rather, my reluctance stems from decades of witnessing firsthand the piling-on effect against Israel, as if no other country in the world engages in conduct worthy of public criticism. From a local grocery collective deciding to temporarily remove Israeli products, to a rape crisis center requiring volunteers to take anti-Zionist training, the level of obsession with and vitriol aimed at Israel has necessitated defending Israel in the public square against outrageous bias.”
• “That gross imbalance includes the shocking willingness of a growing number of organizations to overlook the horrors of what Hamas perpetrated on Oct. 7, 2023 — violating an existing cease-fire with the premeditated murder of approximately 1,200 people in Israel and seizing of 250 hostages — and then to beat up on Israel for having the audacity to defend its own citizens, something every country in the world would do as a matter of national obligation.”
• “Hamas is a brutal enemy that believes its single greatest advantage is drawing Israel into killing innocent Palestinian citizens in order to provoke global outrage and anti-Israel sentiment. Hamas built its infrastructure, including its more than 350 miles of tunnels, under civilian populations, under schools and under hospitals, to achieve this tragic result. It is a cynical and deadly strategy that makes Hamas overwhelmingly responsible for the tragic loss of innocent civilians, killed by Israeli forces seeking to eliminate the threat on its border that no sovereign state would tolerate.”
• “And, yet, with all the caveats and context, there are certain Israeli actions that are simply indefensible…I am not going to cease making the case for Israel, but the excesses cannot be ignored…The extent of human and physical destruction in Gaza far exceeds what I believe is militarily justifiable in seeking to eliminate Hamas as a threat to Israel. It feels more tied to a policy of vengeance born out of the trauma of Oct. 7 than a military strategy. Yes, we should be skeptical of the numbers coming out of the Hamas Health Ministry, mindful of the extraordinary dangers facing Israeli troops whose lives are on the line, and furious over Hamas’ refusal to release the hostages who have endured untold suffering and torture. We must continue to demand their release. But withholding humanitarian aid (food, water, medicine and electricity) through a collective punishment policy crosses a moral boundary. Not providing urgently needed medical equipment, especially for children who have been severely injured or who need life-saving supplies because of illness, cannot be justified.”
• “I am concerned about the staggering erosion of Israel’s standing in the world, including in the U.S. and especially among younger people, and I do not know whether the rapid decline of support for Israel among segments of the population is reversible. I certainly hope over time it is. But I am equally concerned about Israel’s character and the Jewish soul, which are increasingly at risk. That is why — as a Zionist and lifelong public advocate for Israel — I believe it is our responsibility, while clearly asserting Israel’s right to defend itself, to call out when moral boundaries have been crossed. “

So yeah, I agree with all of that strongly. I also agree with Sen. Mark Warner and his fellow Senators that:

• “Humanitarian conditions in Gaza are appalling and unconscionable”
• “Following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s nearly 3-month blockade of humanitarian assistance, three-quarters of the population is facing emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger.”
• “…hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, including American citizens, and three out of four Israelis are calling for an end to this war. Last September, the IDF assessed that Hamas had been largely defeated militarily from its peak strength when it heinously attacked Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023 and is now effectively a “guerilla terror group.” As we know from our own experience following the attacks of September 11, 2001, there is no solely military solution to defeating a terrorist group. Continuing this war with no discernable end is not in Israel’s national security interest, and the lack of a viable ‘day after’ plan has been a glaring mistake.”
• It’s long past time for “the Trump Administration to press Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to immediately change course in its war in Gaza.”

Finally, although it seems hopeless at this point, this situation is never going to be resolved unless there’s a political solution to the overall problem: namely, we need “a framework for a viable path back to a two-state solution that will allow the Israeli and Palestinian people to live side by side in security, dignity, and prosperity.” In lieu of that, it’s really hard to see how the people living “between the [Jordan] River and the [Mediterranean] Sea” are ever going to break out of this horrible cycle of violence, tragedy, disaster, etc. Of course, it’s not America’s responsibility to solve that problem for the people who actually live in that region, but on the other hand, we definitely shouldn’t be doing anything that makes matters worse, and to the extent that we have influence for the better, we should definitely be using it – starting immediately!

U.S. Senators Call on Netanyahu to Immediately Change Course in Gaza