Tone Deaf

Israel will be going to the polls in a general election on Tuesday. There are lots of undecided voters (according to polls - I have no vaguest idea how accurate polls are there), but the general assumption is that the next Prime Minister is going to be Benyamin Netanyahu, or Bibi, as he likes to be called. It makes him seem more like a kindly old uncle rather than the murderous thug he really is. He's campaigning on a promise to "Get Rid Of Hamas", but he doesn't say how he plans to do that. Hamas, meanwhile, is campaigning heavily for Bibi, aware that he's their best hope of maintaining their grip on Gaza. They know that a few inflammatory statements, some flag-waving demonstrators, and as many rockets as they can manage to light off will persuade the remarkably tone deaf Israeli voters to vote against any sensible candidate and go for the one who promises the most violent response. The bombs, bullets, and rockets haven't worked so far, so they're bound to start working soon, is apparently the assumption. Much like that chilling phrase in one of the seemingly infinite string of "The Bourne ..." movies, where a CIA Station Chief says "We Keep Killing Them 'Til We Win." Meanwhile, the Palestinians, easy prey for Arabs and Jews alike, aren't going anywhere. They're far too valuable as a fuse for the powderkeg of the (un)Holy Land; that poor bloodsoaked territory so favored (so it is said) by Almighty God, who wants His People (whoever they are!) to kill every other one of His People (whoever they are).