Few random questions, of course feel free to say as much or as little as you want:
Have you been personally to the Gaza strip (or the West Bank) ? If yes—what are your impressions? How do people live there? Is it common for regular (non-military) Jewish people to hang around those places? How common is for Palestinians to hang around outside of Gaza and the West Bank? How common is for Jewish and Palestinian people to mix in everyday life and interact?
I have just recently learned about the Gilat Shalit prisoner exchange (a single captured Israeli soldier was exchanged for over 1000 Palestinian prisoners). What do you think about that exchange?
What is your probability of the IDF knowing about the attack but still letting it happen? If it is near 0, what is your current best explanation for IDF being caught by surprise by such a massive attack?
I was actually born in Netzarim in the Gaza strip, but my parents left when I was one month old for job reasons. I’ve not been there until 2005, when The Separation happened, all jews were transferred from the strip and jewish entrance was prohibited, after which I couldn’t visit anymore.
There are 150,000 Palestinians from the West Bank who work in in Israel, and around 15,000 from the Gaza strip who used to do the same until last saturday. Israelis and Israeli Arabs mix all the time (for instance, I have some Israeli Arab friends), Palestinians less so. Access from and to the Gaza strip is very restricted, and in the West Bank settlements are separate. I live for a few years in the West Bank, and I talked to Palestinians when I met them during hiking and stuff. My dad and I actually saved a Palestinian goat that fell to a water canal during one of our hikes. It’s unrelated to your question, just a funny anecdote I remembered while writing this.
We shouldn’t have payed so much, but I don’t know if it had a long term strategic impact. We definitely gave a lot of talent back to Hamas, who used it well.
Basically zero. My theory would rely on classified information, so I won’t give it, sorry. I imagine there will be some kind of public commission of inquiry after the war. I’ll try and remember to post a link to its conclusion for you when that happens.
Thank you for doing this!
Few random questions, of course feel free to say as much or as little as you want:
Have you been personally to the Gaza strip (or the West Bank) ? If yes—what are your impressions? How do people live there? Is it common for regular (non-military) Jewish people to hang around those places? How common is for Palestinians to hang around outside of Gaza and the West Bank? How common is for Jewish and Palestinian people to mix in everyday life and interact?
I have just recently learned about the Gilat Shalit prisoner exchange (a single captured Israeli soldier was exchanged for over 1000 Palestinian prisoners). What do you think about that exchange?
What is your probability of the IDF knowing about the attack but still letting it happen? If it is near 0, what is your current best explanation for IDF being caught by surprise by such a massive attack?
I was actually born in Netzarim in the Gaza strip, but my parents left when I was one month old for job reasons. I’ve not been there until 2005, when The Separation happened, all jews were transferred from the strip and jewish entrance was prohibited, after which I couldn’t visit anymore.
There are 150,000 Palestinians from the West Bank who work in in Israel, and around 15,000 from the Gaza strip who used to do the same until last saturday. Israelis and Israeli Arabs mix all the time (for instance, I have some Israeli Arab friends), Palestinians less so. Access from and to the Gaza strip is very restricted, and in the West Bank settlements are separate. I live for a few years in the West Bank, and I talked to Palestinians when I met them during hiking and stuff. My dad and I actually saved a Palestinian goat that fell to a water canal during one of our hikes. It’s unrelated to your question, just a funny anecdote I remembered while writing this.
We shouldn’t have payed so much, but I don’t know if it had a long term strategic impact. We definitely gave a lot of talent back to Hamas, who used it well.
Basically zero. My theory would rely on classified information, so I won’t give it, sorry. I imagine there will be some kind of public commission of inquiry after the war. I’ll try and remember to post a link to its conclusion for you when that happens.