What Would Hannah Say?

Hannah Arendt, the German-Jewish political philospher, pictured above, coined the term "The Banality of Evil" to describe Eichmann and the bureaucratic manner in which the Nazis committed genocide.

What would Arendt say about the Israel – Palestine wars? It is fitting to ask since the Palestinians and their supporters argue that the Palestinians should not be “punished” for Europe's war against the Jews, they compare Israel to Nazi Germany, and some say “the 4,000 rockets fired by Hamas into Israel since Israel’s 2006 withdrawal from Gaza don't do that much damage, therefore Israel should ignore them or respond proportionally.”

Would Arendt criticize Israel for retaliation against Hamas, the government of Gaza? Would she observe that Hamas' patron, Achmadinejad, denies the Holocaust and yet wants to finish the job?

Golda Meir, pictured below, said "We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us." Arendt would notice that the Palestinians, who elected Hamas, do not use their weapons to protect their children. Rather, they hide their weapons behind their children.

Arendt would quote Golda.