Subtle voices of dissent surface in war-torn Gaza

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/subtle-voices-dissent-surface-war-torn-gaza

“I respect the resistance. The fighters may be spending the night out there in open space facing the enemy while I have the comfort and satisfaction of being with my family,” said Loay Kafarnah, a taxi driver who lost his apartment in the shelling.

“But we also want to live. How can we have a war every two or three years? Is that a life?” he said, sitting on rickety plastic garden chairs with a group of close friends and neighbors.

Visible not far away were green fields and trees across the border in Israel. An Israeli train sped by. They could easily see across the border because, they said, Israel several years ago tore down a nearby orchard on the Gaza side that was impeding its soldiers’ view in.

“Look at what they have,” the 27-year-old Kafarnah said. “Why can’t we live like that too?”

His friend, a school teacher who also lost his home, delivered a more pointed criticism of Hamas.

“We have put up with a great deal. They take us to war, fire rockets on Israel from outside our homes and invite destruction to our homes. Fine, but now what?” said the green-eyed teacher in his late 20s, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation.

Sure you can “live like that too”. Just give up on the idea of destroying Israel and stop killing Jews.

I’ve said Hamas isn’t just the enemy of Israel, but the enemy of the Palestinian people as well.