For the sake of Gaza's 800,000 children Miko Peled

As I sit and view the reports, photos and live videos streaming in from Gaza I find it impossible to make sense of it all. As a boy growing up in Israel and attending a regular public school, I remember being taught the story of Abraham, the patriarch arguing with God over the decision to destroy the city of Sodom. "And Abraham stood before the Lord. And Abraham drew near, and said: wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked, perhaps there be 50 righteous within the city, wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the righteous that are therein? ... and the Lord said, if I find in Sodom 50 just men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes" (Genesis, 18, 23-26). One has to admire Abraham for his tenacity, arguing with God Almighty for the sake of 50 men! Today I heard the claim made that "only" 50 innocent people were killed in this attack and I thought: even if the number of civilians killed were so low (and it is much higher) God would have spared Gaza for those 50, but not Ehud Barak.

A Palestinian child in Nablus carries a sign reading "We are all the children of Gaza," 1 January 2009. (Rami Swidan/MaanImages)