The first thought I had reading about the bloody pogrom staged by Hamas on a recent Jewish holy day was how handy for Putin, and his America First/MAGA allies in and around the US government.

Blowing up a world hotspot with a horrific slaughter is a great distraction and the perfect way to divide stressed out, angry Americans against each other, Jew against Jew, Muslin against Muslim, Christian versus Christian. Wherever you fall on the political spectrum something about an atrocity like this calculated, humanity-crushing attack is bound to inflame you. News stories about decapitated babies, 85 year-old hostages, babies burned alive, babies dying in hospitals without medicine, water or electricity, bombs and missiles causing mass destruction. Making people too angry to assess the real horror is a time-honored technique to sew distrust, fear, hopelessness and tribal division. I thought that when the news first broke and I still think that. How Putin and his friends must be smiling.

Yuval Noah Harari talks about Israel’s challenge to preserve her humanity and describes the treacherously effective trap Hamas sprung on Israel, and the world, with their hateful attack on their hated enemies.

link to 30 second version