The Death of Hope With War in Israel, Chaos in Gaza  

It is folly. But it is the kind of folly that has defined this conflict, defying common sense and good intentions for 50 years

A group of people in a dim shelter, including women, children, and a dog.
People take refuge Saturday in a shelter in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Getty Images)
Sharon Waxman

The Gaza Strip is one of the most hopeless places I have ever been in my life. 

Most of us will never step foot there, but if you’ve been, you won’t forget it. The corrugated tin roofs perched on rickety huts that people call home in the sprawling refugee camps. The open sewage. The poorly paved roads. The lack of basic infrastructure. The undernourished children.

But most of all there is the despair and anger in the eyes of adults, that always seems close to the surface. I was there as a young reporter in the late 1980s and again in the 1990s as violence flared anew.

Sharon Waxman

Sharon Waxman

Sharon Waxman, is the founder, CEO and Editor in Chief of TheWrap. She is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, and was a Hollywood correspondent for The New York Times. Twitter: @sharonwaxman

Comments

9 responses to “The Death of Hope With War in Israel, Chaos in Gaza  ”

  1. Alex Avatar
    Alex

    Free Palestine!

    Reply
    1. Briefed Avatar
      Briefed

      How about this: when did PALESTINIANS exist? They are not in the BIBLE… HISTORY… speak up people.
      HAMAS invaded aka TERRORISTs… and they are here on this no borders soil…so enjoy l00 to l,000 at your abode 2:31. What cha donna do when they come for you…oh judge jury executioner thousands of milles away from ISRAEL as if there on-the spot..dictating what for whom?! Amazing…Remote VIEWING revealed the latest gimmick of the century#

      Reply
  2. Lynn Green-Bennett Avatar
    Lynn Green-Bennett

    אמ ישראל חי
    Very balanced.
    NEXT PART PRIVATE
    Is it Larry or Mitchell he’s visiting & is everyone ok? Meant for Sharon Waxman. (I was at the house you grew up in many many times in High School—we were on Washington between Claver & Elmdale & Larry was with Sharon E then) Please do not post. My sister, Ronna Green Zaken is the same age as Larry. 

    Reply
    1. Sharon Waxman Avatar
      Sharon Waxman

      Hi Lynn! Yes, it’s Larry whose family is there. 

      Reply
  3. Lynn Green-Bennett Avatar
    Lynn Green-Bennett

    אמ ישראל חי
    Very balanced yet passionate article.
    [Please do not post. NEXT PART PRIVATE to Sharon W. Is it Larry or Mitchell in Israel & are they ok?(I was 2 years ahead of Larry & Sharon E— grew up on Washington—& spent many summer evenings at your house.) My sister, Ronna was in Larry’s class & her daughter, Remy Zaken, was in Spring Awakening on Broadway & won a Tony.]

    Reply
  4. Peace above all else Avatar
    Peace above all else

    This article is propaganda. It doesn’t acknowledge the Israeli occupation and apartheid. It talks about Israeli lives as sacred but doesn’t account for the Palestinians murdered by Israeli – it sees humans on one side and monsters on the other. This constant angling and repositioning of the truth (aka lying) is the reason why this fight will not end. Neither side can humanize the other. Both sides only see themselves as victims and compartmentalize away their own culpability and blame. Hamas is wrong. But so is Israel. Neither deserves to be punished like this. But both continue to punish each other and murder countless innocent civilians in the process. The problem is complicated but the answer is simple: both sides must end the victim narrative and must take accountability for their own atrocious behavior or this will never end. 

    Reply
    1. Sharon Waxman Avatar
      Sharon Waxman

      This article is my view based on years of reporting on both sides of the conflict. Don’t insult those efforts by calling it propaganda. Disagree if you like. I object to name-calling. I object to all civilian slaughter. I also object to 9-11, even if I don’t agree with all American foreign policies. SW

      Reply
    2. Feinberg Lois Avatar
      Feinberg Lois

      No. Your article is propaganda. The Israelis let the residents of Gaza vote and they voted for monsters. They were not occupied by Israel.
      It states what could have been the fate of these people if Hamas had cared about improving their lives, but they only cared about destroying Israel.  The effect was destroying themselves.

      Reply
  5. Navaho Land Avatar
    Navaho Land

    Dear Ms. Sharon, your pro-Palastinian position is clear and embarrassing. “if early reports are to be believed”. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but this is Hamas. You should know, as to your great knowledge of the Palestinians.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.