yikes.
but i think josh marshall is right, the israeli supreme court tends to be a lot more sane on these issues. the ruling will probably be overturned in the end. but in the meantime, this will probably tarnish israel's image even further internationally.
i actually think the gaza offensive is something of a watershed event in israel's international image, at least in the u.s. for the first time in my memory, less than a majority of americans support israel's military action. among the bloggers i read, quite a lot of the critics of israel's actions are american jews. (e.g. 1 2 3 4, not to mention myself). there are certainly plenty of jews in my generation who are very supportive of the israeli campaign, but it isn't nearly as universal as it used to be. i see that whenever i talk to friends and relatives in the u.s. about gaza. american jews my age are divided, whereas the older generation is almost uniformly supportive of israeli action.
the u.s. is really the last major country that signs off on any harsh measure the israelis use against the palestinians. american jews are a key element of that support, but the next generation doesn't seem to be completely on board anymore. i wonder if the days of such strong american support may be numbered.
