Israel is imperfect and I have ZERO problem with criticism of Israeli policy but the TRUTH matters, and I can't for the life of me figure out why so many intelligent, thoughtful, and caring progressives are so quick to share and reinforce ugly, bold faced lies about Israel. I want to be clear that I know why the content they are sharing exists -- it is created by extremists who have no problem lying (or killing) to achieve their aim -- but I fail to see why people are so quick to believe it and circulate it without a second thought.

THE LIES BEING TOLD

1) "Israel is engaging in ethnic cleansing" This one is particularly egregious and beyond hurtful given recent Jewish history. The truth is that Israel goes to great lengths to prevent loss of life providing warnings for civilians to evacuate relevant areas before most strikes are carried out. Also, some people are being killed in Gaza from errant rockets that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are firing. There is plenty of video showing rockets that are falling back into Gaza shortly after being launched.

2) "Israel has ruthlessly evicted Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah" -- the truth is that the uproar is related to potential evictions that haven't even been ruled on yet by Israel's Supreme Court let alone carried out. This has nothing to do with the Israeli army -- this is a legal dispute that has been in the courts for years affecting only four homes related to non payment of rent, rightful title, etc

3) "Israel attacked people praying at Al-Aqsa mosque on a very holy day for Muslims." Many are incorrectly claiming that the IDF was involved but the conflagration happened between rioters and police. The truth is that there was a major riot in the foreground of Al-Aqsa mosque that was pre-planned and encouraged by Hamas -- the instigators had stockpiled lots of stones (there are pictures of this online posted by the rioters themselves) and began throwing them at Israeli police who ironically are stationed there to guard the site (because since capturing Jerusalem in 1967, Israel ensures freedom of worship for all religions). In retrospect, Israeli police should not have engaged -- they fell for a trap and footage was used to imply that Israeli police had attacked Al-Aqsa mosque unprovoked -- a message that was sure to stir emotions and rile up Muslims around the world

4) "Al Aqsa mosque is burning due to an Israeli attack." Video and photos have been circulated showing smoke in front of the mosque. The truth here is that one of the trees in the foreground caught fire from one of the rioter's firecrackers but Al Aqsa was unaffected.

Hamas and its supporters have used the pretext of the lies mentioned above to justify the launch of hundreds of rockets at Israel -- unequivocally starting this latest battle with Israel. The rockets launched by Hamas have been able to penetrate farther into Israel than in previous assaults, and Hamas has therefore been successful at terrorizing a much larger swath of Israeli society.

For those who support Hamas, the specifics of this latest flare up are irrelevant because Israel is an "occupying power" guilty of "oppressing" the Palestinian people and "stealing their land" -- and in this way, Hamas' penchant for violence is countenanced as necessary "resistance" and a last resort at "preserving dignity" BUT this is utter garbage because it's precisely this obsession with violent resistance above all else that is robbing the people of Gaza a chance at a better existence.

Israel withdrew entirely from Gaza in 2005, evicting thousands of Jewish residents as part of the operation. The people of Gaza were given a chance to self-govern -- they had a choice to pursue leadership that would strive for peace and prosperity (historically, many Gazans worked in Israel proper where wages were higher). Unfortunately, the people of Gaza elected Hamas. Rather than investing in economic opportunities for Gazans, Hamas funnels countless dollars into weapons and tunnels to attack Israel. Hamas has zero interest in improving life in Gaza because its charter calls for the destruction of Israel, and they won't be satisfied until that aim is achieved.

And while the Fatah movement that controls the West Bank are far more moderate than Hamas, the reality is that Mahmoud Abbas and Yasser Arafat before him have turned down multiple offers for Palestinian states, including an offer that Bill Clinton helped negotiate that he felt was a fair offer for a viable state (as noted in his autobiography "My Life").

Israel gains absolutely nothing from violent conflict with Hamas. It should be obvious on so many levels that Israel would much prefer a friendly neighbor -- the vast majority of Israelis want peace. The sad reality, however, is that too many Palestinians are taught from a very young age that if they just keep fighting, Israel will eventually be destroyed.

People who care about the well being of Palestinians, who believe that all people should be entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness should not advocate in support of Hamas -- an organization that will continue to perpetuate an endless cycle of violence. People who want more for the Palestinians should advocate for Palestinian leadership that is committed to improving the day to day lives of the Palestinian people, leadership that is committed to peace, leadership that is committed to doing the right thing for their people even if it isn't particularly popular among those who been brainwashed to hate at all costs.