Dr. Rafael L. Bardaji, writing on behalf of Grupo de Estudiois Estrategicos, makes a compelling argument for the need for Israel to be allowed to finish the job against Hamas. While some have argued that Israel should cease fire immediately, Dr. Bardaji reminds us that although Hezbollah was  bested on the battlefield its success in coming out of its conflict with Israel politically intact translated into a long-term victory for the Iranian backed terror group.

In the midst of his analysis, Dr. Bardaji deals with the distorted reports of casualties inflicted by Israel. News reports keep repeating Palestinian death counts (with no evidence as to their accuracy) as if every Palestinian killed is a civilian. Dr. Bardaji cites the United Nations, one of Israel's fiercest critics, and concludes that at most 10% of the victims can be considered innocent victims while 90% are "would be leaders and militiamen of Hamas". He goes on to note that Israel is doing a much better job than NATO in Afghanistan is in hitting military targets and avoiding non-military ones.

Dr. Bardaji concludes by urging the EU and the UN to allow Israel to complete its mission. He says, "International pressure should be focused on our enemies, and in this case on Hamas, not our friends and saviors. Israel should feel our support so that Hamas senses its isolation and feels that it is within the Israeli soldiers reach."

For readers interested in informed security analyzes we highly recommend reading Dr. Bardaji and his colleagues on their GEES website in English and Spanish. Topics include European relations with the United States, the European Union, and the Middle East. It is a treasure trove of informed opinion and facts.