I know you to be a smart man, so I'm glad you've at least acknowledged this. It's more than many do. But do you seriously think your present sensibilities would be intact if you lived in the conditions that Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have lived in your whole life? Do you see how, for all their flaws, the main focus of your ire wouldn't be Hamas but Israel?

And let's stop hiding behind niceties like "I certainly wouldn't appreciate Israel's actions." Would you hate Israel for killing your friends and family and align and abetting their murderous, fanatical settlers as they stole your home at gunpoint?

Oh, and you can't buy the land back that was stolen from you, because Israeli law prohibits sale of Israeli land to non-Israelis (while it remains perfectly legal for Israelis to buy non-Israeli land in the West Bank, of course). Not to mention that if somebody stole something from you, you might balk at the idea of having to buy it back at all, no???!!

"The everything they need to know' line works because everything I've explained here would be obvious to you if you were in these people's position. How would you feel about being cheerily informed by a very reasonable person that you could just buy back the land that was stolen from you if you recognised the people who stole the land from you. If you behave, maybe they'll give you a job!

I mean, sure, you might not appreciate the way they murdered your wife and child and destroyed everything you owned, you might furrow your brow as they stole the land and homes of your brethren. But you'd surely be much more concerned that Hamas killed some of their civilians. Assuredly so.

I'm sure you'd be exactly as emotionally detached as you are now if this was all happening to you and the people you love.