I’ve spent almost two years listening to pro-Israeli voices defend the bombardment Gaza as retaliation for October 7. They say they want accountability for the hundred-plus hostages and the thousand-plus casualties. Then why are there now more than 200,000 dead Gazans, countless more injured and displaced, and the land almost entirely rubble? Funny thing about revenge: It doesn’t limit itself to any set number.

(And yes, I’m aware that the word “revenge” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there, given Israel’s US-funded genocide raging for more than 70 years.)

One of the great shames of humanity—and there are many—is how we put a price on life itself. Other species may have complex behaviors, but we’re the only ones who’ve made bartering life into a science. From slavery to expensive health

See Full Page