David Grossman has a fine piece in the NYT about the current Israeli campaign to crush Hamas. He argues for a 48 hour unilateral ceasefire on Israel's part.

Grossman, whose eldest son was killed in the 2006 Lebanon War, maintains that such an approach taken early in that conflict, would have put Israel in a much better position now. During the proposed 48 hour ceasefire, he suggests that international mediators should be invited to resolve the immediate crisis. His analysis takes note that Israel has the duty to defend not only Israeli citizens subject to Hamas rockets, but also innocent Gazan Palestinians.

Grossman writes, "We must not forget, even for a moment, that the inhabitants of Gaza will continue to live on our borders and that sooner or later we will need to achieve neighborly relations with them."

I had the pleasure of interviewing Grossman some years ago at his home in Jerusalem. He struck me then and even more so today as a man of wisdom, compassion and carefully constructed understanding of the Middle East conflict.

His voice should be heard in the current crisis.