Lost chances

As the fourth season of “All of Mankind” is coming to an end on Mars in the early aughts, I cannot stop thinking about roads not taken in world history. Just as after 9/11 when the US had a generational opportunity to win the war on terror outright by abiding to democratic norms yet chose to spoil it all on Guantanamo and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Israel experienced a unique wave of global solidarity following the heinous attacks by Hamas back in October. However, by choosing to indiscriminately bomb Gaza and killing tens of thousands, that good will is now spent and, with no clear end game in sight, the Middle East instead finds itself in an ever deeper downward spiral.