Israel: Is revenge the right answer?

Israel cries out for revenge. This is understandable. The horrific images of Hamas' attack on Saturday (7 October) have hit hard.

The number of Israeli casualties runs into the many hundreds, but it is mainly the way the attack happened that has left deep wounds. The fact that Hamas militants could simply enter Israeli villages, shoot people or abduct them from their homes is unprecedented. Moreover, it was totally unexpected.

Israel's reaction is one we see everywhere after a b...