In a time of algorithm-supercharged anger, snap analysis and instant ideological gratification, I find myself painfully conflicted about the war in Gaza. I suspect I’m not alone.

While many of my fellow American Jews on the far left and right are frozen in their black-and-white interpretations of the ongoing violence, most of us find ourselves struggling in the morally gray middle.

At the basis of my internal conflict is my unabated rage at the barbaric attack that occurred on Oct. 7. How can one apply dispassionate analysis to Gaza while still haunted by the evil terrorism wrought by Hamas? The “eye-for-an-eye” human impulse that beats within me demands justice — the dismantling and destruction of Hamas, no matter what.

That’s how my heart beats. Then, there’s my mind, which knows that there is no simple justice in war.

As a member of Congress, I served on both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. I visited Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Gaza (even Rafah) dozens of times. I’ve found myself frequently seated next to generals like Joseph Dunford, David Petraeus, Ray Odierno, George Casey and Stanley McChrystal. When I reflect on my heart’s instincts, my passions are tempered by lessons learned.

First, there is the “counter-insurgency math,” explained concisely........

© The Hill