I don’t know much at this point about the young man who shot and killed Charlie Kirk. But I have heard that a family member recognized him from one of the photos released by the police, and convinced him to turn himself in. Hold that thought for a moment.

The more we learn about Charlie Kirk, we learn two things. First, that he was charismatic and influential among young people  at levels we can hardly imagine. And second (and I think we will find out this more and more as time goes by), we learn that Charlie Kirk’s political philosophy was abhorrent and his language, if anything, worse. This obviously is not to excuse the murder, but it does need to be brought into the mix.

Bur, let’s go back to the family members who convinced Robinson to turn himself in. This was a very courageous step. Turning in a member of your own tribe, your own family.

Okay, now an imperfect analogy.

So many Jews, American, Israeli and otherwise, are repulsed by some of the actions taken by Benjamin Netanyahu, his government, and his military. What is our obligation to call them out? And how should that be done?

Over the past few days, Netanyahu has announced that there will be no chance for a Palestinian State, that the Israeli settlements in the West Bank will expand, that the City of Gaza will be leveled, and that a building in the independent country of Qatar would be attacked. And that is just over the past few days.

We all understand the fear and, yes, hatred of many, or most, Israelis directed against their neighbors, not only as a result of October 7, but as the result of over 75 years of hostility. We can also understand how the Arabs living next to Israel have hate towards Israel and Israelis after almost 60 years of Israeli occupation, and now because of Israeli actions in both Gaza and the West Bank.

But what will these mutual hatreds accomplish? As I have suggested before, Netanyahu is modeling himself after Americans of two or more centuries ago who eliminated American Indians, both by numbers and from positions of power or influence. The Americans were successful, and Netanyahu is betting that he will be as well. And that, over time, his methods will be overlooked or forgotten. Vladimir Putin, by the way, is making the same gamble.

But Netanyahu may be wrong. He may not succeed. His methods may not be forgotten. They may boomerang, as in many ways they already are.

Remember the Biblical prophets. Who railed against perceived shortcomings in Israeli and Judean societies over 2000 years ago. They did not keep quiet. Of course, whether they did any good is another question.

Compounding the problem, of course, is tendency of many to equate the positions of Netantmtahu and his coalition with those of all Israelis and, consequently, of all Jews worldwide. This happens more often than people might equate Putin with all Russians, for example, and it is obviously a concern.

But isn’t it more likely that being Jewish and Israeli will be more conflated if few Jews speak out? And of course, to the disadvantage of Jews everywhere, I believe, Netanyahu and, yes, the Israel lobby, want Jews to identify with Israel, complicating the matter further.

And of course, there is one other thing. Netanyahu might be right. There might be no chance for peace in Israel unless Israel expands from the river to the sea, as the Likud party platform has always encouraged, no matter what the cost. And that continued conflict for the land will just continue to take lives on both sides, for generations to come. And that it needs to stop with one final series of actions right now.

Do you see why I am continually confused about the Middle East?

Let’s get back to Charlie Kirk.