Commentary: How to break the cycle of aiding Gaza only to see it destroyed again

I arrived in Palestine and Israel just months after Hamas’ election victory. It was July 2006, and Israel’s first Gaza war (with Hamas) and second Lebanon war (with Hezbollah) were just finishing. My wife and I were living in East Jerusalem, where our two kids would learn to walk and over the years form indelible memories in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

The 2006 election, in which (8.3% of today’s population) cast a ballot in favor of Hamas, is often touted as proof that Gaza’s population supports terrorism. Lesser known is that showed that 83% of voters in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem supported peace with Israel, and 75% believed