Finkelstein comments: Shmuel Rosner is the sort of third-rate hack who in another era fed pabulum to the Party faithful in Communist ragsheets.  In a recent lengthy NY Times essay, Rosner wrote: “Israel’s current policy toward Gaza ultimately benefits not only Israel but also the Palestinians” (“Israel Needs to Protect Its Borders.  By Whatever Means Necessary”, 18 May 2018).Just like Stalin’s policy in the 1930s ultimately benefited Ukraine… To be sure, Rosner does acknowledge that Israel “bombs it occasionally.” During the past 14 years, Israel has unleashed not less than eight “operations” against Gaza.  In the last of these, Operation Protective Shield (2014), Israel fired 20,000 high-explosive artillery shells, 14,500 tank shells, 6,000 missiles, and 3,500 naval shells into the tiny enclave.  This breakdown does not yet include bomb tonnage–over 100 one-ton bombs were dropped just on the densely populated civilian neighborhood of Shuja’iya.  The assault left behind 2.5 million tons of rubble.  Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, observed after touring Gaza: “I’ve never seen such massive destruction ever before,” while the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process observed, “No human being who visits can remain untouched by the terrible destruction that one sees.”  But for Rosner it’s a trifle, a footnote, not worthy of more than a passing phrase: Israel “bombs it occasionally.”