Critics of the Jewish state claim that the IDF has used excessive force in containing the demonstrations at the Israel-Gaza border; defenders point to the armed men interspersed among the protestors, some of whom have attempted to breach the security fence. To Christopher Caldwell, the demonstrations are in themselves a threat to Israel’s sovereignty:

According to a recent survey, three fourths of the Palestinian residents of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip would like to see national elections, which have not occurred in over a decade. Presumably, then, a majority were pleased to hear that the Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, announced on January 15 that elections for the legislature and presidency will take place this summer. But Ghaith al-Omari is skeptical that—given the ongoing rift between Hamas and Fatah—elections will take place, and worries that if they do, they will not have salutary effects.