Some of Israel’s most fervent critics seem to be lawyers, going by a recent report by Francesca Block and Eli Lake:

Members of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA), which represents 2,700 public interest attorneys and advocates in the New York City area, say the union fostered a hostile environment toward Jews after Hamas invaded Israel on October 7. Four lawyers who spoke to The Free Press said the abuse was so severe it almost forced them to quit their jobs. As one lawyer who has been in the union for over 15 years put it: “I hate it there. I think the union is a sinking ship. So I am actively looking for an escape plan.”

The writers managed to obtain some of the abusive messages, which show members of the union who defended Israel being called “fascist,” “deranged,” and “mentally disturbed.” Worse, the environment within the ALAA seems to reflect the environment within many unions across the country.

Alon Levin, a Columbia PhD student in electrical engineering who joined the [graduate student] union only to quit later in protest, said, “My experience is that the union has become a vehicle to pack these rallies for Palestine. Every time you see one of these demonstrations on campus, you see all of these UAW signs. It feels like the union has lost its focus, which is to represent all student workers.”

Tamir Hayman analyzes the latest reports about an offer by Hamas to release three female soldiers in exchange for 150 captured terrorists, of whom 90 have received life sentences; then, if that exchange happens successfully, a second stage of the deal will begin.

If this does happen, Israel will release all the serious prisoners who had been sentenced to life and who are associated with Hamas, which will leave Israel without any bargaining chips for the second stage. In practice, Israel will release everyone who is important to Hamas without getting back all the hostages. In this situation, it’s evident that Israel will approach the second stage of the negotiations in the most unfavorable way possible. Hamas will achieve all its demands in the first stage, except for a commitment from Israel to end the war completely.

How does this relate to the fighting in Rafah? Hayman explains:

In the absence of an agreement or compromise by Hamas, it is detrimental for Israel to continue the static situation we were in. It is positive that new energy has entered the campaign. . . . The [capture of the] border of the Gaza Strip and the Rafah crossing are extremely important achievements, while the ongoing dismantling of the battalions is of secondary importance.

That being said, Hayman is critical of the approach to negotiations taken so far:

Gradual hostage trades don’t work. We must adopt a different concept of a single deal in which Israel offers a complete cessation of the war in exchange for all the hostages.