The invasion of Gaza by an Israeli military powered with high tech US weaponry has been launched at a time when the world is in the grip of an economic crisis and before the American leadership transition has been completed. It was a window of opportunity seized ruthlessly by Israel in defiance of international law, using Qassam rocket attacks as a pretext.

The use of high tech weaponry against the people of Gaza is a moral outrage. The IAF can fly into Gaza with impunity and go after targets at their leisure, kind of like roaming wolf packs with no predators to bother them. There are no anti-aircraft capabilities in Gaza. The people on the ground are at the mercy of a killing machine that makes a big deal out of its 'smart targeting' - as though this makes their activities more palatable, more sanitized, more correct or less devastating in terms of the impact on civilians.

The silence of many American and Canadian liberals in the face of this invasion is shameful. Do they believe, as Israel claims, that this attack is mainly about the Qassams? Contrary to the opinions of those who believe Israeli action will root out the "bad guys", this invasion is serving to feed a counter-force that will draw on the power of Islamic fundamentalism.

Opportunities to make a meaningful and lasting peace have been repeatedly botched and sabotaged over the years. Now with this illegal invasion the symbol of "change" in America, Barack Obama, stands by in silence.

An article by Ben Cohen titled "Obama's Silence on Gaza is Deafening" that appears in the Huffington Post, addresses the strategic moves Obama has made in order to consolidate his presidency.

Barack Obama had to do two things to persuade the powers that be that he was a viable candidate for President. The first was to assure the financial community that he would commit to a centrist economic platform, and the second was to sell out the Palestinians immediately and jump in bed with AIPAC.

Obama did both, and the consequences will be felt immediately...

In going to AIPAC to do obeisance and to offer wildly unrealistic assurances - i.e. that Jerusalem would remain the eternal capital of Israel, Obama compromised his ability to act as a broker untainted by the baggage of the past.

Ben Cohen:

Obama has massive political capital, and could have injected himself into the crisis before it happened. He did so during the beginning of the economic meltdown, and could have lent his credibility to a situation that has spiralled dangerously out of control. Obama has stated that 'There is only one President at a time', abdicating responsibility and essentially passing the buck.