A smarter way to proceed in Gaza: hold off and reengage Riyadh

The Oct. 7 Hamas massacre has inspired two new tidbits of conventional wisdom: first, that Israel will now launch a ground invasion of Gaza to remove Hamas from power, and second that the U.S.-brokered peace deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia is for the moment off the table. 

Both of these assumptions should be reexamined.

A better path forward may be to fast-track such a peace deal and even expand it. The shrewdest answer to the savagery of Hamas — to an unprovoked assault which was almost certainly green-lighted by Iran — would be to make peace and thwart the Iranians’ efforts to sabotage Israeli-Arab conciliation.

Such an alternative strategy cannot happen if Israel marches into Gaza with guns blazing and tanks rumbling, causing massive civilian casualties precisely in accordance with its enemies’ nihilistic plan.