The Bottom Line

Former US general: Israel may win in Gaza, but fail in the region

US General Mark Kimmitt says Israeli talk of annihilating Gaza ‘sounds good on TV’ but is impractical and illegal.

By mimicking United States tactics in World War II in Germany and Japan, Israel has made a grave mistake with its war on Gaza, according to retired US Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt.

Kimmitt tells host Steve Clemons that Israel’s tactics – firebombing and “starting new” – have made it unwelcome among the peoples of the region.

Despite Israel’s assassination of a top Hamas commander in Lebanon and disruption of shipping routes in the Red Sea, the US is less concerned about regional instability than it was in October. The situation “has not hit US red lines,” he says.