The accidental killing of aid workers by Israel—aside from its obvious sad tragedy for the families and friends of those seven—was unfortunately instructive; a teachable moment—against and about Israel and how she is viewed.

The difference between the accidental bombing by Israel and the deliberate atrocity of Hamas’ ongoing war against Israel, where civilians are deliberately used as weapons and victims of war, collapsed.  It shouldn’t have. War is Hell and in Hell, as almost everywhere, accidents happen.

The Israeli accident will be remembered and exploited far more than when, under Barack Obama, the US struck a Doctors Without Borders facility in Afghanistan, killing at least 40 civilians; and Joe Biden’s bombing in Afghanistan that killed ten civilians. Or any other number of wartime accidents.

If Hamas did not use civilians for cover and target, and taken hostages, these seven lives would still be with us.

But a horrible accident should not serve as a pretext to rhetorically isolate if not abandon our ally in her hour of need.