TIMES OF ISRAEL
The Brutal Syllogism of this War is a Deathtrap for Israel
Michael Oren
July 3, 2024

The basis of Aristotelian logic, and arguably of all Western philosophical thought, is the syllogism. It states, simply, that if A equals B and B equals C, then A equals C. And what was foundational for Aristotle in antiquity is for Israelis today nothing short of nightmarish. We are trapped in a deadly syllogism in which the refusal of one terrorist organization to end its war with Israel means a second terrorist organization will also refuse, pitching Israel into a regional – and potentially existential – conflict. How did we become so lethally enmeshed? What factors contributed to our syllogistic entrapment? And how, if at all, can Israel escape? READ MORE