@ Thucydides

"I'm not saying the Palestinians are as helpless as the black slaves of the Americas. What I'm saying is that Israel's reaction to minor provocations is comparable"

Okay, I can agree with that bit. Sorry for my misinterpretation. I rescind that portion of my comment towards you.

"Is it disgusting that they allow their civilians to be in harm's way?"

'Allow' them? Seems to me like they're more or less holding the civilians hostage by putting rocket batteries in schools and hospitals, which is why I disagree with your overarching point that the Palestinians are the lesser of two evils.

"but this is what the people of Gaza seem to want."

Exactly. Under a total war doctrine, Israel's deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure is ethically indefensible but tactically rational, just as Hamas' use of suicide bombers and indiscriminate rocket attacks is ethically indefensible but tactically rational.

"This is very much a 'lesser of two evils' situation"

No, it isn't. When is the last time that an Israeli or Palestinian has been successfully prosecuted for a war crime by his/her own superiors? You could probably find a few examples of Israelis being prosecuted, but indictments/prosecutions/convictions for either side don't come anywhere near the rate of alleged war crimes. To suggest that either side is the "lesser" of two evils is laughable at best.