They do. Hitchens hypothesized that it was because Jews rejected both major religions based on their religion. There may be some truth to that. But there is also the dispute over territory surrounding Jerusalem (important to all three religions).

The Israelis better get on with finishing Hamas. They are losing global support as more civilian casualties are racked-up. There are even protests within Israel, and they're growing. Like we did after 9/11, they run the risk of transitioning from victims to bad guys. At which point, they've lost.

I would almost think a ceasefire might work to their advantage. They have the Mossad. Stop bombing, and unleash the Mossad to handle the Hamas leaders. They have a reputation of finding and eliminating individuals.