The Gaza invasion will not make Israel safer

THERE ARE many reasons why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a ground invasion of Gaza. He wants to ensure that Hamas can never again murder 1,400 Israelis.

- IAN BREMMER

He needs to take bold action to restore the confidence of his people in their nation's security. He may also believe his political survival depends on erasing the shame his government faces following the most consequential security failure in Israel's 75-year history. None of that makes a ground invasion of Gaza the right thing to do.

There are more than 2 million Palestinians now trapped inside a war zone with nowhere to go. Yes, Israeli forces will take steps to minimize civilian casualties, but because it is one of the world's most densely populated areas, those precautions won't be nearly enough.