For many, the word conjures images of crowded neighborhoods caught in perpetual strife - between Hamas and Fatah, between Hamas and Israel. For the myopic European media, Gaza is another example of Israeli heavy-handedness. Israelis, especially those living in the expanding range of Hamas rockets, see Gaza as proof that unilateral concessions compromise Israel's safety while bringing peace no closer.

To me, Gaza is far more personal. As an Israeli infantry officer, I served in Gaza before, during, and...