An alternative version of the headline could be: Chicago columnist prefers the removal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Hamas.

This week, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg expressed his preference for the removal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power rather than the elimination of Hamas.

Steinberg believes that Netanyahu is a more destructive force than the terror group responsible for the deaths and kidnappings of nearly 1500 people in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as he stated in a recent column criticizing Israel's war in Gaza.

Steinberg stated that he would prefer getting rid of Netanyahu over Hamas if given the option, as he shared in a conversation with a Netanyahu administration member during the recent Democratic National Convention.

""Another terror group will always replace Hamas, but I believe Israel cannot have a worse leader than Netanyahu," he stated to the official, who then turned around and walked away."

Steinberg remarked, "So much for dialogue," implying that both sides of the conflict are unwilling to engage in difficult discussions about the war.

I'd be more embarrassed at my rudeness, but it's clear that I'm not the only one who holds this opinion, as evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who marched in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem this weekend following the execution of six hostages in Gaza's tunnels.

Both Palestinian and Israeli leadership are committing a "category error" in their approach to each other.

He began his critique of Palestinians by stating that their traditional approach to treating Israel as a military problem had failed repeatedly, including in 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973, when they had Arab armies supporting them. Despite this, they have been attempting to go it alone for the past 50 years, resulting in even greater levels of failure, leading to suffering, death, and a decreasing amount of land they possess.

Israel was characterized by him as viewing the Palestinians as a long-term management issue rather than an urgent moral imperative demanding immediate action.

Steinberg stated that instead of addressing the predicament that fate has placed on its doorstep, it places the blame on the Palestinians' corrupt and incompetent leadership, shrugs off the situation, makes do, and allows another decade to pass.

The columnist contended that both sides prioritize their own humanity and lament their own misfortunes, while disregarding the suffering they inflict on others.

"Palestinian leaders lose any hope of an actual future when they chant 'from the river to the sea,' as Israel has one of the strongest militaries in the world and trying to fight their way back to an imagined past only deludes them," he stated.

Steinberg stated that he believes Palestinians have a "right to resist" Israel, but noted that "it hasn’t gone so well."

He expressed his disappointment at the ongoing conflict, stating, "The war persists, bloodshed continues, and the divide between the two sides appears to widen. I wish they could recognize that violence and blame will not lead to a resolution." Despite this, he held onto a sliver of optimism that both sides possess the capacity to achieve peace.

"The solution to this problem is currently in the hands of the Israelis and Palestinians, waiting to be implemented."