It is fashionable to compare the current war in Israel with the 9/11 attack. “This is no less than Israel's 9/11,” said Ian Bremmer, the president of Eurasia Group, in reference to the scale of the attack.  Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper explains why he thinks the Hamas attack in Israel compares to the attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, analogizes similarly. He stated on "Fox & Friends Weekend" (10/08) that the 600 dead in the conflict with Hamas equates roughly to 20,000 Americans dead on 9/11, given population differences (the number of dead is almost certain to rise). 

Erdan’s back-of-the-envelope math is: there are ~330,000,000 Americans and ~10,000,000 Israelis. Hence, there are 33 times more Americans than Israelis. 33 x 600 = 19,800. Roughly, 20,000. 

This minimizes the number significantly. 

Israel’s population is 9,174, 520. The population of the USA is 339,996,563. 

There are 37.1 times more Americans than Israelis. 

On 9/11, the targets were Americans. In the war in Israel, Jews and Jewish towns are the targets (see the Hamas Charter).

However, Israel is only 79% Jewish. The Jewish population of Israel is 7,247,871. 

There are 47 times more Americans than Israeli Jews, so 600 dead “Israelis” (read Jews) equates to 28.146 dead Americans. This is 141% of Ambassador Eldan’s estimate, i.e., 1.4 times greater. He is off by 40%. 

If this were a Muslim’s calculation, it would make sense. Muslims (e.g., Mahmoud Abbas) have a way of minimizing Jewish dead. 

So why might the ambassador lowball the number? 

Because despite all the hatred of Jews by Arabs, the State of Israel has always considered its Arab population as part of the country. This sentiment goes all the way back to its establishment where the Founders asked the Arab population to remain instead of leaving at the time of the Arab invasion to destroy the nascent state. 

Good luck finding a Muslim or Arab country that considers its minority populations likewise. 

As horrible as 20,000 dead sounds to the sane, i.e., non-anti-Semites, remember the real number is 40% higher, as it will remain as the casualty count increases. 

Image: James Emery