Israel and Hamas at war.
Any loss of lives under any circumstances is a tragedy to humanity. This last weekend we have seen it again. In a surprise attack against Israel, Hamas, a radicalized Palestinian group, caused carnage by killing Israelis in towns close to the border with the Gaza Strip. They took as well over 150 hostages. Israel has responded so far by leveling Hamas buildings in Gaza and promises a full ground invasion. The death toll on both sides is in the thousands and will certainly continue to increase in the coming days and weeks.
Why did Hamas choose to attack Israel without any foreseen provocation? Why would Hamas wage a useless war against its stronger enemy at the expense of its own people?
Thomas Friedman, in his column in the New York Times on Saturday, contends that Hamas might be acting on behalf of Iran rather than the Palestinian people. There have been talks of peace negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. If reached, the peace agreement would have fractured Iran’s standing in the region and could have led to many Arab and Muslim states recognizing Israel.
The same deal might have benefited the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank as well with a cash flow from Saudi Arabia, a curbing on Israeli settlements, and the preservation of a two-state solution. This might have resulted in West Bank leaders earning legitimacy from the Palestinian masses, and certainly threaten the legitimacy of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. To disrupt the deal’s chances of success, Hamas took the hardline in a brazen invasion of Israel.
Others think that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s extremism has contributed to the turmoil between Israel and Palestinian groups like Hamas. An editorial in Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, for example, yesterday argued, “The prime minister, who has prided himself on his vast political experience and irreplaceable wisdom in security matters, completely failed to identify the dangers he was consciously leading Israel into when establishing a government of annexation and dispossession.” Netanyahu, Haaretz added, adopted “a foreign policy that openly ignored the existence and rights of Palestinians.”
There is no doubt that the Palestinian cause remains a rallying cry in the Middle East, but that doesn’t justify the murders of hundreds of young Israelis, and the kidnapping of mothers and young children to be used as human shields. Israel from its part should also have a measured response targeting Hamas military facilities rather than the Palestinian population.
The United States has an important role to play here as well. It can and should offer diplomatic support and emergency military assistance and work with the Israeli government, Palestinian leaders, and humanitarian organizations to help ensure that civilian casualties and suffering in Israel and Gaza do not spin out of control.
Violence never solves anything. It brings more violence. Peaceful negotiations of all parties should be primed. But until then, we shall all condemn the Hamas invasion and ask Israel to temper down its military operations in the Gaza strip.
