Whilst the Hamas attack & resultant casualties is unforgivable the current Israeli Government must take some of the blame. They have been supporting settler moves to take more property & land which is illegal. Also advice for folk in Gaza to move from their homes to avoid attack is not realistic - where can they go? Basically Isreal 'you reap what you sow'.
In 1944 the American Zionist Organization unanimously adopted a resolution which demanded all of Palestine, undivided and undiminished, for a future Jewish Commonwealth. The resolution did not even mention the existence of Palestinian Arabs.
Since then, the Israelis have succeeded in building a strong state in a modest territory — but it must be exhausting to always have to be the strong boy in the class who always must show how strong you are.
What if the Israelis recognize that there are Arabs in the area, that Israel wants coexistence, and that Israel pursues a policy consistent with that wish? It would be less exhausting.
Great refresh of the history that has gotten us to this point. There is no excuse for Hamas’ actions and surprise attack targeting civilians in large measure. However, the fact that Palestinians in Gaza live in an open air prison created by the Israelis, confiscate land and housing of Palestinians in the West Bank to satisfy the increasingly radical Orthodox Jews, and Netanyahu’s corruption, authoritarian slide, and fracturing of Israeli society exacerbated by Netanyahu, should we be surprised at this? The only surprise might be it too so long to happen.
In the big picture, Israeli attacks in Gaza, if indiscriminate as I suspect they will be, will in the long run further isolate Israel globally as an apartheid state and failing democracy in which Arab and Secular citizens are being treated as second class to the ultra Orthodox Jews driving current policy and further fracture Israeli society.
Really good clear analysis. It feels so utterly tragic. Throughout my life I've seen hopes of a peaceful two state solution raised and dashed. I still want to feel hope but it's becoming so very difficult. I grew up in Belfast and there were often comparisons made with the Troubles, I don't think the situations are comparable at all. At times like this though I think of the terrified children hearing the bombings and looking to adults to make it go away, but they can't.
Sharon didn't visit the Al Aqsa Mosque, he visited the Temple Mount. Similarly, settlers storming the Al Aqsa complex is using the extremist Palestinian framing, when what happened is Jews walking around the Temple Mount, as Sharon did. Terror groups have long used that as a pretext for violence.
Hamas (and Iran) want the end of the states of Israel as Putin wants the end of Ukraine. So in each case there is no path to peace except through war. There is no guarantee that Israel or Ukraine win, of course.
Thank you for this overview. On Israeli social media there's a lot of hotheaded talk about 'puushing out' or even 'eliminating' Gazans as a whole, not just Hamas. To what extent are such steps likely to stay taboo in Israeli government circles? Especially given the scale of horror still emerging. (I've already seen former officials advocate cutting off food & water supplies to the strip, which given its density will eventually amount to the same thing...)
Lawrence, I would find your views on the present state of the Geneva Conventions (including the related protocols) in the light of the wars in Ukraine, and in and near Israel.
I find it very sad that not all states have ratified all protocols. Notably, there are several states (including, regrettably, Israel and the USA) that have not ratified Protocols I and II that provide protection to civilians and to facilities such as water supplies. What is the hope for the future of International Humanitarian law in the circumstances of today?
(To save anyone having to look up which other states have not ratified these protocols, the notable ones are India, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.)
Whilst the Hamas attack & resultant casualties is unforgivable the current Israeli Government must take some of the blame. They have been supporting settler moves to take more property & land which is illegal. Also advice for folk in Gaza to move from their homes to avoid attack is not realistic - where can they go? Basically Isreal 'you reap what you sow'.
In 1944 the American Zionist Organization unanimously adopted a resolution which demanded all of Palestine, undivided and undiminished, for a future Jewish Commonwealth. The resolution did not even mention the existence of Palestinian Arabs.
Since then, the Israelis have succeeded in building a strong state in a modest territory — but it must be exhausting to always have to be the strong boy in the class who always must show how strong you are.
What if the Israelis recognize that there are Arabs in the area, that Israel wants coexistence, and that Israel pursues a policy consistent with that wish? It would be less exhausting.
Date typo in third line from end ? Otherwise timely and excellent as ever on a grim situation that will only get worse.
Great refresh of the history that has gotten us to this point. There is no excuse for Hamas’ actions and surprise attack targeting civilians in large measure. However, the fact that Palestinians in Gaza live in an open air prison created by the Israelis, confiscate land and housing of Palestinians in the West Bank to satisfy the increasingly radical Orthodox Jews, and Netanyahu’s corruption, authoritarian slide, and fracturing of Israeli society exacerbated by Netanyahu, should we be surprised at this? The only surprise might be it too so long to happen.
In the big picture, Israeli attacks in Gaza, if indiscriminate as I suspect they will be, will in the long run further isolate Israel globally as an apartheid state and failing democracy in which Arab and Secular citizens are being treated as second class to the ultra Orthodox Jews driving current policy and further fracture Israeli society.
Really good clear analysis. It feels so utterly tragic. Throughout my life I've seen hopes of a peaceful two state solution raised and dashed. I still want to feel hope but it's becoming so very difficult. I grew up in Belfast and there were often comparisons made with the Troubles, I don't think the situations are comparable at all. At times like this though I think of the terrified children hearing the bombings and looking to adults to make it go away, but they can't.
Sharon didn't visit the Al Aqsa Mosque, he visited the Temple Mount. Similarly, settlers storming the Al Aqsa complex is using the extremist Palestinian framing, when what happened is Jews walking around the Temple Mount, as Sharon did. Terror groups have long used that as a pretext for violence.
Hamas (and Iran) want the end of the states of Israel as Putin wants the end of Ukraine. So in each case there is no path to peace except through war. There is no guarantee that Israel or Ukraine win, of course.
Thank you for this overview. On Israeli social media there's a lot of hotheaded talk about 'puushing out' or even 'eliminating' Gazans as a whole, not just Hamas. To what extent are such steps likely to stay taboo in Israeli government circles? Especially given the scale of horror still emerging. (I've already seen former officials advocate cutting off food & water supplies to the strip, which given its density will eventually amount to the same thing...)
Lawrence, I would find your views on the present state of the Geneva Conventions (including the related protocols) in the light of the wars in Ukraine, and in and near Israel.
I find it very sad that not all states have ratified all protocols. Notably, there are several states (including, regrettably, Israel and the USA) that have not ratified Protocols I and II that provide protection to civilians and to facilities such as water supplies. What is the hope for the future of International Humanitarian law in the circumstances of today?
(To save anyone having to look up which other states have not ratified these protocols, the notable ones are India, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.)
“Settlers storming Al Aqsa mosque” might IMO have been more appropriate in quotation marks