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| One of many gut-wrenching but misleading images from Gaza |
There is no disputing these facts. But there is considerable
debate about how Netanyahu has conducted the war. Particularly regarding
the number of civilian casualties and allegations of famine-like conditions
among Gaza’s residents. As far as I’m concerned, that debate only holds water
if one accepts the highly partisan narrative coming out of Gaza and the so-called
‘humanitarian’ organizations operating there. Many of which have proven to be
anti-Israel.
Unfortunately, these sources are given a level of
credibility they do not deserve, thanks in large part to the deceptive imagery
broadcast from Gaza. Deceptive not only because of Hamas's manipulation, but
also because of the media’s cynical ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ approach to
electronic journalism. A motive driven more by ratings and ad revenue than by
objective reporting.
There are, of course, many other issues that have earned
Netanyahu the wrath of his detractors. I won’t list them here. I’ve addressed
them in the past. Suffice it to say that the animosity against him, fueled by
even one of these issues, is intense and widespread among roughly half of
Israel’s population reaching levels of unprecedented hostility in some cases.
I wanted to make my support for Netanyahu very clear before
expressing my own puzzlement about the continuation of the war in Gaza. This
criticism is not coming from a place of prior animosity, which would call my
motives into question. My concerns come as a supporter, not a detractor.
As noted, the Middle East has been transformed by
Netanyahu’s decisions—some would say permanently - in ways that have benefited
Israel. Iran has been weakened, Hezbollah has been significantly curtailed, and
the threat from Syria—once under Assad’s jihadist grip has been diminished. Syria’s
new regime may now even be inching toward a willingness to make peace with
Israel.
Given all this, perhaps it's time to end the war in Gaza.
I recognize, of course, that I am not in a position to
second-guess Israel’s leadership. I don’t have access to their military
intelligence, nor can I fairly assess the necessity of Israel’s current
operations. But still, I wonder: what can Israel ultimately accomplish with a
continued bombing campaign that may kill a Hamas operative or two, while the
media salivates at blaming Israel for all the civilian casualties it took to do
that. Thereby vilifying Israel almost daily. Without the slightest attempt to
fairly represent Israel’s side?
Netanyahu’s stated goal is to eliminate Hamas completely.
But I’ve never thought that was a realistic objective. Hamas’s ideology is the
same as that of every jihadist group, and while that doesn’t mean Israel
shouldn’t try to dismantle it—or that this shouldn’t remain a central goal, it
also doesn’t mean this war can go on forever. At some point, one must consider
the law of diminishing returns.
Even if Israel is fully justified in targeting every last
Hamas terrorist - accidentally killing civilians in the process, through no
fault of its own - the world simply doesn’t see it that way. The truth doesn't
matter when the only narrative being heard is that of Palestinian suffering. So
what Israel may gain from eliminating another Hamas operative may be lost
tenfold in global outrage over civilian deaths. Whether that outrage is fair or
not.
I know Europe’s antisemitism wasn’t invented yesterday. It’s
been around for centuries and is sadly alive and well today. And I know that
the dramatic increase in Europe’s Muslim population plays a role in this rising
sentiment. But this is the reality Israel is up against. And it isn’t going
away. It will only get worse if the war drags on, with limited gains in terms
of Hamas casualties and a high cost in civilian lives—all of which will
continue to be blamed squarely on Israel.
As it has been all along.
From my admittedly limited perspective, I have to ask: What
is being gained, and what is being lost at this point?
In my uninformed view, I believe Israel’s focus should now
shift toward retrieving all the hostages and ending the war. While
simultaneously ensuring that Hamas never again has the capacity to reconstitute
itself. At the same time, Israel must overhaul its own security apparatus to
ensure that any future attempt at an October 7th-style attack would fail
miserably.
Here’s what I’d like to see. No more war. No more casualties.
On either side. No more long tours of duty for IDF reserves. And most
importantly: Bring the hostages home.
May this bring peace and security to the
people of Israel and lead to strengthened alliances with Arab neighbors that
began with the Abraham Accords.
