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| 2 of the most recent 866 IDF soldiers killed in Gaza since the war began (TOI) |
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s goal is to eliminate these
‘Nazis’ from the face of the earth - a task he has pursued through the IDF for
over 600 days. While Israel has succeeded in severely weakening Hamas’s
capacity to commit atrocities like those of October 7th, he has not succeeded
in eliminating them entirely. They continue to survive, as does their
determination to rebuild themselves and return to the level of strength they
had before this war began. On that level, one might even say they are winning.
As long as their ideology of annihilating the Jewish presence in ‘Palestine’
persists, groups like Hamas will continue to arise with the goal of
implementing their own version of a ‘final solution’ to the ‘Jewish problem.’
One may reasonably ask how this is possible, given the
extensive destruction in Gaza over these 600 days. Why hasn’t Hamas
surrendered? How are they so confident they can reconstitute themselves?
Unfortunately, the answer is right in front of us, though much
of the world refuses to see it. The truth is that Hamas is supported by a
significant portion (probably the majority) of the Palestinian population. Especially
in Gaza. There have been countless instances of such support over the past 600
days, and only willful blindness could lead one to deny that.
It first became evident on October 7th, when Hamas committed
its unspeakable brutality, including taking over 200 Jewish hostages. When
those hostages were paraded through the streets, video footage revealed crowds
showing no sympathy for the innocent Jewish hostages. On the contrary, the mood
was one of celebration.
Since then, the IDF has essentially destroyed much of Gaza.
It has been bombed into near oblivion and is now largely uninhabitable. In the
process, many Palestinian civilians have been killed - used by Hamas as human
shields against airstrikes by Israel targeting Hamas command centers and leadership. Hamas
deliberately places women and children in harm’s way, disguising fighters in civilian clothing so that any count of civilian casualties will include them.
Food shortages followed. When humanitarian aid was sent to
relieve them, Hamas and affiliated gangs commandeered the supplies, hoarded
them for their own use, and sold the remainder to starving civilians at
exorbitant prices. Meanwhile, UN humanitarian agencies staffed by Hamas
sympathizers - or in some cases, actual Hamas operatives - blamed Israel for
these shortages. When Israel began blocking aid trucks to prevent Hamas from
using the food for its own ends, Palestinian sources in Gaza and their
collaborators at the UN presented a picture of near-famine, blaming Israel
exclusively. They also blamed Israel for all civilian casualties, as though the
inflated numbers were entirely accurate and involved no combatants. Something that
is demonstrably false, given Hamas’s widespread embedding in sensitive civilian
areas like hospitals.
So why hasn’t Israel been successful in eradicating Hamas?
And why does Hamas believe they will surely reconstitute themselves when the
war ends?
I believe it’s because most Palestinians in Gaza support
Hamas. They have for years. Long before October 7th. And they will
continue to do so long after. Gaza’s Palestinian youth eagerly await the
opportunity to join Hamas and help in their ‘holy’ war against the Jews. For
every Hamas terrorist killed, there are dozens of young Palestinians ready to
take their place.
I don’t accept the claim that the war has created new
recruits. That’s an all too easy assumption to make, but I believe it’s false.
Their determination to eliminate Jews is deeply embedded in their ideology. It
always has been. The only way to defeat Hamas is to defeat the genocidal
ideology that drives them. An ideology embraced by far too many Palestinians.
The more devout they are in their religious beliefs, the more tightly they
cling to this vision of a ‘final solution’. Most Gazans are nothing if not
devout.
In all the footage I’ve seen of Palestinian suffering - and
I don’t doubt for a moment that they are suffering - have yet to hear a single voice demand that
Hamas release the remaining hostages. Surely they must know it was the Hamas
attack that brought this misery upon them. Surely they understand that
releasing the hostages would begin to alleviate their suffering. And yet - not
a word. Their narrative is entirely about what Israel is doing to them.
It is appalling to me that the mainstream media allows
images of war to dictate their moral compass. They see blood. They see bombs.
They see Israel dropping them. And they conclude that Israel is solely to
blame. They urge Israel to stop defending itself so Palestinians can survive.
Not a word is said urging Hamas to release the hostages and surrender as the
quickest path to peace. The media knows this. But in their knee-jerk response
to the imagery from Gaza, they see only Israeli culpability and demand that only
Israel take action to stop the war.
I believe this is the true reality in Gaza and Israel. The
question now is: What can be done?
If the only way to fully destroy Hamas is to destroy the
genocidal ideology of those who support them, continuing the war seems
pointless. You can’t destroy an ideology without destroying the people who hold
it. But deliberately killing all Palestinians in Gaza would itself be genocide!
Especially considering that there may be significant numbers who do not support
Hamas and would be willing to make peace with a Jewish state, though they are
likely a minority.
I don’t have an answer. That question is above my pay grade.
I leave it to Israel’s political and military leaders to make that
determination.
There are those who insist that Netanyahu is prolonging the war solely to stay in power. While I’m sure he wants to retain power - just as all political leaders do - I don’t believe that is his primary motivation. I truly believe he wants to win this war, because he sees it as the only way to prevent future atrocities like October 7th. There are politicians who disagree, who believe Hamas has already been weakened enough to prevent future attacks. But I side with those who understand that a permanent ceasefire will only allow Hamas to reconstitute itself. It’s just a matter of time.
That said, I do not want to see any more IDF soldiers die in a war whose legitimate goal seems so unattainable. If this sounds conflicted and confused, that’s because I am.
A brief word about Iran: I believe that President Trump’s insistence on denying Iran any nuclear enrichment capability - and Iran’s insistence on retaining low level enrichment, purportedly for peaceful purposes - makes any future nuclear deal unlikely. This could eventually lead to a joint military operation with Israel against Iran’s underground nuclear facilities, advanced air defenses, and even their Revolutionary Guard installations. Trump may be averse to war, but not at any cost. (The US military has the ‘bunker busting’ bombs that can penetrate their underground nuclear facilities.
Back to Israel. With the religious parties threatening to bring down the current government, and new elections potentially on the horizon, it’s difficult to predict what the future holds. The only thing I can say with confidence is this: Right now, I’m not sure of anything.