A Jew's Condemnation of the Israeli Gaza Offensive: A Way Forward

Alex Bäcker, July 26, 2014

Like so many, I have been following the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict with sadness. Much has been said to lay all blame for the crisis on Hamas. Yet this view does not stand up to scrutiny.

First, before anybody accuse me of being antisemitic, let me state that I was raised in a Jewish family. My family emigrated from Nazi Germany at the beginning of the Holocaust. In my view, this gives me more reasons for concern about the oppression of a people, not less.

So, did Hamas start this conflict? Let's examine the facts. The 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict started with the abduction and assassination of three Israeli teenagers. This was a gruesome crime, but a crime nonetheless --not a declaration of war. Indeed, on July 25th, Israeli police officials admitted that the kidnappings did not occur on the orders of, or with the knowledge of the Hamas leadership and that the crime was the action of a "lone cell" (1,2). A crime called for a police investigation, not a military operation that first arrested and then killed hundreds of Palestinians, including hundreds of children, women and elderly, according to the UN (3).

So this war was started by Israel, using the excuse of a gruesome crime by two criminals as provocation to kill, injure and displace over 100,000 Palestinians, including children, women and elderly. 80% of the Gaza population receive only 4 hours of electricity per day (4).

The UN estimated that over 800 of those killed were civilians, of whom 295 were women or children. Israeli armed forces have attacked even a UN shelter in a UN-run elementary school. This was not an isolated incident, either: the UNRWA director complained that Israeli shells struck a UN shelter for the third time in four days.

Yet Israel's responsibility extends to even before this armed offensive. Palestinian civilians reported to the LA Times this week that they prefer war to the oppression endured under the enduring Israeli blockade (5). Indeed, Israel and Egypt have imposed a crippling economic blockade on Gaza since 2007. With a severe reduction in the areas Palestinians can fish in, a ban on construction imports, and a ban on any seaport or airport, Gaza has been suffocated for years. No people deserve to live in such conditions.

Despite many differences, there are striking similarities to the European wars that led to the extermination of six million Jews last century. The First World War was also started by an assassination, albeit in that case it was indeed one sponsored by the (Serbian) state. The economic conditions imposed on Germany after the war were so devastating that they led to the rise of fascism, Nazism and the Second World War.

Many also made much of Hamas' rejection of the Egyptian peace proposal, but fail to mention that Hamas offered a 10-year truce if 10 rather reasonable demands are met. Demands included the withdrawal of Israeli tanks just far enough for Gaza farmers to tend their farms, freeing war prisoners, ending the siege, opening of a UN-run seaport and airport, increase of the fishing zone to 10 nautical miles, monitoring of the Rafah crossing to Egypt by international crews from friendly and Arab countries, a ceasefire including no Israeli flying over Gaza, and permission to pray in the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, re-establishment of the Gaza industrial zone and no Israeli intervention in Palestinian internal affairs (6).

Much is also made of Hamas' non-acceptance of Israel's "right to exist" and its charter to destroy Israel. But although this is indeed a position that hurts Hamas and Gaza when espoused, Aziz Dwaik, Hamas' most senior representative in the West Bank said already in 2010 that it was one Hamas was prepared to renounce (7).

Weapons have been found hidden in two vacant UN schools in Gaza. These are despicable actions indeed, but just because weapons were found in a vacant school does not give Israel the right to attack ones that are full of children. Israel has alleged that Hamas keeps fighters in close proximity to civilians. In a territory with the population density of Boston (14 times that of Israel), how could you not?

Hamas may indeed use the PR impact of loss of life of its own people as its only effective weapon.Yet that only goes to show the desperate situation the people of Gaza are in. Is it any less worthy to sacrifice your own than others to a cause?

In order to achieve peace, Israel must not only allow, but encourage, a la Marshall Plan, an independent, thriving Palestinian state. Whether it likes the government that Palestinians choose for themselves or not. Investing in Palestinian education and showing goodwill from Israel are the best ways to bring up a generation of Palestinians who are committed to peaceful coexistence. It worked for the West with Japan and Germany after the second World War. This really isn't rocket science.

About the author:

The author has been named one of 40 under 40, holds a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology and has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Nature and many other publications.

References:

1. http://www.dailydot.com/politics/israel-gaza-kidnap-false-inaccurate/

2. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/07/hamas-didnt-kidnap-the-israeli-teens-after-all.html

3. http://www.dailydot.com/politics/israel-gaza-kidnap-false-inaccurate/

& http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/07/hamas-didnt-kidnap-the-israeli-teens-after-all.html

4. "Occupied Palestinian Territory: Gaza emergency: Humanitarian Snapshot (as of 22 July 2014)". UN OCHA. 22 July 2014.

5. http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-kerry-netanyahu-gaza-20140723-story.html#page=1

6. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=713579

7. http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Hamas-ready-to-cancel-charter