AS BARACK Obama swore on the Bible and took the Oath of Office on Tuesday, history of a different kind continued to be made across the globe. The fighting between Israel and Hamas raged on, marking the latest chapter in what seems to be an eternal, arduous struggle between the Israelis and Palestinians. As President Obama begins sorting through the tangled messes of the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he must keep a close eye on how this ongoing crisis develops. In particular, he should be realistic about international “arbitration” efforts and weary of hasty ceasefire agreements that will only serve as opportunities for rearmament while not addressing any of the fundamental problems at stake.
There is no doubt that the Israel-Hamas conflict is deep-rooted and stunningly more complex than most people realize. A bitter history of violence exists in the region and fails to exonerate either side completely. Surely both have made poor judgments and acted inhumanely at times. Nonetheless, efforts at moral equivalency and political correctness can be dangerous as they obscure the cold facts.
Most importantly, we must respect the difference between civilian Muslims across the Arab world and extremist groups like Hamas. To do otherwise is insulting. Hamas, though ostensibly a political party as well as a paramilitary organization, is a terrorist faction. Their charter contains this stated goal: “Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors.” Furthermore, Article 7 of the Covenant more explicitly targets all Jews as a race, not just the country of Israel, making use of the phrase “come and kill him.”
The international community cannot mince words out of fear of an Islamic backlash. Peaceful Muslims across the globe reject Hamas’s brand of fanaticism and certainly don’t harbor the ambition of genocide. To fail in making this distinction is to greatly disrespect the greater Muslim community.
In keeping with this, the real enemy of peace must be identified. In addition to harming Israelis, Hamas undermines the security of its own people on a daily basis by way of its reckless war-mongering. Of course, Israel is not entirely faultless and should be held accountable for its misdeeds as well. Still, to equate the two sides in any meaningful way is simply inaccurate. Analogies comparing Israel to the Third Reich are disturbingly ironic, as the country faces an enemy that believes in the eradication of Jews as a religious mandate. According to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Web site, “1,571 rockets and 1,531 mortar bombs fired from the Gaza Strip struck southern Israel in 2008.” For a more independent adjudication, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch reported as far back as 2002 that Hamas’s leaders “should be held accountable for ,,, war crimes and crimes against humanity,”
One dangerous issue that arises from this stance is the conflation of Hamas with the people of Gaza. Civilians, of course, should not have to suffer for the follies of their leaders. In the short-run, the world must be willing to lend a helping hand to the Palestinians. The current humanitarian crisis arises from increasing desperation for the basic elements of life: food, clean water, safety, etc. Furthermore, international pressure must be put on Israel to avoid civilian casualties at all costs. This is an understandably ominous task since Hamas officials cower among these civilians once they are attacked. Nonetheless, the preservation of human life is paramount.
What the people of Gaza must understand is that the attacks on public places are easier for Israel to rationalize since Hamas was elected democratically. In the long-run, Palestinians must hold accountable those who have been elected to govern, but whose policies have instead destabilized the region and crumbled its infrastructure. Hamas may have tried to put on a slightly less radical façade when running for seats in the Palestinian National Authority, but its true intentions have never been shielded from public scrutiny. Increased spending on social programs is little more than a ploy when compared with the destruction that Hamas’s fiercely anti-Semitic objectives has caused. Furthermore, tragic death and destruction in Gaza resulting from Israeli attacks is caused by Hamas’s strategy of hiding among civilians and even using some as human shields. These deplorable acts drive up the death toll, which the ruling faction in turn uses to further justify its purpose. It is a heartbreaking manipulation of its own people. True, Israel has committed acts that have contributed to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza (such as attempting to blockade resources from entering the area), but this was in an attempt to suffocate a foe that has pledged its destruction. Tensions and fighting have plagued the region for years upon years, but Hamas, not Israel, is at the root of the current situation.
As for Obama, what is a newly-elected president to do with such a war? Let it play out without intervening? Negotiate fiercely for a ceasefire of some sort? Neither path is entirely suitable. Instead, the United Nations and the international community should step up efforts to shield civilians as much as possible from the violence, as well as provide them with basic living necessities. What Obama and the rest of the world should not do is try to push another impotent ceasefire on the two sides. This will only delay the inevitable and allow Hamas to smuggle weapons and resources in the meantime. Now is the time to let the real terrorists face justice. The future of both Gaza and Israel might just depend on it.
Ross Lawrence is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. He can be reached at r.lawrence@cavalierdaily.com.
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