Rushing down Market Street toward the bay, two cars honked, brandishing Palestinian flags out their windows. A persistent *wump* of helicopters fell down from the San Francisco sky. As protesters gathered around the Israeli consulate, one could hear what would become the first of many anti-Israel demonstrations. They touted signs like “Jews are terroist” [sic] and “Gaza 2008 = Warsaw 1938,” and it was clear what a cavalcade of idiocy this conflict had already become. Each party perpetuates the behavior of their enemy that they originally sought to stop, thereby re-entrenching everyone in a cycle of violence.
On June 27 2008, Hamas and Israel mutually agreed to a six-month ceasefire. 11 Hamas militants died when Israel destroyed smuggling tunnels from Gaza prompting Hamas to launch rockets into Israel on November 3rd. While Hamas argued the killings violated the agreement, Israel maintained the deaths were accidental collateral damage from a non-combat operation. The fragile agreement still stood, but on December 19, Hamas ended the ceasefire and started firing more rockets into Israel. On the 27th, Israel began airstrikes on Gaza. By the 29th, San Francisco erupted in a flurry of kaffiyehs, Palestinian flags, and shouting. In early January, Joe the Plumber began his journalism career, reporting from Sderot. On January 18, a new ceasefire was agreed upon and by the 21st, Israel withdrew all ground forces from Gaza.
Israel’s use of excessive force has undercut continued efforts to establish lasting peace and ultimately provokes Hamas to act in such a way that prompts further Israeli force. The horrible effects of Israeli military force are innumerable. They have ghettoized Palestinians, destroyed schools, hospitals, killed children, all of which reverse progress towards lasting peace. It’s conditions like these that lead people to elect radical governments like Hamas. Israel can’t hope to solve anything when they help create the situation in which young Palestinians grow up wanting to be militants rather than doctors.
Many argue that Israel’s goal is not peace, but rather the eradication of Hamas. Hamas, a militant Islamic institution and an ever-present thorn in Israel’s side, has given their neighbors reason to want to wipe them out. But the manner by which the Israeli government is going about doing this further radicalizes Palestinians and leaves a vacuum for yet another Hamas to spring up in its place.
The problem with only blaming Israel is that one ignores the role Hamas plays in the subjugation of Palestinians. The idiocy of Hamas is that they either didn’t anticipate the retaliation by Israel or did and actively provoked them. One would expect a government to attempt to achieve peace and prosperity for its people, but Hamas has routinely pursued a policy of militancy at the expense of both peace and prosperity. When the ceasefire ended, they didn’t need to start shooting, but they did. What did they expect to happen? Hamas’ use of force undercuts continued efforts to establish a lasting peace and ultimately provokes Israel to act in such a way that prompts further Hamas force.
Insistence on blaming one party over the other perpetuates a cycle of violence that everyone hopes to end. Both are right, and both are guilty. Allowing one to bear blame allows the other to bear arms and only upon the recognition of mutual fault can all truly share the common purpose of peace. This is not to say that when confronted by force, Israel or Hamas should respond with nothing. This is to say, rather than being idiots, they should respond with intelligence.
In her testimony to the United States' Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Hillary Clinton said, "We must use what has been called smart power, the full range of tools at our disposal—diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural—picking the right tool, or tools, for each situation." Mrs. Clinton referred specifically to the United States, but I believe that Israel and Hamas should utilize this same style of foreign policy. If the only response to problems is to brandish arms and hurt people, those problems will never be solved. Israel needs to start rebuilding Palestinian infrastructure. Hamas needs to realize its radical tendencies undercut ultimate goals. And both need to just stop shooting each other.
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