Hamas Is Largely to Blame for Israel's Gaza Offensive

Wading into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is dangerous work. It is an exceptionally charged issue, with both sides capable of as much passion as you'll experience in discussing a foreign policy dispute. Personally, I have been shocked and unnerved at some of the venom unleashed in the comments to past articles on the topic that have appeared on The Huffington Post. I can't help but think that if only people read up on the history of the conflict, they would see that things aren't as black-and-white as their fire-breathing comments would have you believe.

I am ashamed to say that the Israel-bashing has made me reluctant to write about the issue, at least in my contributions to this site. But after watching the conflict in Gaza unfold over the last three days, I have decided that it's time for me to venture into the breach and make my opinion known, damn the consequences. It's time for me to explain why I think the treatment of Israel has been unfair.

I understand that the history of the Middle East, going back to 1948, or even to the 19th century, is messy. Any side looking to make a point can cherry pick historical facts to bolster an argument. While I would feel confident arguing the Israeli side of the issue, I know that I am not going to win over anyone in one blog post. The whole issue is just too complicated.

But what I feel I may be able to accomplish in this space is to provide a counterweight for some of the subtly biased reporting on the Israeli actions in Gaza over the last three days. From reading or watching most news accounts, you might think that Israel, virtually unprovoked, has started indiscriminately bombing in Gaza, causing massive civilian casualties. The New York Times quoted Iran's religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameni, saying, "The horrible crime of the Zionist regime in Gaza has once again revealed the bloodthirsty face of this regime from disguise," as if his opinion was just another equally valid point of view. I will attempt to provide some context here.

It is important to understand that threats to Israel's survival are not theoretical. From the moment of the country's formation in 1948 to the present day, it has been surrounded by hostile neighbors who have wanted to see its destruction and used force to bring such an outcome about. Israel was attacked by neighboring nations in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973. The country's seizure of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967 occurred in this context. More recently, Israel has had to withstand suicide bombings, in which Palestinian terrorists would kill and wound innocent civilians inside Israel.

In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza, dismantling all of its settlements and evicting its settlers, some by force. Palestinians proceeded in elections to put into power the terrorist group Hamas, which does not recognize the right of Israel to exist. With Israel gone from Gaza, Hamas seized on the opportunity to launch attacks from Gaza on civilian populations in Israel, firing more than 4,500 rockets and mortars into Israel since 2005. And Hamas used civilian areas as cover for the launching points for its attacks.

A little more than six months ago, Egypt brokered a cease fire between Israel and Hamas. The truce ended on December 19, and it was Hamas, not Israel, that refused to extend it. In fact, The current attacks began before the cease-fire agreement expired. In the last six weeks, Hamas has fired more than 400 missiles into Israel, including 40 Qassam rockets and mortars since December 19.

With Hamas attacking Israel, and with Hamas unwilling to extend the truce, Israel responded with the current offensive. While so many news reports have focused on the civilian casualties, given that Hamas uses civilians areas as cover to launch their attacks, it is shocking how relatively low the percentage of civilian casualties has been. As of this morning, of the 315 Palestinian fatalities, only 51 have been civilians. To be clear, my point isn't that 51 lost lives isn't tragic, rather it's that with Hamas putting its own people in danger by using them as cover for their assaults on Israel, the fact that roughly five in six fatalities have been military targets demonstrates that Israel is not indiscriminately attacking civilian populations.

And yet, Israel has continued to provide aid to Gazan residents, allowing 10,000 tons of food, tools, raw materials, medicine and medical equipment into Gaza since Dec. 7. Israel also provides 70 percent of Gaza's electricity, and Hamas has reportedly engineered blackouts to inflame the population against Israel while using the power for its own needs.

I am continually amazed when commentators and government officials assert that Israel should show restraint. How would any one of these countries and individuals react if it was their nation that was attacked daily by its neighbor, especially if that neighbor was an internationally recognized terrorist organization that didn't recognize the right of the subject of its attacks to exist and was dedicated to its destruction?

But that is the situation with which Israel is faced. Hamas will not recognize Israel's right to exist (calling the Jewish state "the Zionist entity"). And in retaliation for Israel's offensive, Hamas has fired rockets that have reached within 25 miles of Tel Aviv.

What is it that the critics would have Israel do? How do you negotiate with people that want to destroy you? How do you allow attacks on your civilian population on a daily basis without doing anything to protect your citizens? It feels to me like the critics ask Israel to make sacrifices and take risks that they themselves would never undertake for their home nations.

It seems to me that the critics would have Israel accede to all Palestinian demands, which would result in handing over huge chunks of land to a population bent on destroying Israel, both through attacks and assimilation, if the so-called right of return was granted. (From East Jerusalem, Hamas's rockets could hit virtually any point in Israel, including Tel Aviv, Haifa and West Jerusalem.) In my estimation, anyone who thinks Israel is somehow responsible for the current clashes with Hamas does not, in a practical sense, think Israel has a right to exist as a country. After all, short of surrendering, there is nothing that Israel could do that would satisfy Hamas, and without a right to defend itself from attack, Israel's survival would be in doubt.

I am all for a two-state solution. But both states have to respect the right of the other to exist, and nothing in Hamas's actions has demonstrated that it is in any way willing to take part in such an arrangement. Hamas wants a one-state solution, and that one state is not Israel.

(As a side note, the Palestinians still push for a right of return for those who fled and/or were pushed from the new state of Israel in 1948, which has been one of the primary issues acting as an impediment to peace, but there were an equal of number of Jews displaced by Arabs at the same time, and yet no Jews are claiming a right of return.)

Has Israel always acted correctly? Of course not. I dare you to show me a country that has conducted itself perfectly all the time. But how is it that Hamas, a terrorist organization that refused to extend the truce and fired rockets at civilians on a daily basis, gets so much sympathy, with Israel condemned for defending itself? In a vacuum, there is no defense for Hamas in this situation. So it seems to me that those that speak against Israel for its current Gaza offensive are doing so because they will never support Israel's side in the conflict with Hamas and the Palestinians. They see the West Bank barrier and the West Bank settlements and the other alleged transgressions by Israel without considering what prompted the actions in the first place (namely 60 years of attacks by its neighbors, most recently via suicide bombers killing civilians). It feels to me as though there is nothing Hamas could do to Israel that would, in the minds of Israel's critics, justify Israeli retaliation.

Hopefully, in the not too distant future, Palestinians will rally behind moderate, non-corrupt leadership, and a fair two-state solution will be hammered out under which both of the countries' citizens can live in peace and prosperity. But until that day comes, as long as the Palestinian people throw their lot in with terrorists like Hamas, who, in their name, attack civilian targets in Israel, a two-state solution cannot be put in place, and the Palestinian people will have to bear the consequences of their leaders' actions.

In an ideal world, a military action like the Israeli offensive in Gaza would never happen. No person of conscience can truly look at what is going on there and not feel sad. But at the same time, the Hamas bombing of Israeli civilians is equally disturbing, and there is no obvious alternative available to Israel to defend its citizens. It feels unfair to me when people take Israel to task without placing any significant blame on Hamas. And that is why I felt it was time for me to speak out.

Comments

[RayLay]

"A people which fights against the usurpation of its land will not tire so easily."

David Ben-Gurion

It's only through the complete pacification of the Palestinian people will peace ever prevail in Israel, and with the United States' 19th C. "Indian eradication" plan as a blueprint, it's safe to say the Israelis are well on their way to a lasting peace.

[Michale32086]

@ErikW65

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What I said was that the Je_ws in the 20th Century gave less consideration to the ethnicity that they uprooted than did the US in the 18th.
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In YOUR opinion...

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Nothing justifies terrorism. What justifies theft of the Palestinians, and treating them along the same lines (worse?) as a the US did to the US Natives (which we all agree was awful...) , and giving them no treaty, and no consdieration, no compensation for actual houses that they built?!
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It's called WAR and CONQUEST and the spoils thereof... Crappy, yes I know.. But it IS the way it is..

But, regardless of how crappy it is, that doesn't justify terrorism.. Are we agreed on that point??

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Isn't it amazing that you have to reach down so low in history, to find an example to compare Is_rael's land grab to, as to use a country that had sla_ves at the time???
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What does the time factor have to do with anything??

Isn't injustice 200 years ago comparable to injustice 80 years ago???

Michale....

[ErikW65]

So you rationalize the theft of Palestinians houses and lands, without compensation, as a spoil of war. Well at least you have accepted that the uprooting of all those people was an act of war.

Yes, injustice 200 years ago IS comparable to justice 50 years ago. That's my point: they're BOTH wrong. That's why your attempts to justify one using the other are also wrong!

[Michale32086]

No, I have admitted that they are both wrong.

But, things are the way they are..

Unless you are ready to concede that all native American lands should be returned, then you simply cannot advocate Israel giving back all the lands to the Palestinians..

To do so would be hypocritical...

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@tidalfist

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Then NOTHING justifies Israeli's current actions.
State terrorism IS terrorism. The end.
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And yet, as I have proven, Israel's actions do not constitute terrorism..

It's THAT simple...

Michale.....

[KRAZYHORZE]

When i was young, i saw a young kid i didn't like spit on a grown up without provocation. The adult beat the kid to an inch of his life and left him for dead on the street.

It got me thinking about what kind of person reacts with such disproportionate force, and why the kid spat on him in the first place.

[walk0nwalls]

And finally you fail to mention how attacking Hamas facilitates Israel's security in any way.

Even if indeed you eliminate Hamas, by doing so in a manner that facilitates and does not care about civilian casualties you assure that the replacement group will be ever more violent than even Hamas ever was. The basic facts of the matter is, terrorism exists essentially as a vote for the Palestinian people and their election of Hamas should signify to Israel that they are unhappy with the way they have been treated. In THIS country hypothetically we cater to two sides of an increasingly unhappy divide but Israel seems content to exploit the divide between its own population and the Palestinian one and simply cater to only its citizens.

Face it: You do it this way, you make terrorism worse.

[Michale32086]

So, when you have a terrorist group firing thousands of missiles at you, what do YOU do??

Invite them for tea??

Michale....

[walk0nwalls]

Try opening schools. Try opening borders. Try sending money. Try treating them with respect. Try actively trying to show the good sides of Israel as opposed to merely saying "we are good"

Terrorism ends when people are contented. Some people will never be content, but Israel has made it so that the inhabitants of the Gaza strip are almost perpetually discontented. Saying that their election of Hamas is illegitimate ignores the fact that if you provided them with legitimate outreach, terrorism would end.

But seeing as how that outcome is entirely against the will of the Israeli public it seems as though this will just continue.

[MyLowell]

did you not read the part of the article where he talks about civilian casualties?

hamas is using civilian terrotity as a cover to attack isreal and did so during their truce. what about the civilians that were killed on the israeli side?

how does attacking israel facilitate palestine's security in any way?

[kimleehan]

It does'nt make a bit of differance who's to blame, the important thing here is who's got the most to lose. The only way Israel can beat Hamas is to destroy Gaza, but the thing you got to remember is their Palestinians 2nd and Muslims 1st, and the last I heard was theres more Muslims in this world that there are Jewish.

[Michale32086]

Regardless of who cheated who or who did not get what from whom, there is one simple fact that ya'all just conveniently ignore..

NOTHING JUSTIFIES TERRORISM....

Michale.....

[ErikW65]

The concept that you and the Is_ralis conveniently ignore is that you can't just take property and houses from an ethnic group without giving them some compensation back. You used the example of the spoils of war, but wars end with treaties. The US, centuries ealier, treated the Natives poorly, but at least gave them something back in trade for their lands. The Natives were naive and traded Manhattan for a bunch of trinkets. But they were treated with some degree of consideration. If you drive to upstate NY, and enter into Indian lands, those old treaties are still in force.. Whereas the Palestinians were given nothiing, and treated as not having any legal or moral standing. It's that lack of basic human consideration which is causing all of this, I believe. You can rationalize it away as a simple "spoil of war," but you CAN"T expect the same of others. There is a reason why they say, "posession is 9/10 of the Law."

[MyLowell]

wasn't palestine under british mandate after WWI? didn't "we" give israel the land and the right to exist? didn't palestine orignally want the united states of palestine which included palestine and israel under one federal government?

[Michale32086]

The Palestinians were given as much as the native Americans. Even more consideration than native Americans were given...

Do you see any movements or agendas here in the US designed to return lands to native Americans?

No, you do not..

So, why do you advocate that Israel must return lands to the Palestinians??

Michale....

[walk0nwalls]

It's the disparity in reaction. And the economic disparity that informs a great deal of the venom.

Israel always overreacts to everything and it facilitates its own reaction. Whatever FEELS right never flies in the international field.

[skaterdon66]

I think I have a solution...get a rich Saudi prince to make the Gaza Strip into
a Vegas like Strip..Give all the Gazaites or Gazinians each a $1000 or whatever
Gaza money is. That would be a little over a billion $$..mere chicken feed.
Now they can all play the slots, maybe win a little, and they don't have the time
or inclination to make and launch rockets.

What do you think ??

[mamiejane]

Everyone asks the question: "what choice did Israel have given the Hamas rocket attacks (which caused almost no casualties)?" The correct question is "what choice do the Palestinians have given Israel's continued settlement building and constructions of the illegal wall?" The fact of the matter, Israel continues to act in ways that make a two state solution almost impossible to implement. This latest Israeli violence adds nothing but anger to the already existing hopelessness caused by the giant settlements (I've seen them) blocking Palestinian views. I think it's time for the world community to realize that unless Israel immediately turns the full West Bank and Gaza back to the Palestinians the time has come to stop advocating for a two state solution and begin demanding that the parties live together in a democratic single state with international oversight.

[eremite]

Israel is not building walls or settlements in Gaza. Hamas is at loggerheads with Fatah which governs the West Bank. You do not see Fatah shooting missiles or launching suicide attacks. The hopelessness terrorists supporters like to talk about is the direct resullt of Hamas' policies of violence. Hamas are cowards who kill innocent people and hide behind their women and children. The absurd idea that Israel would be safer if it gave back land that rightly belongs to Israel is preposterous. Nothing is clearer than the examples of Southern Lebanon and Gaza. In both cases Israel withdrew and in each case it only allowed the terrorists to mass materiel and troops to attack Israel. A two state solution has been available to the Palestinian leadership for the last sixty years. All they had to do was renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist and defend itself.

[MyLowell]

did you read his blog?

[wadingo]

Funny how you claim that this is a very complicated issue. Indeed it is. And yet, there are moments in your post where you fail to cover some of these complications, often leaving a huge gap in your commentary.

You fail to mention the fact that once Hamas was elected, the United States and Israel immediately moved to isolate them from the international community. You failed to mention that instead the sheer hypocrisy of the United States government in its dealings with the post-election results. You fail to mention that, while Israel continues to provide humanitarian aid, it is nowhere near sufficient to combat the huge amounts of suffering experienced by the Palestinian people. You fail to mention that the blockades surrounding the Gaza Strip has brought the quality of life down so low, that Gaza has become a literal hell.

You bring some valid points to the discussion. However, your defense of Israel proves one of your assertions made in this post: that any side can "cherry pick" historical facts.

[eremite]

Hamas is a terrorists organization that has broken every treaty it has ever signed. Of course they should be isolated just as North Korea, Syria, and Iran. Hamas is responsible for the human suffering in Gaza. They spend all the money they get from Iran and other sources on making war instead of taking care of their people. They need to be destroyed.

[MyLowell]

he was looking at the situation in itself - in a vacuum as he said.

and since when is it israel's job to end the sufferign of palestinians - what about the palestinian government?

sorry, but your arguments don't override the fact that hamas is the culprit in this one. they had a truce. wouldn't talking and reaching an agreement about how to deal with these things be better than using civilians as cover to attack the other?

[EnricoSuarve]

For the love of whichever deity you choose...

Palestine barely has a government - that's one of the major things they are fighting for. Plenty of noise is made about Hamas refusing to recognize Israel's right to exist (which incidentally is incorrect as Hamas removed this from their charter years ago), but it seems people are quick to forget that Israel WILL NOT ALLOW Palestine to exist as a nation state

Palestine barely functions, thanks in a large part to Israel constantly attacking any government and public buildings it has in retaliation for anything it does not like. Israel then rather hypocritically calls on the same offices to 'sort themselves out' (kind of hard to police with no police stations)

Israel has enforced an effective land and sea blockade for several years now - so yes they bear some responsibility for the suffering

Israel and Hamas both failed to honor the truce while it was in existence - Hamas fired rockets and Israel kept the border shut, blaming one side for not extending it further (it ran out) is a little disingenuous

Hamas 'rocket attacks' are basically glorified fireworks - of course they are going to hit and run against an enemy with Jets, Tanks, Missiles, Cannons...

They already know Israel's response will be disproportionate - 9 people have been killed by Hamas rockets since Sept 2005, 1,400 people have been killed in 'targeted' responses

[Michale32086]

@POINT84

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7 Isreali deaths prior to this mess in the last 14 years. It is rubbish. Isreal has every right to respond. This was not the way to do it.
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In YOUR opinion.

It's THEIR country and it's THEIR citizens that are being attacked.

THEY have the right to determine their response.

Not you...

Michale....

[Iccarus]

When the Palastinian people voted for Hamas, they knew it was not a step toward peace. As for being a disproportional response. Are countries at war now supposed to suspend military opperations when they reach the tally of their own casualties. Thats the dumbest arguement yet. I have always hoped for peace in this part of the world, but it seems that Arab leaders that push for this are marginalized. (or killed) I was very young when Anwar Sadat was killed and I remember wondering, why would somone kill a man trying to bring about peace. Everyone knows if the tables were turned the Palastinians would finish Israel. They have said so through Hamas.

[UncleHomer]

The idea that the Palestinians or any other Arab Nation would finish Israel is a very carefully constructed and propagated myth and has been since the 1950's.

If Israel actually negotiated a fair and lasting peace agreement with the Palestinians Hamas would be dealt with from within the Palestinians and but out of business.

[Iccarus]

I feel I have to reply to my own post. I realize that many Palastinians want peace. I hate when people paint with a broad brush...and did that in my post. It just seems that right now they're in the minority. It's Ironic that a minority of people voted for Bush in 2000 (popular vote). I guess by my logic we're all as Guilty as him. oops!

[Michale32086]

@ErikW65

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Can anyone here (Michale, perhaps?) tell me why Isr_ael initially blockaded Ga_za? Isn't that what provoked the missiles fired at civilians (and were there really vulnerable military targets that were passed up in favor of civilian targets, as many condemnations pre-suppose)?
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The idea was to prevent Hamas from terrorists from entering Israel from Gaza and to prevent arms from entering into Gaza..

Now, let me ask you something.

Why isn't Hamas firing missiles into Egypt?? Egypt blockades their border with Gaza even MORE aggressively than the Israelis do..

Why isn't Hamas attacking Egypt if the BLOCKADE is the reason for the attacks??

Michale.....

[ErikW65]

Listen Professor Metaphor, that answer so flip, I'm surprised you used it. AS IF the borders to Egypt and Israel are equivalent- they obviously are not, and if you need a more detailed explanation of how Egypt is afraid to open it's border with Gaza because of what Israel might do next, I found this analysis from Reuters, should do the job:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKTRE4BQ1NF20081227

[Michale32086]

Let me get this straight..

You think that Egypt is afraid of what ISRAEL will do if it open it's border???

Yer kidding, right???

You are saying that Egypt is "afraid" of Israel??? ;D

I have to give you credit.. That IS a good one....

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

I have to admit, that article you quoted was interesting..

Interesting insofar as it shows that Palestinians want their own state, but it's clear from that article that not even Egypt believes that the Palestinians can handle their own state..

This belief is surely borne out by the fact that Israels had vacated Gaza in 2005 and here were are, 3 years later and Palestinians are still overly consumed with killing Israelis instead of creating their own state...

If their own brethren in Egypt believe this of the Palestinians, why do you fault Israel??

Michale.....

[jackpaulson]

Hammas isn't shelling Egypt because Egypt would kill all their citizens as well as military targets. The Israelis meanwhile are aware of the collateral damage that will happen and have made it apparent to the world but they have no choice but to stop this shelling once and for all if they can. They may not be able to but they should try just as we should if we were attacked. By the way are you in the market for a used Rocket Launcher...sounds like it.

[Phanyxx]

Thank you for a thoughtful, articulate look at the current situation.