Israel-Palestine and the End of Hope

ISRAEL-PALESTINE AND THE END OF HOPE
[PART 1 IN AN INDEFINITE SERIES]

There is no worse end than the end of hope.

[1] Where to begin?

Let’s start with this: The deliberate attack by HAMAS on Israel, targeted primarily at innocent civilians, was not just an outrageous abomination demanding universal condemnation. It was foolish, self-destructive, and could even prove suicidal for those who perpetrated it. Its tragic consequences will be much more far-reaching and long-lasting than we realize. What consequences? Consider this: HAMAS’ well-coordinated military offensive was a total game-changer in the ongoing and perpetually horrific Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Any prior hope for peace or any “two-state solution” is gone, likely off the table for a generation, or perhaps longer. And–with all due respect to the many Israelis who died and will continue to die going forward–by any measure or metrics, the biggest losers here and now will be….the Palestinians themselves. Such losses can be calculated in numbers What can’t be calculated is the needless human misery. This was *not* (emphasis mine) just an isolated terrorist act by a fringe group, as has been the case in most acts of Middle East-based terrorism in the past. Rather, it was a deliberate act of mass madness with no viable strategic objective nor any moral or practical justification. None whatsoever.

[2] Historically-based debates about so-called “rights” to land are inherently counterproductive:

One side claims it had the land first, and it’s special to them. The other side insists they controlled the land later, and they became attached to it. Any “right” to this disputed land seems, at best, temporary. When tanks roll in and flags get planted and settlers move in, the deed on real estate changes. This is an undeniable fact of human history that will not change. It’s how nations get formed, and then some flourish. It’s also how some nations and peoples perish.

[3] The Israeli-Palestinian river of blood has several tributaries.

It’s rooted in ancient religious beliefs. It’s rooted in messianic megalomania. It’s rooted in stubborn cultural traditions. It’s rooted in opposing economic interests. It’s rooted in deep ethnic divisions, mistrust, and even bitter hatred. But the bigger problem now is the Israeli-Palestinian impasse has morphed into a *global geopolitical divide* proxied into a relatively small territory with utterly no strategic value, but which symbolizes essential and enduring importance to many other nations and people. External powers, including superpowers, exert significant influence and pressure on both sides, making this conflict far more consequential (and destructive) than it should be and would be were it left up to the natives.

[4] Calling this disputed territory “the holy land” is preposterous. So, please stop.

Regular readers and followers know I have no regard for ancient fairy tales and Bronze Age superstitions. They do not deserve my respect and it will not be given here. Moreover, I deeply resent millions of otherwise intelligent people basing their morals and values and worldview on religious texts that also demonstrably justify slavery, war, mass murder, and even call for a dystopian holocaust. Islam-Judaism-Christianity? No, thank you. May all of these delusions fade into oblivion. So, what’s the purpose of this mini-rant? Unfortunately, we must face reality and understand that religion *cannot* be eradicated from this geopolitical dispute. Religions at odds within themselves in various factions (hardliners, moderates, secularists), as well as at each other in polytheistic clashes and all their mass delusions of bickering rival sky daddies must be taken into consideration when addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict. I begrudge having to ponder religion when discussing the dispute — past, present, and future — but do acknowledge that such cogitation is unavoidable.

[5] Israel has a right to exist. Period.

I’ve came to accept this reality after opposing Israel’s right to exist for most of my adult life, a decision I reached about ten years ago (note: the reasons why I changed my mind on the Israel question may be addressed at another more appropriate time). Israel was created, in part, by the United Nations in 1948. So too, were other (predominantly Arab) nations currently existing within the region which are not in dispute. The U.N. charter was a global consensus agreed to by a majority of the General Assembly. Hence, despite Israel’s own links to acts of terrorism during its formative period, the nation wasn’t created by invasion nor force, but by international law and the then-community of nations. Seventy-five years have since passed. That’s a long time. Almost three generations. Other nations have disappeared and been founded within that time frame, mostly without lingering international disputes like we see in the Middle East. Nonetheless, Israel has proven itself fully sovereign with a right to self-governance and obligation to protect itself from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

[5] Palestine has a right to exist.  But….

But it does not currently rule or act in any manner consistent with being a “nation among nations.” It cannot be allowed to exist until certain pre-conditions, in addition to regional stability, are met. Palestine’s argument for statehood is indeed legitimate (despite some Zionist attempts to discredit Palestinian sovereignty with bogus historical marginalization, which only fuels wider and deeper resentment). The reasons for repeated failures on the Palestinian question are many. Yes, Israel is partially to blame. Other geopolitical powers, including the United States, are partially to blame. However, the Palestinians are to blame for a significant percentage of their own tragic legacy of bad choices, disunity, perpetual violence, and an appalling lack of effective leadership, particularly in the nearly 20-year void that’s existed since the death of Yasser Arafat.

[6] The timing of this attack couldn’t have been worse for the Palestinian population.

Earlier, I predicted the HAMAS attack on Israel would derail the Palestinian statehood question for at least another generation, and maybe longer, perhaps indefinitely or even eternity–as in *never.* I don’t see any other viable direction or end. The timing of this attack couldn’t have been worse for the Palestinian population. It destroyed the possibility of a real and lasting peace in the region. An explanation requires that we examine the Palestinian issue on a historical timeline (specifically, as it relates to the Palestine Liberation Organization-PLO being supplanted by HAMAS since 2006). It must be noted that since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, support for the Palestinians has steadily increased around the world. This is true even inside the Judeo-Christian dominated United States. I was glad to foster some of that support in my own small ways. Some critics claim this popular support is fueled by rising anti-Semitism, which is undeniable, at least in part. By some polls, support for Palestinians in the U.S. was as high as 35 percent (latest in mid-2023), which is a remarkable transformation given where public opinion was 50 years ago right after the massacre of the Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games, which was negligible when the Palestinian cause first came to international attention (more on this topic to come later). In fact, I was entirely on the “pro-PLO side” of this issue (for lack of a better way of phrasing it). However, the brutal savagery of this attack — which included the orchestrated and willful murder of numerous infants, children, elderly, and even Holocaust survivors — as well as the terribly misguided geographical target of their offensive, makes support for the Palestinian cause far more difficult now, perhaps even impossible for some who had been sympathetic. Prior to this attack, a Palestinian nation was probably inevitable (my opinion, shared by many on the Left). Moreover, American support for Israel was likely to continue deteriorating, which would be a net gain for Palestine. Now, that’s all changed. While many of my fellow-Leftists continue advocating for the Palestinians, much of that support justifiable and based on very real humanitarian concerns, any fair observer of the American political landscape knows it will be impossible to support the Palestinians over the Israelis after this vicious attack and aftermath. Note: I’ll address the American Left’s deep divide and miscalculation on this, and the media’s reporting on it, later.

This post began with a statement about the loss of hope. Leaders have to act with optimism. However, policy analysts must face reality.

In the next segment (Part 2), I’ll write about the legitimacy of the Palestinian cause and comment on their own internal divisions.

More to come…..