Opinion: As Israel Promises Increased Action, We Promise Increased Outrage

As Israel’s stated war against Hamas prepares to become more violent, more gruesome, the attention it is receiving in western nations – already struggling to focus their collective attention on restoring the world’s many faltering economies – is increasing dramatically.

The headline articles of nearly every new source – including our very own DigitalJournal.com – are detailing or analyzing the Israeli offensive.

And as the exposure grows, so too have the outcries for Israel to cease their attacks, as well as calls for war time tribunals. To take a quick peak some of the pieces headlining the New York Times, today – January 10th, 2009 – it is clear that even the citizens of the United States, Israel’s most steadfast and committed ally, condemn the war.

To quote op-ed contributor Rashid Khalidi, “This war on the people of Gaza isn’t really about rockets.” Presumably referring to the initial missile’s volleyed into Israel by Hamas late in December, 2008. “Nor is it about ‘restoring Israel’s deterrence,’ as the Israeli press might have you believe. Far more revealing are the words of Moshe Yaalon, then the Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff, in 2002: ‘the Palestinians must be made to understand in the deepest recesses of their consciousness that they are a defeated people’”

Yikes; And if we turn or attention to another NY Times article, penned by Ethan Bronner, Khalidi’s fears are indeed confirmed, as details of day 14 in the Israeli offensive against Gaza are described:

“A tank shell landed outside the home of a family in Jabaliya, northeast of the city, killing eight members of the same family who were sitting outside, hospital officials said, bringing the death toll to more than 820. Nearly half of them [are] reported to be civilians.”

Yikes; Israel’s war on Hamas is in many ways looking about as focused as Bush’s War on Terror. Instead of exploring the many avenues of diplomatic pressure, the Israeli government has bombed, bombed, and bombed some more. It seems like ‘shock & awe, part two’, doesn’t it? But if we can all think back to 2003, when the US employed their shock & awe strategy in Iraq, I would like to ask a question; what happened then?

It’s rhetorical, but I’ll answer it anyway; extremism increased among Iraqi civilians, and anti-American militants crossed boarders to join the fight. Now for a question that is far from rhetorical and probably impossible to answer fully; why would this situation be any different?

As with the majority of the problems facing society these days, there is no simple solution to this issue; and in fact, this conflict is likely harder to fix than the deepening global recession. Why? Israel refuses to acknowledge the existence of Palestine, and Hamas refuses to acknowledge the existence of Israel… That is a vicious, dangerous, and irrational cycle that can only lead to more suffering.

Is there reason to be hopeful? Well, very little. However, in ten short days the United States inaugurates a new administration that appears to be much more dovish than the outgoing crew. With that said, those in Gaza, as well as the countless members of the international community who have been powerlessly watching the attacks continue, have reason to believe that resolution may be on the horizon.

I’m sure this is little comfort to the human beings living on the frontlines of Israel’s offensive, but it is about the only positive piece of information that they can cling to.

Another positive piece of information is that the number of people who condemn these attacks worldwide is growing, and they are getting louder. With that said, governments and organizations are going to feel increasing pressure to find ways to end the war; even if only temporarily.

With so many citizen casualties, and surviving men, women, and children now dieing due to dehydration, the world won’t stand by idly much longer.

The war in Gaza is fuelling extremism, tarnishing Israel’s international reputation, taking the lives of many innocent civilians, and benefiting no one.

And with Israel today promising to increase the tempo of their assaults, there is no reason to believe that any of the negative trends will slow without international pressure.

Still though, we are ten days away from a new US government, and news media outlets are fuelling public sentiment which will surely incite governmental response. Hillary, it’s time to pack your bags, and start thinking ‘resolution’ (p.s. feel free to bring Lawrence Cannon with you).

Thanks for reading.

GRMM