Shock and horror. But to and for whom? At 6.30 am on October 7, the State of Israel was certainly in shock. From the south, its citizens faced attacks by, as news reports put it, air, sea and land executed by the Islamic militant group Hamas. Within a matter of hours, the death toll of Israelis had jumped by hundreds, complemented by hundreds of deaths in Gaza. Along the way, unspecified numbers of Israeli hostages have been taken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a declaration of war.
In the short term, the offensive by Hamas looks like a spectacular bloodying of Israel’s strangulating forces and any number of restrictive labels you might wish to apply to the bully that holds the reins over any prospect of Palestinian sovereignty. It is particularly bruising given the rag-tag status of previous Palestinian military efforts to breach the security barriers of the Israeli state, not to mention showing up its hubristic security and intelligence services, caught entirely napping.
This is not to suggest that Hamas, and its various Islamist iterations, is ideal as a governing or prosecuting body for the Palestinian cause; it is merely to observe that, as a reality, retributive or retaliatory counters to Israeli power, the no-change-in-hope-of-Palestinian-extinction message, was bound to happen. As it will happen, again.
In August 2019, Shlomo Ben-Ami put it with crisp grimness. With the two-state solution essentially condemned to moribund retirement, “there is little to stop Israel from cementing the one-state reality that its right-wing government has long sought, regardless of whether it leads to a permanent civil war.”
The violence is the apotheosis of what happens at the end of a road of exhausted options, a terminus where negotiations no longer matter, when the government in power, itself corrupted and spoiled and facing opposition from its own citizens, finds itself at sea as to how to defeat an enemy it refuses to acknowledge, except in violence. In April, the Times of Israel reported that fighter pilots in the volunteer reserves had threatened to withdraw their labour, agitated by Netanyahu’s legislative efforts to hobble the judiciary. Leaders had warned that the country faced civil war.
From outside the conflict, the ongoing debate rages on who has a monopoly on violence and its decent uses. Depending on who exercises it, it constitutes a terroristic act warranting justified massive retaliation. For others, it’s justified self-defence. “There is never any justification for terrorism,” stated US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, ignoring the obvious point that many states tend to be born in the convulsing labours of terrorism, not least Israel itself. The EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen “unequivocally” condemned “the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also regarded such “acts of violence” as “completely unacceptable,” insisting that civilians had to be protected.
Laced with a delicious, smacking irony, were remarks made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a man who claims little by way of restraint in fighting invaders and occupiers (Russians, would you know?) and seems to ignore the states of occupation that stain other parts of the world. “Today’s terrorist attack on Israel was well-planned, and the entire world knows which sponsors of terrorism could have endorsed and enabled its organization.” Dare we even bother to ask?
“Decency,” as George Bernard Shaw tells us in Maxims for Revolutionists, “is indecency’s conspiracy of silence.” Palestinians are to be conspiratorially decent before the killing of the two-state solution and the impoverishment of their lands. (The blockade in Gaza has left 80% of the population dependent on international aid, facing a contaminated water supply and persistent power outages.) They are to be decent and well-mannered before bulldozing policies of collective punishment. They are to be decent before discriminatory administrative detention and segregationist policies that have been said by Human Rights Watch and the Israeli B’Tselem to satisfy the conditions of apartheid.
The reality, as Raz Segal punchily declared, has been etched “into the landscape of the occupied Palestinian territories,” a policy of colonisation manifested “through walls, fences, other barriers, and roads intended only for Jews or only for Palestinians.” Writing in 2002, former Israeli Attorney General Michael Ben-Yair merely confirmed that, “We established an apartheid regime in the occupied territories.”
When allegations of apartheid are made, along with accusations that Israel’s policy towards Palestinians conforms to a long tradition of colonial oppression and displacement by the dominant power, defenders arc up in defiance, seeing antisemitism everywhere. On February 8, 2022, Deborah Lipstadt, in testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in confirmation hearings for the role as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, did just that. She rejected any claims of apartheid, notably by Amnesty International, as “unhistorical,” a crass act of delegitimising a proud democratic country.
And what of the comments from those engaged in planning the assaults of October 7? Mohammad Deif, leader of Hamas’s military wing, claimed that the operation was launched as a direct response to Israeli provocations towards the sanctity of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, notably by Jewish nationalist settlers. “They [Israeli forces] consistently assault our women, the elderly, children and [the] youth; and prevent our people from praying in the Aqsa Mosque while allowing groups of Jews to desecrate the mosque with daily incursions.”
Support has been forthcoming from various predictable quarters, though this is hardly to suggest that the plight of Palestinians will not, given the right moment, be bargained away. Yahya Rahim Safavi, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, declared that Tehran would “stand by Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.” Liberation causes can titillate when embraced hundreds of miles away.
As the battle rages, Israeli politicians can reflect on some common ground with their counterparts in the United States who fund them well. Both have endeavoured to embrace models of existence that caricature peace even as they ennoble the conditions of war. The United States and Israel share that same tendency that had defined their power for decades: the conditions of peace are always underwritten by a permanent, warlike impetus. The expression from historian Charles Beard, expressed in 1947, never seems to date: “perpetual war for perpetual peace.”
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Israel has developed a seige mentality.
In 1948- the Arab League vowed to push Israel into the sea, rather than recognise the new state.
If only those modest borders had been accepted, the wars of 1967 and 1973 (that provided the occupied territory) would not have occurred and the seige mentality is unlikely to have developed to the same extent.
The egg is now scrambled and perpetual war appears to be the result.
This type of outcome is likely to be the best that Putin will achieve in Ukraine.
Re- “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a man who claims little by way of restraint in fighting invaders and occupiers (Russians, would you know?)”
On the contrary, Ukraine under Zelensky has shown remarkable restraint.
* Is there the evidence of the use of rape as a military strategy, by Ukraine? On the other hand we have the High Commission for Human Rights report on the systemic rape of Ukrainian women and girls by the Russian military
* Unlike Russia, there has been little or no deliberate targetting of civilian infrastructure
* There is no evidence of targetting of Russian shopping centres, hospitals by Ukraine
It is difficult for me to accept that Israel with its intelligence gathering apparatus and a host of ‘assets’ in Gaza and elsewhere were unaware of this potential threat. I surmise that the Israeli leadership has been prepared to sacrifice their own people in order to ensure a casus belli and justification for their long lusted-after annexation of the West Bank and Gaza…The US will look on and nod tacit approval. The Palestinians will be forced into exile in Lebanon or Jordan.
So disappointing to see the preemptive knee buckle by Albanese and Wong taking the Israeli side, as someone wrote this morning, they should not claim to speak for all Australians, I for one note this is a disaster brought on by Israel itself due to its decades-long unrestrained and illegal barbarism towards the Palestinian people. The illegal occupiers of Palestinian lands, the rabid settlers who have dispossessed Palestiand for their illegal settlements are reaping the whirlwind
In the final week of the referendum campaign Albo is projecting himself as the voice of reason.
Then condemns this “unprovoked” attack on Israel by Hamas.
His credibility slips a little each time he mouths Washington generated BS
Handy diversion to keep the criminal Netanyahu out of jail for a little longer.Even if it means starting WW 3.
AC, RC, DP; well-considered and I’m notionally in agreement; JH, not so sure – the bit about the Israeli leadership seemingly willing to sacrifice their citizens in the cause of ensuring a casus belli seems preposterous but agree they have a long lusted-for annexation of Palestinian territories. The situation, in toto, deserves the vulgar descriptor of ‘cluster fuck’; given that the history of recent conflict now stretches well over fifty years and is no closer to any rational sense of acceptability for all concerned.
The British, unsurprisingly, have long-dried blood on their hands in all of this given they were the progenitors of the Balfour Declaration more than a century ago, an arbitrary decision which did not canvas the opinions of the Palestinians whose lands were to be confiscated and handed to the Zionists, a decision driven by the links of British politicians with the likes of the Rothschilds and supported by the British Zionist politican Herbert Samuel, and a decision which led in turn to the formation of arguably the world’s first terrorist organisation, Irgun, whose leader and later to be Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin headed a campaign of bloody terror against both the then British occupiers as well as Palestinian villagers – men, women & children – in their blind zealotry & hatred towards the elimination of what they believed to be all forms of illegal inhabitance of what they no doubt believed and argued was their hallowed and god-given right to their holy land.
Self-serving politics, religion, fanaticism, along with seemingly never-ending support from the collective governments of the USA and buckets of money to be spent on armaments that have in turn led this pissant little piece of Mediterranean turf to now host the planet’s fourth largest military force; how’s all that worked out, one might well ask?
It appears that, once again, the only real beneficiaries of this military action will be the US NE military industrial complex providing arms to Israel until the ultimate armistice. Certainly the Netanyahu matter may be influencing Israeli thoughts.
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However, from another angle ….. how does Zionist Israel historically claim Jerusalem as a city because it was held by the Israelites some 4,000 years ago? for a very short about 70 years??
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Methinks the above comments from others adequately explain the fallacies of this situation and the blame shifting that is occurring by western politicians and media outlets.
The Balfour Declaration was made in 1917, it was made to try and generate the support of American Jews, and thus allow the enry of the USA into WWI. The Declaration prom8sed a homeland for Jews in what was then known as Palestine.
In 1945 the Jewish refugees in Europe poured into Pallistine, where the Stern Gang systematically forced Palestinians out of their homes to make room for what is known as the Exodus.
This has continued since then so that known the majority of the then Palestinian land has been occupied by Israel. In effectveject8ng Palestinian from the traditional land.
If this wasn’t so bloody disgusting, this is all just so Pythonesque.
“Should be a good one this weekend. Local derby. Hamas v the IDF……”
The support for the poor defensless israel, and the (almost) universal condemnation of Hamas, is so fucking hypocrytical.
At what point does the ordinary person get the choice to exercise their Human Right to Exist, or even have it enter the discussion? Ever?
I am no supporter of terrorism, but the difference between the acts of the jewish state and those of hamas is what?
The backing and support of the “free world”.
Kiss my arse.
There should be some serious introspection going on in Israel, and especially Netanyahu, what have they been doing to miss this?
That’s right, internal civil war amongst politicians and ministries, partly induced by the machinations of Netanyahu to protect himself from corruption charges etc.
Let’s not forget the silence or tepid noise from Israeli allies Saudi, UE, Bahrain and Egypt, as usual.
Definitely agree that Israel knew this was imminent, they needed it so they can justify their defence of “their” lands.
Israel has lived on the coat tails of the Holocaust for so long they cannot see that they have become the perpetrators.
Palestinians have a right to exist, they have a right to a homeland, they have rights.
Israel is responsible for this. Israel must be brought to account.
Disagree that Israel knew it was imminent….. and how will Israel be brought to account? Maybe a ray of sunlight in the violence and death, i.e. the end of Netanyahu….ally of Trump, Orban, Putin et al.
Not sure what the holocaust has to with anything at present e.g. Israel has ‘Red Sea’ Sunni allies as are EU, Anglosphere nations etc. but opponents are especially Iran (Shia) and Putin’s Russia (following on from USSR’s anti-semitism)? Hamas are just one part of the Palestinian tapestry and quite extreme, while nominal Palestinian leader Abbas has no leverage over them….
May be convenient for Netanyahu to enforce unity in Israel especially in IDF, security services, religious vs. secular etc. with whom he has been at civil war for almost a year, while co-opting some very extreme right wing coalition partners and/or competitors.
Global Voices has a good summary leading up to recent events in ‘Israel swings between democracy and the religious far-right. The increasing divide between ultra-religious and secularist movements’
Politico on intelligence failures in ‘‘Catastrophic’ intelligence failure let Hamas wreak havoc, says former Israeli security official. Former deputy national security adviser Chuck Freilich told POLITICO that the blame will ultimately lie with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.’
https://www.politico.eu/article/hamas-israel-pakestina-catastrophic-intelligence-security-chief/
Thirty years ago I watched a TV documentary where a woman, a. Holocaust survivor spoke of refusing to occupy a house of an ousted Palestinian family. She explained her terror and sadness when Nazis turfed her family out of her home and she landed in the ghetto. How can I take this family’s home ? She asked.
When asked when Israel would know peace she replied ” when enough Jewish blood has been spilled”.
Back home…
It is fortuitous for Albanese that his meeting with a group of clergy of all faiths took place before the attack by Hamas.
And again….
Nec, it appears Dutton can justify Israel on the grounds of previous occupation 4,000 years ago but cannot support recognition of 60,000 years of continuous occupation by FNPs.
And overseas….
The US arms manufacturers are rubbing their grubby hands together at the thought of pouring more arms into Israel with Biden’s blessing.
New Bruce…Pythonesque indeed. Funny old world.
As long as the majority of the Israel population enables its government to prosecute apartheid and endless military offensives including war against the Palestinians there will be no peace in the Middle East. Nothing short of civil war in Israel, like its puppet-master USA, will curb the exceptionalism and hubris that abounds. Together Israel/USA are nuclear states and have already planned the unthinkable catastrophe of nuclear Armageddon in the belief that together they could win.
The world is changing and now the geopolitical chessboard looks very different, especially in the Middle East.
Here in Australia, Albanese and Wong and the host of Israel appeasers do not speak for me. The upcoming referendum on The Voice is a distraction from the actual oppression of our First Nations people. Any amount of Royal Commissions and Inquiries has not improved their lot, judged by a common array of metrics.
First Nations people deserve a treaty, reparations, truth-telling and justice. So too do the Palestinian people.
So heartened to read the many intelligent and informed comments here and thank you Dr Kampmark for expressing a side so frequently hidden by the mainstream media. I suspect as usual, Israel will prevail and murder Palestinians 4 fold until they feel validated. They already have the support of most other countries.
Canguro: Yes, the Brits really had their sh.t together when it came time to draw borders – NOT. Creation of Israel post WW2 tore up history – almost done as per the arrogance of “Terra Nullius”. The split up of India on the basis of religion, but only half done, so we have a few points of conflict like Pakistan, Cashmere, etc. While Hamas killing civilians is a war crime and those responsible should be held to account, however Palestinian residents of Gaza have effectively been living in a prison. Both sides are at fault.
@Fred, yes indeed, the beat goes on, as it’s said. And just in, per the ABC’s reporting on the Israeli response, they are are “putting a complete siege on Gaza… No electricity, no food, no water, no gas — it’s all closed. We are fighting animals and are acting accordingly”, said the Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
More than two million people live in the Gaza Strip, so make of that what you will; the massive military and economic/social response that will punish all of the people for the actions of a relatively small number of Hamas fighters. Gallant’s words would seem to echo the embedded in concrete attitude of the Israeli government towards the presence of the Palestinians forced to live on their doorstep; denied basic human rights, a policy designed to make the lives of those condemned to live their lives under the noses of the IDF as difficult as possible, discriminated against, thought of as animals, hated & persecuted, shot at, again & again, killed on a frequent basis, and all of this against the background denial of the origins of the conflict and the undeniable resentment of the original inhabitants at being forced to lead these lives of persecution & suffering. Why the proponents of this cruelty consider it to be just means is a question without answer, except one might suggest, fear of retribution for their actions.
A seemingly unresolvable nightmare, for all involved.
what disgusts me about the whole shit show is that after 70 odd yrs we still havent done anything to bring about a resolution. One side bristtles with all the parafinalia of a high tech state and the other a motley crew of disjointed angry people.
The one question nobody wants to answer is , What has made the 2 million palestinians so angry? The anger is so palpable that they are acting like savages with no mercy.
Surely it hasnt happened in a vacuum.
I have heard all the historical BS, we had it 4000yrs ago so its ours, but who had it beforte you? Is a never ending shit show. Its the 2 million in the gaza who we need to address. Israel occupied the area as if it was terra nullus……….we all know thats a pretty horrific result for the indigenous. Israel sowed its own seeds.
Maybe when the dust settles, humanity will replace the fighter jets. Holding my breath,,1…2…3…4…………
As much as i feel sorry for those caught up, they have to face the reality that they kept passing the buck until the anger could not be contained.
Canguro, it is seemingly unresolvable. Especially when one side has all the modern toys of war at hand the the other seemingly at the other side’s mercy. Evening the odds could suddenly force the issue onto the current agenda rather than kick the can down the road for another 70 yrs.
its the little things we neglect that come back to bite us. I remember when Arafat exploded the 747s on a tarmac to get attention for the palestinian cause. That was when action was needed but , hubris got the better of everyone. So the demonstrations got bigger and bigger and dirtier and dirtier, culminting in Israel’s biggest death count. All the while dehumanising them more and more. Now everyone calls them terrorists seemingly all innocent of all implications. We create the mess by ignoring the causes of distress and resentment. We collectively, yes we.
Now we have the arseholes come out of the wood work and want total retribution. Who amongst us is brave enough to tell israel, Dont create the next wave
cause next time i will have even less sympathy for the bully in the room.
I have long supported Palestinian, mainly due to evictions and historically from pommie lawyer rorts but support neither Hamas nor Israeli terrorists.
Spot with Bible history land ownership, Caz, and I remember years ago a bright spot when Palestinian and Jewish women came together but Koran and Bible boys have no respect for women under the hair and hope disappeared.
The Irish troubles were also steeped in land stealing and women were important in ending the troubles.
Is it impossible for the religious men to reach for women to put their problems into context and perhaps find a solution???
Most of us instinctively sense the rights and wrongs of an issue when given enough data, but sometimes we struggle to give a concise summary of a complex matter.
Craig Murray has summed this one up nicely.
“Yes it is an inchoate and violent response. Of course I wish it did not have innocent victims.
The people I do condemn are the political class internationally who, with one voice, put out statements supporting “Israel’s right to self-defence”. A right they grant to the oppressor but deny to the oppressed.
Those are the people who need to be condemned.”
I’m surprised that Hamas have not laid out a list of demands – why go to all this trouble and carry out this mayhem and not present a list of demands.
What’s the point ?
Terence, a possible motivation was to cause internal dissent within Israel, if that’s the case, it was probably successful. Israelis will not be happy with the death toll.
Politics within Israel was in turmoil prior to this.
To kill Jews and get martyred?? Made me think of last century’s unlucky man who was walking in Belfast when he feels the gun at the back of his head and the dreaded question
Who are you
Thinking quickly he says I am a Jew’
A voice says ‘Ahmed, at last Allah has sent us one”
We’ve had few near misses in the last few decades,but harking back to all those biblical prophesies about Israel and Armageddon by the doomsayers could be inching closer.This may well detonate the Middle East and suck the entire planet into conflict.The West’s deliberate ignorance could end in bliss,but not the kind we would have hoped for.To quote that hackneyed cliche..”History teaches us that we learn nothing from history”
When my father was inturned as a pow in WW 2 after the surrender of the Italian army in North Africa ,he was sent to them peaceful country of Palestine to do infrastructure work. The majority of the country then was Palestinian with a minority of of both Christians and Jews . Due to the Belfour declaration and Zionism ,post WW 2 there was a huge influx of millions of Jews who then pushed the Palestinians to the margins which has now led to inconsolable differences which is very similar to what has happen here in the colonisation of Australia .