Summary

The article discusses the complex situation in Israel, where despite military successes against Hamas, there is a significant decline in hope for peace among Israelis and Arab citizens, and a rise in support for Hamas among Palestinians, indicating a potential long-term threat to Israel's future security and peace.

Abstract

The article "Israel — Damned If It Does" presents a nuanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, highlighting the paradox that despite military victories and international support, Israelis are increasingly pessimistic about the prospects for peace. The piece references GALLUP polls showing a dramatic decrease in Israeli hopefulness for peace, with a similar sentiment among Arab citizens within Israel. It also notes a concerning trend of growing support for Hamas among Palestinians, particularly young men, who view Israel as an aggressor. The author suggests that the ongoing conflict and military operations in Gaza are solidifying negative perceptions of Israel in the next generation, undermining the country's long-term security. The article concludes with a reflection on the nature of peace, questioning whether Israel's current approach, focused on the destruction and demilitarization of Hamas, will lead to lasting peace or further entrench animosity.

Opinions

The author indicates that the Israeli Defense Forces' actions in Gaza, while seen as necessary for immediate security, may be counterproductive in the long term by fostering increased support for Hamas.
There is a clear concern that the current strategy is not winning the "hearts and minds" of the younger Palestinian generation, which could have dire consequences for future peace.
The article implies that Israel's military objectives, as stated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, prioritize a peace achieved through domination rather than reconciliation, which may not be sustainable.
The author suggests that the memory of past grievances and the reverence for fallen ancestors play a significant role in perpetuating the conflict, drawing parallels with other historical conflicts.
The piece criticizes the lack of hope among both Israelis and Arab citizens, despite the perceived successes in the war for hearts and minds globally.
The author emphasizes the importance of transforming enemies into friends as a more desirable form of peace, contrasting it with the peace achieved through the defeat of enemies.

Israel — Damned If It Does

The clock is ticking for this generation

I read the work of Israeli friends sharing their side of the story so that all decent people will stand with them.

Tick tock…

I sit next to relatives who explain to me at Christmas dinner how horrendous, barbaric, and reprehensible the Hamas attacks were.

Tick tock…

I hear public intellectuals calmly explaining the utter depravity they see in fundamental Islamic beliefs celebrating martyrdom.

Tick tock…

I watch videos of the Israeli Defense Forces degrading another Gaza neighborhood, flooding tunnels, and driving out Hamas fighters.

Tick tock…

So much good news. Victories for righteousness all around. The Israeli people should be confident. Full of hope. Right?

Wrong.

According to GALLUP polling, Israelis are not more hopeful. Expectations for peace are at a multi-decade low, down 62% since 2017.

Israeli expectations for peace are way down. GALLUP

48% of Arab citizens within Israel are more supportive of Israel than ever, but they, too, are more despondent than in years. Only 27% are hopeful for the future.

How could this be? The war for hearts and minds around the world is going well, I’m told.

You and I know why hope for the future of Israel and the Middle East is so dim.

Every week that the Gaza assault drags on, the more young Palestinian men turn against Israel. The more young men across the region become certain that Israel is the aggressor, the invader, the brute. They are supporting Hamas more than ever. An early-December survey shows that support for Hamas in Gaza has solidified from 38% to 42%, and that Hamas support in the West Bank has surged from 12% to 44%.

If things don’t turn around soon, Hamas leadership will know that they made exactly the “correct” decision on October 7th. Support for the moderate Fatah movement has fallen, and faith in the United States has collapsed further in much of the Arab world.

I get it.

Even though my Dad thought slavery awful, he lived most of his life cheering for the rise of his beaten forefathers. It’s crazy, I know. But there is little more lasting than the revered memory of fallen fathers and grandfathers. Ask the Irish, the Basque, and the Eritreans.

Yes, Israel must immediately protect its citizenry.

But Israel must also protect their future. It must take steps to win hearts and minds in the next generations of the Arab world. Not just on college campuses and in the New York Times.

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal published an Opinion piece from Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister. In it he declared that his war would not end until Israel has accomplished the following objectives:

Hamas is destroyed.
Gaza is demilitarized.
Gaza is deradicalized.

All this on the same day that Christians celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace.

I am reminded of the fact that there are two types of peace: One in which all our enemies lie dead on the field before us. And another in which we have transformed our enemies into friends.

Destruction of the enemy, demilitarization of the enemy’s land, and deradicalization of the enemy (not of my side, of course) speaks to only one type of peace. Peace through the death of all who stand against me and any who get in the way.

Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash. Cropped by author.

Tick tock…until the clock stops.

A disturbing message for Christmas Day.

Comments are welcome. Claps are deeply appreciated.

J. Andrew Shelley has spent years in startups that did nice stuff. Some stalling. Some selling. One for over half a billion dollars. But none making him rich.

He now distills life into stories that help us navigate our world better.

Please subscribe to read his stories and check out his book American Butterfly. It tells the story of America’s Culture War through the lens of a Southern family suffering great loss.