There is perhaps no issue less understood by the public than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though it ironically causes some of the greatest passion and fervor. Cries of anti-semitism, misrepresentations of history and most importantly politics often shape the discussion. But with lives continuing to be lost and another hollow ceasefire hanging in the balance, it’s becoming ever more important to clearly understand what’s going on in the Middle East.
First off, there’s one reality that hangs over the most recent barrage of death and war: Hamas started it. Indeed, if it weren’t for the countless rockets being fired into Israel, aimed at innocent civilians, this most recent conflict never would have arisen in the first place.
Second, it’s easy for many to develop an opinion simply by looking at the death tolls, which show a disproportionate burden on the Palestinians. But it’s important to note that Hamas, the leadership in Gaza, has long fed into this trend by employing tactics such as human shields, which involves shooting rockets from heavily populated areas such as hospitals and schools.
Moreover, the Israeli army is one of the best in the world at protecting its citizens, best exemplified by its most recent development: the Iron Dome. Rockets being fired into Israeli population centers can now be intercepted and shot down, currently with a 90 percent success rate. If it wasn’t for the most innovative military protection system currently known to man, you can bet the Israeli death toll would be far higher.
Overall, it’s hard to compare the motives of the Palestinian leadership and that of the Israelis. The Israeli Defense Force code of ethics directs all soldiers to act “out of recognition of the supreme value of human life,” which is why they have been known to hand out flyers and make calls to innocent civilians warning them of planned airstrikes.
On the other side, Hamas has shown values that are quite opposite. In 2008, Hamas MP Fathi Hammad declared that “for the Palestinian people, death has become an industry.” He added: “We desire death like [the Zionists] desire life.”
This complete, utter disregard for human life makes it very difficult to support Hamas amidst this conflict. But that does not tell the whole story.
Polls have consistently showed that a majority of Palestinians, as well as Israelis, support some form of a two-state solution. However, both Hamas and the Israeli government seem completely blind to public opinion, creating an enormous disparity between what it appears the people want and what they actually want.
And although Hamas seems completely unwilling to move towards peace, there has long been support for a plan amongst the much more moderate leadership in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority. Even so, Israel’s leadership has recently balked at every step, continuing to occupy land, build settlements and reject every chance to sit down and discuss peace.
Thus, it is hard to support either side. It is certainly hard to support the violence of Hamas, but it is equally hard to support the oppressive, stubborn and oftentimes arrogant foreign policy of the current Israeli government. With hundreds of lives being lost in an unnecessary conflict, the misleading advocates on both sides are doing far more harm than good.