Israel’s right to exist is ironclad. A democratic haven for a persecuted people, it faces an existential threat from Hamas, a terrorist group that uses civilians as shields, fires rockets, and sacrifices Gaza’s future for its survival. Obliterating Hamas isn’t just Israel’s right; it’s essential for peace.
No one conflated the Irish with the IRA’s violence, and Palestinians must not be equated with Hamas. That’s a lazy, dangerous falsehood. Palestinians deserve peace, dignity, and a future free from Hamas’s tyranny. In Khan Yunis, Gaza, thousands have protested, chanting “We want to live” and “Hamas out,” rejecting the fanatical ideology that cages the very people it claims to represent. These brave voices, risking retribution, show the path forward: amplify Gazans demanding Hamas’s surrender and the release of hostages.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must heed them, wielding a precision scalpel of targeted counter-terrorism and robust humanitarian aid, not a sledgehammer, to break the cycle of violence. The world craves a Yitzhak Rabin today - a leader with the resolve to secure Israel and the vision to pursue peace. Rabin, assassinated for his courage, knew peace demanded strength and compromise. His absence looms large as we weigh solutions.
A two-state framework, often touted, may work, but it risks cementing ethno-religious divides. A more courageous path is a secular, multicultural state where Jews, Palestinians, and others coexist with equal rights. This vision faces deep resistance - from historic trauma, hardened leadership, and decades of mistrust - but it’s worth pursuing. Joint economic initiatives - shared tech hubs, water infrastructure, cross-border trade zones - can help build trust, address Israeli security concerns, and ease Palestinian fears of cultural erasure.
Though difficult in a region marked by loss and suspicion, this model roots peace in shared prosperity rather than separation. Some will call this naïve - that the wounds are too deep, the identities too fixed. But the alternative is worse: endless war, recurring trauma, and ever-higher walls. If a future of coexistence is hard to imagine, that only underscores the urgency of building it.
Amplifying Gaza’s anti-Hamas voices while ensuring Israel’s security through smart, lawful counter-terrorism is the way forward. Rabin’s legacy demands we aim higher than divided states or permanent conflict.
Crush Hamas, defend Palestinian lives, and build a society where all can thrive. Anything less betrays Gaza’s protests, the lost Israeli hostages, and the hope for lasting peace.
Comments
Be the first to comment