No, most people in Gaza are not ‘just like us’
Israel365News.com
GERALD STEINBERG OPINION MARCH 1, 2024 3 MIN READ
https://israel365news.com/387161/no-most-people-in-gaza-are-not-just-like-us/
According
to the mantras of peace activists, the way to end wars—and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in
particular—is by recognizing that the people on the other side are “just like
us.” Students in university peace studies programs are taught that conflicts
end by bringing individuals from opposing sides together, to discover shared
values and overcome stereotypes about “the other.” Based on this seemingly
indisputable truth, millions of dollars are provided every year for women’s
reconciliation dialogues, summer peace camps and similar frameworks.
The
articles of faith are also passionately repeated by Western diplomats. Speaking
to the Israeli public on Feb. 7, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
declared
that most people in Gaza “are just like our families…The overwhelming majority
of the people in Gaza had nothing to do with Oct. 7. Their mothers and fathers
want to earn a decent living, send their kids to school and have a normal
life…We cannot, we must not lose sight of our common humanity.”
But
is this belief reflected in reality? Is Palestinian society “just like” Israeli
society, or is this a comforting but very dangerous illusion?
When
Israelis look at the evidence from Gaza, we see that many supported the
horrendous brutality in the Hamas atrocities of Oct. 7. Large crowds in Gaza
turned out to cheer the terrorists returning from their heinous spree of
torture, murder, rape and kidnapping. When some Israeli hostages in Gaza were
transferred to the International Red Cross after weeks of torture, mobs
harassed and intimidated them.
Long
before Oct. 7, everyone living in Gaza (including United
Nations Relief
And Works Agency employees) knew that Hamas was stealing
international aid to build a massive underground terror infrastructure that
could be used to attack Israelis. Some of these “ordinary civilians” who saw
the horrendous pogrom ran immediately to join in the looting. No Palestinian
has expressed human empathy for the Israeli victims. But Secretary Blinken did
not lecture Palestinians on the theme that Israelis are “just like” them.
In
the face of this overwhelming evidence, what leads Western liberals to cling to
the myths of “common humanity” and a universal society? One
explanation is “mirror imaging,” which is a mindset that erases obvious and
fundamental societal differences. This filter removes the disturbing fact that,
in contrast to the majority of Israelis, many Palestinian mothers repeatedly
encourage their children to become “martyrs” and express pride when they are
killed while murdering and brutalizing Jews. No, they are not “just like us.”
Another
major difference is cultural—particularly what professor Richard Landes calls
“honor-shame cultures,” in which humiliation (such as defeat in an aggressive
war) leads to unbounded determination to exact revenge. This is the essence of
the Palestinian nakba—the ongoing humiliation of the Arab armies’
loss of the 1948 war. If Palestinians were “just like us,” they would instead
examine their own shortcomings. In contrast to the Palestinian textbooks and
those in many Arab countries, in which Jews and Israelis are depicted as
monsters, Israeli children are not systematically raised on hate and
incitement. The fundamental differences in our identities are deeply embedded
in cultural values, taught to children from generation to generation.
Another
key difference is that for some groups (Christians and Muslims, in particular),
affirmation of their identity and beliefs requires the conversion of others,
often through coercion and humiliation. The Islamic world relegates Christians
and Jews to second-class status (dhimmis). In contrast, Jews have
nothing comparable—we are content to be “a nation that dwells alone” and a
“light unto the nations,” neither of which leads to mass murder.
At
the same time, those who believe that people on the other side are “just like
us” need different explanations for wars and terror. These include conspiracy
theories that blame a small group of evil manipulators, often painted with
classical antisemitic symbols, who gain power illicitly and create conflict.
For example, instead of blaming Hamas and its allies for the Oct. 7 slaughter
and the war that followed, the myth spinners refer to “Netanyahu’s war” against
the presumably innocent civilians in Gaza.
These
illusions carry a very high cost. The “Oslo disaster” was the product of good
intentions and myths, but instead of expected cooperation toward shared goals,
Arafat and the Palestinians interpreted Israel’s decision to give up territory
as weakness. Similarly, the hopes and illusions accompanying Israeli
withdrawals from southern Lebanon in 2000—and from Gaza in 2005—quickly turned
to dust. Even after the Hamas takeover and escalating attacks that followed,
Israel’s leaders continued to avoid a full-force response, and this mistake
culminated in the Oct. 7 slaughter.
To
avoid more disasters, Israelis must firmly reject the temptations of mirror
imaging, “common humanity” and other messianic illusions. Instead, we need to
return to the unfiltered political realism of Ben-Gurion, Begin, Meir and
others. As long as the goal of the Palestinians, Iran and their allies is the
elimination of Israel, sufficient military power must be available and
displayed so that they understand that attacks on Israel will result in their
own destruction. A strong and what might be falsely denounced as
“disproportionate” deterrent force is the best option for survival.
Hopefully
in the future, Palestinians and their allies will begin to view Israelis as
“like us” enough to end generations of hate and terror. But until that happens,
we cannot afford to entrust our survival to illusions and myths.
Originally
published by The Jewish Journal.
Connecting
the Dots:
Palestine (Hamas) is
a member of the United Nations.
Donald F. McHenry was
a U.S. ambassador for the United Nations and is an honorary
trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder
for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for
the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is a board member for
the International Crisis Group.
Zbigniew
Brzezinski is a board member for the International Crisis
Group and a trustee at the Center for Strategic International
Studies (think tank).
Antony Blinken was
a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (think tank) and is the national security
adviser to the vice president for the Barack Obama administration.
Henry
A. Kissinger is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (think tank), a friend of Brent Scowcroft and
a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).
Brent Scowcroft is
a trustee at the Center for Strategic International Studies (think
tank), a friend of Henry A. Kissinger and the chair,
international advisory board for the Atlantic Council of the United
States (think tank).
Open Society Foundations was a funder for
the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).
George Soros is the founder & chairman
for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation
to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for
the International Rescue Committee.
Elie Wiesel is
an overseer at the International Rescue Committee and a
messenger of peace for the United Nations.
William J.
vanden Heuvel is an overseer at the International Rescue
Committee and was a U.S. representative for the United Nations.
Samantha Power was
a director at the International Rescue Committee and is the
U.S. ambassador for the United Nations.
Palestine (Hamas) is
a member of the United Nations.
Resources:
Past Research
Blinken
Urges 'Calm' as Israel-Palestinian Conflict Rises (Connecting the Dots: Antony
Blinken, Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank), Iran,
United Nations, Palestine (Hamas), Obama, Sidley Austin LLP & Soros
Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Antony
Blinken)
MONDAY,
NOVEMBER 6, 2023
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2023/11/blinken-urges-calm-as-israel.html
Smaller
Bites – Connecting the Dots: Palestine (Hamas), Barack Obama, Michelle Obama,
Sidley Austin LLP, Israel & Soros Funding, All Networking (Past Research on Hamas)
SATURDAY,
NOVEMBER 4, 2023
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2023/11/smaller-bites-connecting-dots-palestine.html
No comments:
Post a Comment