Moving the Needle on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Getting to a diplomatic solution in the Middle East requires an even-handed approach.

9/20/24

As part of the Jewish diaspora, I’m committed to the imperative of a Jewish state as a safe haven. At the same time, I’m no apologist for the current Israeli government, which I see as actively working against the long-run interests of Israel by sabotaging the prospects of achieving a two-state solution — one in which Israelis can live with security and Palestinians can realize their own aspirations, independently.

The problem, as I see it, is that the politicians in both Israel and in Gaza appear to be chasing the same dream: a single nationality from the River to the Sea, which ultimately means the expulsion of the other. A critical difference, however, is that in Israel, a large segment of the populace repudiates this objective. In the Palestinian camp, on the other hand, whatever dissent there may be is muted, at best.

As telling as that difference is, it really doesn’t do anything to change the calculus. As long as the leaderships in both camps remain in power, this war will persist. Hamas seems intent on never surrendering, regardless of the cost in life and property, all the while Israel remains committed to the elimination of Hamas. I’d like to think this war would be over if Hamas committed to a diplomatic (rather than military) resolution; but, at this point, I’m not even sure that’s possible with the Israeli government having been overtaken by a messianic minority committed to an expanded Israeli geography. The vision of the current Israeli administration under Netanyahu sees either mass displacement for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, or subjugation of those populations — both equally deplorable.

My support for Israel’s existence with my concurrent opposition to the Israeli government puts me, and many like me, in a bind. More critically, it puts America in a bind. Israel is a valuable and important ally. And while I believe that that alliance needs to be preserved for the benefit of both the US and Israel, supporting a government that is pursuing policies that counter our own interests — i.e., supporting a government that rejects a two-state solution — is quite concerning. At the same time, taking any action that perpetuates Hamas’s hold on power, as in unilaterally cutting off military assistance to Israel, is also unpalatable. If Israel needs US military assistance to counter its existential threats, that assistance needs to be forthcoming; and that assistance needs to allow Israel not only to fight this war, but to win it — not so Israel can subjugate its neighbors, but so it can continue to provide a refuge for Jews in need or want.

The US has rightly been pressuring Israel to prosecute this war in compliance with international rules of war; and while we can debate whether those efforts have been sufficiently successful, the danger of hamstringing Israel’s capacity to defend itself is very real. Hamas continues to hold Israeli hostages all the while holding fast to its commitment to eliminate the State of Israel. With both of those underlying conditions in place, calls for a ceasefire with no concession from Hamas are unreasonable and inappropriate. This posture is a capitulation to everything that Hamas wants to achieve.

Neither of the ruling establishments in this conflict is blameless, and as long as both ruling parties remain entrenched in their respective mindsets, the status quo with ongoing death, destruction, and suffering will inevitably continue.

The New York Times recently published an op-ed by Hagai El-Ad, former executive director of an Israeli human rights group, critical of the Israeli settlement policy. Under this policy, Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank live under two sets of laws — i.e., apartheid. At the end of his essay, speaking about this situation, he asks, “When will the United States and Israel’s other allies finally do something about it?”

El-Ad is a member of Israeli’s loyal opposition — a group that I find myself identifying with. I think, however, that El-Ad is asking the wrong question. A more even-handed approach is necessary. Where are El-Ad’s counterparties on the other side? Where are the Palestinians speaking out against the atrocities of Hamas and its disregard for the wellbeing of those under its charge? Where are the leaders of other countries that purport to support the Palestinian cause? Why are these leaders not being called upon to exert their pressure on Hamas to accommodate to a safe and secure Jewish state?

It’s clear that left to their own devices, the leaderships of Hamas and Israel are not going to achieve a peaceful resolution anytime soon, but to get there — eventually — besides calling for the US to influence Israel, the champions of the Palestinians must do their part to de-fang Hamas, as well. This demand has largely been absent from the dialogue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pressuring only one side of this fight, however, is like pushing on a string. It ain’t gonna work to move the needle.

Have feedback? Send me an email at igkawaller@gmail.com.