The Crisis in the Middle East: A Failure of Leadership

Why can’t we all get along? Here’s why . . .

8/3/24

Few issues confronting the world today are as dispiriting as the conflict currently underway in the Middle East. At this point, we see intractable positions by both Hamas and the Israeli government. Both are pursuing control “from the River to the sea” at the exclusion of the other — or if not at the exclusion of the other, the subjugation.

Can this possibly be an endgame that any rational person can endorse? Both sides are headed toward a fight to the finish, effectively opting for the annihilation of one or the other. Given the risks involved, is this a reasonable course of action for the leadership of either side? Regardless, the logical consequence of maintaining the agendas of the current leaderships is that more innocents will die. Anything short of a two-state solution where each state is committed to autonomy for the other perpetuates the state of war. How can such an obvious realization be lost on — or ignored by — the current leadership?

The position that the United States has taken is that Israel has a right to defend itself, but it must do so in a way that minimizes civilian casualties. With Hamas embedding itself in civilian infrastructure, however, this condition is no easy task. The notion of proportionality seems to be paramount, but finding an “acceptable” level of carnage and destruction is fraught. None is the right answer; but at the same time, to push for none in the face of Hamas still holding something approaching 120 hostages and still committed to Israel’s destruction is both unreasonable and unacceptable. Israel isn’t going to accept, nor should it, what would amount to as a surrender without some measure of reciprocity.

I see the call for a ceasefire without a pairing of demands for the release of the hostages as a call for Israel’s ultimate demise. It would be easy to counter this conclusion if those in the pro-Palestinian camp linked the call for a ceasefire with the call for the release of the hostages. The fact that this pairing is largely absent from pro-Palestinian demonstrations, however, reflects an implicit alignment of these protesters with the goals and aspirations of Hamas, which is to make what is currently, Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank a unified Arab nation. You can’t get there, however, without the evisceration of Israel.

Those participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations could use their voices to denounce Hamas while calling for a ceasefire, but they choose not to do so. This choice is telling. What are the rest of us to conclude, if not that the pro-Palestinian camp supports Hamas with the ultimate objective of eliminating any traces of a Jewish state? Thie objective may not be embraced or articulated by many calling for a ceasefire, but it certainly is for some portion of the pro-Palestinian population. It’s disheartening to find those who believe in Israel’s right to exist aligning themselves with this other faction in the pro-Palestinian movement. It’s fine — even admirable — to be dedicated to protecting innocent lives, but this orientation isn’t at all consistent with supporting a terrorist organization dedicated to the extermination of Jews. On this, we all should agree.

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