Position Review
As the Israel-Hamas war enters it's sixth month, here is a clarification on the stances I have right now on what is going on
Six months of unrelenting war, more than 1200 Israelis were killed in the October 7 attack, and more than 33,000 Palestinians were killed in the days since. Looking back at my old pieces regarding the war, whether they are special opinion pieces or plain reviews and analyses, I feel it is appropriate for me to make a few points so everyone can get on the same page on what I am thinking right now.
In the slight defense of my previous work, my views, like the war, have shifted due to developments, and I do not doubt some of the points laid below will change again. With the disclaimer put beforehand, here is a point-form representation of my thoughts on the war right now.
What hasn’t changed and won’t since
It is a story that continues to break my heart and soul, no matter how much some parts of me feel numb about it.
What happened on October 7 is a devastating and horrible event, and denialism over the tragedy is disgusting and wrong.
Lives lost in the conflict, Israeli and Palestinian, are tragic in their own right.
What Israel doing is counterproductive to its cause of revenge and justice, or the basic conduct of war.
Palestinians are people, not pawns for any person or group.
The Israelis and Palestinians deserve much better than the leaders they have.
Netanyahu must resign from power for Israel to move on in a better way, Hamas needs to be out of power as well. Iran’s theocratic government should also be gone if a more stable Middle East can be established.
It is fair and right to criticize Israel’s policies and conduct in war which can and must be done in a way that does not incite or provoke antisemitism. However, pointing to any critique of Israel as antisemitism is dangerous in its own right as it diminishes the power of the term and the harm it brings.
Don’t say “From the river to the sea.” You can find better slogans to support Palestinian sovereignty and statehood that do not involve or trigger fear and pain among the Jewish people.
Antisemitism and Islamophobia are wrong and must be denounced by all of polite society.
People who use the war for opportunism are shameful and need to be condemned at all levels.
There should be space and rational discussions between supporters of Israel and Palestine for frank conversations on the war without fear of retaliation or stigma.
Things that have changed or have developed since the time my articles were published
Israel has a right to self-defense, no question about it. But the country’s conduct in war has been anything but proportional and targeted.
Despite Israel’s claims, it seems highly unlikely Hamas would be removed from power or be eliminated. Even if Hamas is eliminated, the collateral damage and tragedy that comes along from this war could incite extremism in Palestine which could be more dangerous than Hamas.
What Israel has done is in many ways reckless and inconsiderate of the innocent Palestinian population, including using food and hunger as a weapon by limiting humanitarian aid, as well as attacking and killing aid workers
Many of Israel’s actions constitute war crimes and potential crimes against humanity, and its leaders should be held responsible under international law.
I treat claims of Israel committing genocide with a skeptical view. Without a doubt, Israel’s actions have met the threshold of what international law defines as genocidal actions, but the language that is being justified as intent could be flimsy when examined in court.
This view could be changed depending on new revelations, new conduct, and more international scrutiny.
Whether the collective actions of Israeli policy constitute genocide against the Palestinians is an entirely separate debate, in which terms such as settler-colonialism and genocide could hold slightly more weight than being used as a descriptor of Israel’s war conduct
The ICJ should and must carry out South Africa’s case claiming Israel is conducting genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza, despite my criticisms of the intent from South Africa’s side.
The UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has made a solid case that there are “reasonable grounds” for which genocide is being committed in Gaza, but more work needs to be done on that basis.
I will refer to the Israeli response to the war as genocide if the ICJ rules it as such, before that happens, I am still a soft skeptic on this issue.
It should not take accusations of genocide to recognize the pain and suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are unspeakable horrors that the international community must address.
In the short run, a bilateral ceasefire accompanying the release of all hostages is the best and easiest solution to ending the bloodshed right now. In the long run, it should establish the foundations for a permanent ceasefire and a two-state solution.
A one-state solution in which both Israelis and Palestinians live in harmony can also be accepted, depending on the conditions.
More countries should be calling for at least a temporary ceasefire.
President Biden’s Hug Bibi strategy has failed spectacularly, Netanyahu has only been emboldened by US support and unwavering commitment to Israel.
Biden needs to recognize that being anti-Bibi is pro-Israel, and he needs to be more sympathetic to the Palestinians and their pain which the president should know.
On a slightly more unrelated note, anyone who tells you Trump is and will handle the conflict better than Biden is either lying to you or is delusional.
Biden needs to take a more forceful stance, call for the conditioning of aid to Israel, and warn him that Israel will lose American support if Netanyahu continues on his path to carnage.
Stop quibbling with the words or insulting Netanyahu privately, bring it out to the open!
I understand for Biden, it is a tough issue to balance. On one side, zealous progressives who treat TikTok as the unvarnished truth calling Biden “Genocide Joe,” and on the other hand potentially alienating centrists and Never Trumpers who are supportive of Israel. There are no good options for Biden.
Citing Israel’s conduct of war as a reason for stopping arms shipments to Israel should be justifiable.
The international community should not use the issue of Palestine as a what-about talking point or provoke outrage and hate among religious or political groups.
At some level, enough is enough.
I am pro-innocent, and there should be no sides against this.
The end goal: I want peace. A peace where Israelis and Palestinians can live together and with each other in harmony and love and peace.