This week we mark the 3rd Anniversary of attacks on the Western Negev settlements by Hamas, the murder of hundreds of Israelis and the kidnapping of over 200 others, and the start of a nightmare for Gazans from which they have still to wake.
Three years, thousands of dead; hundreds of thousand displaced; two countries, Palestine and Israel, which have been torn apart by three years of violence that has only achieve more misery and grief.
Three years ago, a few days after the attack and after Israel’s horrific response had started, I wrote this article. Sadly, too much of what I wrote has happened. Hamas has not been defeated, Israel has not become more secure, Palestinians still suffer from the occupation, and on both sides the political leaders care more about clinging on to power than the lives of those they should be serving.
May the memory of all those innocents on both sides who have died in vain be blessed; may there be a generation of Palestinians and Israelis who have seen this horror and who realise that there is no future for either though violence; may we all help Palestine and Israel find a way to live side by side:
To be a free people in our own country לִהְיוֹת עַם חָפְשִׁי בְּאַרְצֵנוּ / أن نكون شعباً حراً في وطننا
Three years after those terrible attacks by Hamas on the settlements of the Western Negev and Israel’s unforgivably vicious response inflicting an unimaginable humanitarian disaster on the people of Gaza, the outlook for peace is bleak. The extremists on both sides, the extremists who do not want a just peace or to give both nations the right to self-determination, have been in ascendancy. To try and understand these extremists better, last month, our Chair, Mohammed Amin, looked at Hamas (you can see the videos of his presentation and the subsequent discussion on our website and our YouTube Channel). Next week Ruvi Zeigler will be looking at Kahanism, which is the ideology behind Itmar ben Gvir and many of the violent settlers
However, looking forward there is a big opportunity in both Palestine and Israel to change that narrative. On October 27th, Israel goes to the poll to elect a new Knesset and on November 28th Palestine also has elections for a new Palestine Legislative Council. We are hoping to find a speaker on the politics of Palestine ahead of these elections so watch out for an invite.
I am hopeful that in both a new political leadership will change how each nation views the other, hopeful that there is an opportunity for a new start that can put behind us the mistakes (on both sides) that for 25 years have stopped progress to a resolution to the conflict that has dogged the land between the Sea and the River for over 100 years.
I also must address the motion adopted by the Green Party at their recent Conference stating that “Zionism is Racism” and that there should be a single Palestinian State. As I have written elsewhere, this is a wrong-headed and naive motion that we should reject utterly. It does not help the cause of a truly independent Palestinian State, which can only happen alongside a secure Israel. By labelling all Jews who are affiliated with any organisation that supports Israel in any way (and this includes groups like Standing Together, the Parents Forum and Wahat al Salaam/Neve Shalom) as racists, it will only increase inter-communal tensions here in the UK. I am glad that we in LDfPME helped draft a far better policy for our Party that was adopted by Conference 2 years ago. You can read that Policy Motion here
A few days ago, there was an attack on the FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv (that this flight exists and is a regular route is in itself a sign of changing times in the region). The media, both traditional and social, is awash with speculation about the motives of the attacker, who might be behind it and even why there were so many “Mossad Agents” on the flight. Attempts to make out the attack as a “false flag” operation continue; attempts that devalue the heroism of the Indian pilot and the ordinary passengers who averted a catastrophe. I am appalled that so many, with no evidence, are so quick to jump on that (and any other) anti-Israel conspiracy theories. It seems that the co-pilot of the FlyDubai plane is not the only person who has allowed their hatred of Israel to cloud over their intelligence.