Another month, more deaths, more fruitless talks about a ceasefire that neither the Netanyahu Government nor Hamas want, and more worthy words from governments around the world but little effective action. It has not been a good month for anyone in Palestine or Israel.
As I write, Netanyahu is presenting a plan to order a “full takeover of Gaza”. It is 22 months since the IDF entered Gaza. Since then, it has killed over 60,000 Gazans, including thousands of Hamas operatives but also even more civilians including women and children. No part of Gaza has been left untouched and much has been destroyed. If this is not a full takeover of Gaza, then I do not know what to call it. That the IDF have not eradicated Hamas shows just how impossible that is by military force, which is something the commanders of the IDF and other Israeli security organisations have pointed out to Netanyahu.
So why this show of more force? Could it be that the reason is more political than military?
It is just about Netanyahu clinging on to power at any cost. It has nothing to do with Israel’s security, it has nothing to do with defeating Hamas, and it certainly has nothing to do with rescuing the remaining hostages or alleviating the starvation in Gaza.
It is disgusting. As an Israeli and a former IDF soldier, I must stand up against it.
The opposition inside Israel to Netanyahu is growing and (because of the decision to conscript Ultra-Orthodox seminary students into the IDF) the two Ultra-Orthodox parties have left the Coalition leaving the Netanyahu Government without a Knesset majority. As the Knesset is on its summer recess, this is not a major problem for Netanyahu yet but might become one in October when the Knesset reconvenes. There were many demonstrations against the war again on Wednesday night across Israel and they are continuing almost non-stop.
Another development is the growing pressure on President Mohamed Abbas both to hold elections inside Palestine later this year (he has already said he will hold elections to the Palestinian National Council (the legislative body of the PLO but not yet for the Palestinian Legislative Assembly or the Palestinian Presidency) and also to appoint an independent civilian administration for Gaza
to replace Hamas. If these both happens it might make the moves by Western countries to formally recognise the State of Palestine meaningful and help the move towards finding a Two-State Solution that is more than pious words.
I try in these updates to bring views that may not have been heard in mainstream media or that the more partisan commentators choose not to share, and to find news that gives hope and shows a way forward. However, the last month has been so terrible and has had so little to give hope I am finding it difficult. As ever, it is the courage of those on both sides, standing up for an end to the war, an end to occupation, and end to holding hostages that give me a reason to believe that despite the dark times we are in, there is light at the end of the tunnel and that Palestinians and Israelis can learn to live side by side in their common homeland.
For those who could join the discussion with Prof. Dajani last month, there was a message that helped bring some light to these dark times. His message of not being pro-Israel or pro-Palestine but being pro-Peace certainly resonated with me. His tolerant, moderate approach is the example all Palestinians and Israelis should follow. I hope to have the video of our discussion up online soon but in the meantime, I suggest you follow the Professor on Facebook.
I am also looking forward to hosting our first fringe event at Conference, Saturday lunch time at the Marriot, with Solutions Not Sides. It will be with peacemakers from both Palestine and Israel and will give us all a chance to learn about what is actually happening on the ground and also about the work Solution Not Sides does in schools here in the UK, teaching about the conflict and give students tools to understand the issues on both sides.