Let Gaza Be: Israel Must Abandon Its Fantasy of Destroying Hamas
Some objectives are unattainable, even for the omnipotent Israel. Even if we put aside the moral considerations so disdained by Israelis, it should be clear that it's time to try a different path
Reconstruction of Gaza has yet to begin; the world has still not recovered from the sights of the Strip, or exacted a price from Israel for its crimes despite a total and amazing global consensus about the gravity of those crimes – but as far as Israel is concerned, not enough blood has been shed.
A central theme in Benjamin Netanyahu's warmongering is a return to talk about wiping out Gaza. Defense Minister Israel Katz also misses no opportunity to utter threats. There is no point in wasting words on Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, as well as on Arab-hater Avigdor Lieberman.
Joining them now, embarrassingly, is Gadi Eisenkot. Among his conditions for anyone wishing to join a coalition he may form is a sudden demand to recognize Hamas as a terror organization "that must be destroyed."
Whether this is an exercise meant to block United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas or a principle, the circle is complete. All party leaders (excluding Yair Golan, for now) wish to return to war in Gaza. It's difficult to think of a more insane and nightmarish idea than that.
Anyone now talking about destroying Hamas is, in effect, talking about destroying Gaza. After three years of bloodshed and devastation, from which Hamas emerged alive and kicking, it is clear that Hamas cannot be destroyed other than through the total annihilation of Gaza.
It is imperative to recognize this fact. What was not achieved in three years of a genocidal war will not be achieved through another three such years.
If life remains in Gaza, Hamas will manage it. If structures remain standing, Hamas will occupy them. If children remain, Hamas will raise them. Thus, anyone calling for a return to a war meant to annihilate Hamas is calling for an all-out war of annihilation meant to finish the job.
This is a result of denying that a genocide took place there. Since this was denied across the board in Israel, with Israel never admitting the facts and daring to face what it did, one can call for another genocidal round. There are already those preparing the public for just that. They include the usual bunch of warmongering voices from the worlds of politics, the military and the media, along with, regrettably, some of the people living along the Gaza border.
The army is force-feeding military correspondents with information about Hamas plots. Not a day goes by without reports of Hamas growing stronger or of a specific threat: Hamas will kidnap a soldier; Hamas will conquer territory; there are lathes in Gaza for producing weapons. All for the sake of legitimizing a continuation of the massacre.
It's not that Hamas has disappeared. But even at peak strength, it did not pose a real danger to an army that is prepared and well-deployed. Now Hamas has been substantially weakened.
But after three years in which Israel killed and destroyed indiscriminately and mercilessly, after it has become the most reviled country in the world as a result of this, and since Hamas is far from being eliminated, it's time to accept the limits of force, even the terrifying force wielded by Israel.
Some objectives are unattainable, even for the omnipotent Israel. Even if we put aside the moral considerations so disdained by Israelis, it should be clear that it's time to try a different path.
Instead of continuing to prattle about vanquishing Hamas, it's time to learn how to live with an enfeebled Hamas and to try to talk to it. Nothing can be worse than another war.
Not just for the miserable Gazans, but for Israel too. There are no magical moves or miraculous solutions in Gaza. But one thing is clear – another round will be the worst of all worlds, for everyone.
Withdrawal and reconstruction do not guarantee a solution, but there is no other way. One would have expected Israel to have learned from its painful experience and realized that genocide is bad not just for its victims, but for its perpetrators.
One would have expected that after Israel did what it did, it would understand that it no longer has the right to harm Gaza, even if it failed to reach its goals there.
As long as there is no recognition of the genocide in Israel, this will not happen, which is why the battle for recognizing it is so important. Maybe after two or three more movies such as "NAZA," such recognition will start permeating people's consciousness.
Until then, we must let Gaza be. For the sake of Gaza and for Israel as well.