Round The World

New Delhi, 27 October 2023

Israel-Hamas War

REVISITING GANDHI & MANDELA

By Dr. D.K. Giri

(Secretary General, Assn for Democratic Socialism) 

One of the best balanced statements on Israel-Hamas war I heard was made by Prince Turki Al-Faisal at the Baker Institute of Public Policy, Huston. He is a Saudi Arabia former Intelligence Chief and its Ambassador to the United Kingdom and USA. He started his speech with judicious words that should lead to a strategy for the solution of the conflict. He said, “All militarily occupied people have right to resist their occupation, even militarily. But I do not support the military option for Palestine. I prefer the other option, civil insurrection and disobedience. It brought down the British empire in India and the Soviet empire in Eastern Europe.” He qualified his suggestion by explaining that Israel had overwhelmingly military superiority. The world saw it in the past and can see it now as Israel dominates and controls Gaza and now pounds it to the pulp. 

Unarguably, we should have added the fall of South African apartheid under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. Without any shred of doubt, Palestinian problem cannot be resolved by military action by either side. Even the present Palestine Ambassador to the United Kingdom stated that non-violence and negotiations are the only way to resolve the conflict and establish the two-state arrangement. But the terrorists on either side would not let it happen. Let me hasten to elaborate when I say terror emanates from either side. 

In the past, Israelis have resorted to terrorism. Historians recall that the origin of Israel state lay in the violent actions by the Zionist groups like the Irgun and Stern gang such as the assassination of the UN envoy Count Folke Bernadotte and the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, as well as the killing and terrorising of Palestinian villagers. Count Folke was a Swedish nobleman and diplomat. He was selected as the UN first mediator in 1947 for Israel-Palestine issue and assassinated in the line of duty on 17 September 1948. His aide who was sitting beside him, French officer Colonel Andre Scrot was also killed. The King David Hotel was bombed on 22 July 1946 in opposition to Britain’s continued rule of Palestine. 

Notably, Irgun’s leader Menachem Begin and Stern Gang’s Yitzhak Shamir, both went to become Prime Ministers of Israel. In current times, critics and observers accuse Israel state of resorting to violence and terrorising Palestine, running an ‘open air prison’ in Gaza strip and incarcerating Palestinians. Palestinians have been complaining of cruel oppression in the hands of Israel army, namely, the food, electricity and water, the basic needs for survival are controlled by Israel army. 

As a matter of fact, the trail of violence between Israel and Palestine can be traced to the formation of Israel state in 1947. Sadly, there has been unending chain of violence and counter violence ever since. How does it stop? Where do we draw a line in history of the evolution of violence? Is it 1947, when Israel state was created by the famous Balfour Declaration in 1947, in 1967, post-Arab-Israeli war, or 1973 after the Yom Kippur war or later? 

Israel claims that the two-state solution was offered to Palestine at least five times – Peel Commission suggestion in 1936, UN arrangement in 1947, after the six-day war in 1967, in 2005 when Yasser Arafat rejected it. Bill Clinton mediating for both parties said in exasperation that Arafat stayed for 14 days to negotiate but rejected it altogether with three infamous NOs – No peace with Israel, No recognition of Israel and No negotiation with Israel. What is more and worse, PLO launched violent attacks on Israel after the rejection of the accord; and finally, in 2008, which was rejected by the current PLA Chief Mahmoud Abbas. 

That said, we are here now. The 7 October terrorist attack on Israel marks the turning point in the Israel-Palestine relations and conflict. The assault was carried by Hamas. It is said that Hamas is a jihadist organisation. They do not accept the existence of a Jewish state. They are not concerned about the territory. They want, like ISIS, the Islamic suzerainty in the world, regardless of territorial boundaries. From the available information, Hamas is the second richest terror organisation in the world. They have a turnover of 1 billion dollar.  In an interview, the son of founder of Hamas revealed the inhuman, barbaric behaviour of Hamas causing Palestine to be the worst place to live. Instead of digging wells for providing drinking water, Hamas dig tunnels to smuggle goods for their profit. They torture the Palestinians by hammering nails to their fingers for their suspected collaboration with Palestinian army. 

In retaliation, Israel is bombing Gaza and planning for ground operation etc to flush out Hamas. Israel army will not stop until they eliminate the Hamas’ military capacity to repeat such a terrorist assault as that of 7 October. In terms of the nature of the violence that day, it is being compared to the holocaust. However, Israel army will stop if Hamas surrender unconditionally. Hamas will fight to their death but not recognise Israel state nor will surrender and apologise for 7 October. The current state of confrontation and lack of compromise will stalemate the conflict; or rather will make it worse. 

The world is reacting in various ways. I have discussed their reactions in the preceding column here last week. Right now, world leaders are asking for a humanitarian pause to allow aid and explore options like release of the hostages. The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell has asked for a ceasefire on humanitarian ground. But Israel is in no mood to listen. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview that they have made the mistake more than once of listening to the world opinion which was based on ill-information spread by Leftist media about the conflict. Israel wants to liberate Palestine from the clutches of Hamas and eliminate Hamas in the interest of the world peace. 

The desirable and workable strategy as referred to herein the beginning is to shun violence. Hamas, regardless of what has happened in the past as is acknowledged here, will have to own up the crime committed on 7 October, and surrender. Terrorism should have no place in Israel-Palestine conflict. A Gandhian approach of civil disobedience is the way forward. And taking a leaf out of Nelson Mandela’s book, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be set up consisting of insiders and other world leaders preferably from India, (land of Gandhi) and South Africa, (land of Mandela). 

Such a Commission should negotiate the terms of settlement for peaceful and harmonious existence of two states. In order for this to happen, terrorist organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah have to be countered internationally. And the second stage should be prevailing upon Israel state to stop coercion of Palestinians in Gaza or West Bank. Until a legitimate and genuine political authority is established in Palestine, an UN-monitored arrangement could be initiated. This practice has happened in countries which were created out of such conflicts. That is the way to go. ---INFA 

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)