Lebanese reporter and author Kim Ghattas joined me from Beirut to discuss how Israel's expanding war in Lebanon is resulting in civilian casualties and is destined to fuel a new cycle of terror.
What makes them think it will turn out different? Nothing. And maybe it won't. Maybe it will turn out worse. Or just maybe it will turn out better. Israel has no other option. De-Escalate, cease fire, whatever euphemism you prefer the option of peace at any price to get the hostages back (and make no mistake Hamas will always keep some hostages as bargaining chips) is not an option. Hamas threw down the gauntlet and started this shit. And then Hezbollah jumped in. They didn't have to but they did. Lebanon is no different than Gaza. In both cases the terrorists are in control, even if Hamas was elected while Hezbollah just took power by brute force. And in both cases in turn Iran is in control. That is unfortunate but fairly or unfairly citizens bear the consequences of what their government elected or otherwise does in their name. Biden has no other option either. There is no path to peace with Islamofascists. There is no 2 state solution with Islamofascists. It is either Israel or Sharia Law from the river to the sea. A 21 day truce is a half step to nowhere. The path to peace would require a Mandela-type leader to emerge who will resist occupation without themselves becoming the occupier. That is a nice dream but the reality is that the Islamofascists are not going to just take their weapons and vanish without a trace. Your definition of insanity clearly does not apply because every iteration of Hamas gets stronger and stronger, from a few random aimless rockets to October 7. The definition of insanity clearly is Bibi propping up Hamas as a pretext not to negotiate, when he should have destroyed Hamas before they could entrench themselves with tunnels and weapons.
It is Israel's actions which have always escalated the reasonable resistance to the point it has now reached the more violent levels now seen. Hezbollah took power initially in response to Israel's multiple, escalating (because the first few times they were testing how far they could go before the UN and US said to stop) invasions and then 1982 attempt to seize power violently in Lebanon in 1982. Israel's attempts to crush support for Hamas and Hezbollah by the shocking, unrelenting war crimes inflicted on civilians, is what has brought more extreme Islamic countries like Iran into play.
Sharia Law has not been practised in Palestine except in certain "personal status" areas relating eg to child custody and inheritance. In fact, Hamas stood up in no uncertain terms to small extremist groups who wished to, for example, limit freedoms for women and girls in Gaza when conflict escalated with Israel shortly after the partial Disengagement. Lebanon, similarly, has very limited use of Sharia, combined with Civil and Ottoman legal systems. While Hezbollah is more influenced by Iran, it also believes women should be encouraged to take up high status positions, such as in Government, teaching, Law nd prominent medical posts. It doesn't recognise Israel as a valid State, but is pragmatic. For example, Nasrallah said in The Washington Post, "When a peace agreement is concluded between the Lebanese government and Israel, we would surely disagree with the Lebanese government about that, but we would not make any turmoil out of it." Hezbollah also made clear that if there were a Two-State solution, that would be up to the Palestinians. They have repeatedly said their missiles are to defend Lebanon from Israeli occupation and attacks and to support the Palestinians against Israeli oppression, not to destroy Israel.
The suicide bomber is Hamas's great contribution to the world. Sharon withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Palestinians reciprocated by electing the terrorist group a year later. As a result Hamas no longer needed suicide bombers. Instead they dug tunnels to hide beneath Gazan civilians and invested in an arsenal of weapons. You can quibble about Sharia Law if you want but that is really beside the point. There is no path to peace with Islamofascists. They have no concept of peace. There is no reasonable resistance with Islamofascists. Nothing less than From The River To The Sea and every Jew driven into the sea will suffice.
Sharon made Israeli citizens leave Gaza in 2005. That is not the same as conducting a withdrawal. The most important terms of the Disengagement agreement were never fully implemented.
Israel maintained control of Gaza's borders, destroying its multi-million agricultural produce export economy by reneging on the agreement to allow travel of produce and people to and from the West Bank, closing its own crossings and putting pressure on Egypt only to open theirs for short periods, while produce was held up rotting on trucks.
Israel also kept control of Gaza's airspace and waters. Even fishermen had to apply for licences, most of which were turned down, severely damaging both the fishing industry and food security in Gaza. They also maintained the right to launch ground incursions "for policing purposes". Even babies born in Gaza had to be registered, not with Palestinian Authorities, but Israeli ones, with Israel refusing to register them as Palestinian, but instead calling them Gazan; clearly a further attempt to deny the viability of a cohesiveState of Palestine.
The people did not elect a terrorist organisation in 2006. 1. The political arm of Hamas was separate from the Militant arm and campaigned on a policy of welfare reforms. (It would go on to supress actions by more militant Islamist groups which arose in Gaza in reponse to Israeli repressions, publicly denouncing attacks on Christians, for example, by saying Palestine had always been proud of its inclusivity and good relations among people of all religions. It also refused to bow to pressure to bring in restrictions on women, besides a token gesture of not allowing them to attend male hairdressers.) 2. Only 48% voted Hamas and a coalition Government was formed. Hamas would later go on to seize power when it felt its partners were bowing down to Israel too readily over its refusal to complete the terms of the Disengagement which effectively left Gaza just another Occupied Territory, but one on which, by removing all Israeli citizens, Israel could impose intolerable living conditions.
I question your use of the word "Islamofascists", popularly used, rather ridiculously, in propoganda by the supporters of the large numbers of actual Fascists in Israeli politics. Hamas quite simply do not fit that definition.
Trump is a
Fucking NAZI
ENOUGH
SAID
Yes, we ALL need a cease fire!!!!!
What makes them think it will turn out different? Nothing. And maybe it won't. Maybe it will turn out worse. Or just maybe it will turn out better. Israel has no other option. De-Escalate, cease fire, whatever euphemism you prefer the option of peace at any price to get the hostages back (and make no mistake Hamas will always keep some hostages as bargaining chips) is not an option. Hamas threw down the gauntlet and started this shit. And then Hezbollah jumped in. They didn't have to but they did. Lebanon is no different than Gaza. In both cases the terrorists are in control, even if Hamas was elected while Hezbollah just took power by brute force. And in both cases in turn Iran is in control. That is unfortunate but fairly or unfairly citizens bear the consequences of what their government elected or otherwise does in their name. Biden has no other option either. There is no path to peace with Islamofascists. There is no 2 state solution with Islamofascists. It is either Israel or Sharia Law from the river to the sea. A 21 day truce is a half step to nowhere. The path to peace would require a Mandela-type leader to emerge who will resist occupation without themselves becoming the occupier. That is a nice dream but the reality is that the Islamofascists are not going to just take their weapons and vanish without a trace. Your definition of insanity clearly does not apply because every iteration of Hamas gets stronger and stronger, from a few random aimless rockets to October 7. The definition of insanity clearly is Bibi propping up Hamas as a pretext not to negotiate, when he should have destroyed Hamas before they could entrench themselves with tunnels and weapons.
It is Israel's actions which have always escalated the reasonable resistance to the point it has now reached the more violent levels now seen. Hezbollah took power initially in response to Israel's multiple, escalating (because the first few times they were testing how far they could go before the UN and US said to stop) invasions and then 1982 attempt to seize power violently in Lebanon in 1982. Israel's attempts to crush support for Hamas and Hezbollah by the shocking, unrelenting war crimes inflicted on civilians, is what has brought more extreme Islamic countries like Iran into play.
Sharia Law has not been practised in Palestine except in certain "personal status" areas relating eg to child custody and inheritance. In fact, Hamas stood up in no uncertain terms to small extremist groups who wished to, for example, limit freedoms for women and girls in Gaza when conflict escalated with Israel shortly after the partial Disengagement. Lebanon, similarly, has very limited use of Sharia, combined with Civil and Ottoman legal systems. While Hezbollah is more influenced by Iran, it also believes women should be encouraged to take up high status positions, such as in Government, teaching, Law nd prominent medical posts. It doesn't recognise Israel as a valid State, but is pragmatic. For example, Nasrallah said in The Washington Post, "When a peace agreement is concluded between the Lebanese government and Israel, we would surely disagree with the Lebanese government about that, but we would not make any turmoil out of it." Hezbollah also made clear that if there were a Two-State solution, that would be up to the Palestinians. They have repeatedly said their missiles are to defend Lebanon from Israeli occupation and attacks and to support the Palestinians against Israeli oppression, not to destroy Israel.
The suicide bomber is Hamas's great contribution to the world. Sharon withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Palestinians reciprocated by electing the terrorist group a year later. As a result Hamas no longer needed suicide bombers. Instead they dug tunnels to hide beneath Gazan civilians and invested in an arsenal of weapons. You can quibble about Sharia Law if you want but that is really beside the point. There is no path to peace with Islamofascists. They have no concept of peace. There is no reasonable resistance with Islamofascists. Nothing less than From The River To The Sea and every Jew driven into the sea will suffice.
Sharon made Israeli citizens leave Gaza in 2005. That is not the same as conducting a withdrawal. The most important terms of the Disengagement agreement were never fully implemented.
Israel maintained control of Gaza's borders, destroying its multi-million agricultural produce export economy by reneging on the agreement to allow travel of produce and people to and from the West Bank, closing its own crossings and putting pressure on Egypt only to open theirs for short periods, while produce was held up rotting on trucks.
Israel also kept control of Gaza's airspace and waters. Even fishermen had to apply for licences, most of which were turned down, severely damaging both the fishing industry and food security in Gaza. They also maintained the right to launch ground incursions "for policing purposes". Even babies born in Gaza had to be registered, not with Palestinian Authorities, but Israeli ones, with Israel refusing to register them as Palestinian, but instead calling them Gazan; clearly a further attempt to deny the viability of a cohesiveState of Palestine.
The people did not elect a terrorist organisation in 2006. 1. The political arm of Hamas was separate from the Militant arm and campaigned on a policy of welfare reforms. (It would go on to supress actions by more militant Islamist groups which arose in Gaza in reponse to Israeli repressions, publicly denouncing attacks on Christians, for example, by saying Palestine had always been proud of its inclusivity and good relations among people of all religions. It also refused to bow to pressure to bring in restrictions on women, besides a token gesture of not allowing them to attend male hairdressers.) 2. Only 48% voted Hamas and a coalition Government was formed. Hamas would later go on to seize power when it felt its partners were bowing down to Israel too readily over its refusal to complete the terms of the Disengagement which effectively left Gaza just another Occupied Territory, but one on which, by removing all Israeli citizens, Israel could impose intolerable living conditions.
I question your use of the word "Islamofascists", popularly used, rather ridiculously, in propoganda by the supporters of the large numbers of actual Fascists in Israeli politics. Hamas quite simply do not fit that definition.
Thank you Kim and Waj. Solid reporting, much needed!
Waj, please see this:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/14/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-military-human-shields.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&tgrp=bth&pvid=D7E35D37-DB23-479D-B205-5BC5AF0C979F
Eorfs of push back are just words. We must stop the support that keeps Israel rolling