You can swap out the entirety of what you wrote with Hamas and last week.
There is no point to any of this other than it keeps existing power structures entrenched. Hamas benefits from this because what the hell else do you do after Israel behaves like this. Netanyahu benefits because how the hell else do you respond after what Hamas has done?
The world’s opinion was shifting on Palestine to the point it felt like the world was ready to start calling the apartheid state of Israel for what it has become. Then Hamas does the dumbest thing possible as ruins any kind of international condemnation of how Israel had been behaving for decades. But only dumb from the perspective of the Palestinian people. From the perspective of Hamas, any kind of international coalition in support of the Palestinian people would have zapped their power.
The same with Netanyahu. Both parties get power in the extended conflict, and can be considered to be aligned in incentives in that regard. Likewise, the Palestinian and Israeli people are also aligned in incentives. Neither wants the kinds of atrocities both sides are conducting.
It’s time for the Israeli people to stand up and take accountability for how they’ll e t let their government manage the last several decades of this conflict. They are a first world nation, incredibly wealthy, and are in a position of privilege that the Palestinians simply do not have. The solution will not come from leadership. It will come from the people standing up and demanding peace.
One thing other commenters pointed out is that Saudi Arabia was about to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a US defense pact and a civilian nuclear program. Who is Saudi Arabia’s biggest foe? Iran. Who arms Hamas? Iran. Do you think the Saudi’s could now go through with this as Gaza is being invaded? No. It is as if Saudi and Iran are having a proxy war.
Netanyahu is on record saying propping up Hamas is in the interest of anyone who opposes a Palestinian state. They funneled money to them and tried to use them to take all power away from Fatah and the Palestinian Authority.
This was literally the strategy of Netanyahu and his far right allies.
This is solidly documented. Between 2012 and 2018, Netanyahu gave Qatar approval to transfer a cumulative sum of about a billion dollars to Gaza, at least half of which reached Hamas, including its military wing. According to the Jerusalem Post, in a private meeting with members of his Likud party on March 11, 2019, Netanyahu explained the reckless step as follows: The money transfer is part of the strategy to divide the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Anyone who opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state needs to support the transfer of the money from Qatar to Hamas. In that way, we will foil the establishment of a Palestinian state (as reported in former cabinet member Haim Ramon’s Hebrew-language book “Neged Haruach”, p. 417).
In an interview with the Ynet news website on May 5, 2019, Netanyahu associate Gershon Hacohen, a major general in reserves, said, “We need to tell the truth. Netanyahu’s strategy is to prevent the option of two states, so he is turning Hamas into his closest partner. Openly Hamas is an enemy. Covertly, it’s an ally.”
You can swap out the entirety of what you wrote with Hamas and last week.
There is no point to any of this other than it keeps existing power structures entrenched. Hamas benefits from this because what the hell else do you do after Israel behaves like this. Netanyahu benefits because how the hell else do you respond after what Hamas has done?
The world’s opinion was shifting on Palestine to the point it felt like the world was ready to start calling the apartheid state of Israel for what it has become. Then Hamas does the dumbest thing possible as ruins any kind of international condemnation of how Israel had been behaving for decades. But only dumb from the perspective of the Palestinian people. From the perspective of Hamas, any kind of international coalition in support of the Palestinian people would have zapped their power.
The same with Netanyahu. Both parties get power in the extended conflict, and can be considered to be aligned in incentives in that regard. Likewise, the Palestinian and Israeli people are also aligned in incentives. Neither wants the kinds of atrocities both sides are conducting.
It’s time for the Israeli people to stand up and take accountability for how they’ll e t let their government manage the last several decades of this conflict. They are a first world nation, incredibly wealthy, and are in a position of privilege that the Palestinians simply do not have. The solution will not come from leadership. It will come from the people standing up and demanding peace.
One thing other commenters pointed out is that Saudi Arabia was about to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a US defense pact and a civilian nuclear program. Who is Saudi Arabia’s biggest foe? Iran. Who arms Hamas? Iran. Do you think the Saudi’s could now go through with this as Gaza is being invaded? No. It is as if Saudi and Iran are having a proxy war.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/21/whats-happening-with-normalising-ties-between-saudi-arabia-and-israel
I saw a comment saying that both Hamas and the Netanyahu administration need each other. It’s the only way either stays in power
Both aren’t good for their own people, and both need to go before we can get peace in the region
Netanyahu is on record saying propping up Hamas is in the interest of anyone who opposes a Palestinian state. They funneled money to them and tried to use them to take all power away from Fatah and the Palestinian Authority.
https://archive.md/APxHn
This was literally the strategy of Netanyahu and his far right allies.
Unfortunately for the world and for the Palestinians this is exactly what’s going down. Makes me cry.