The Israel-Gaza conflict: a tale of two narratives
Part 2: The uncertain truths
In my previous article I outlined the respective perspectives of pro-Israel supporters and pro-Palestinian supporters on the conflict in Gaza. In this article I seek to provide some commentary of my own on these narratives.
There are no reliable sources about what is happening within Gaza
Reliable sources about what is happening within Gaza are limited. Hamas, which governs Gaza, is also a terrorist organisation and cannot be trusted to be factual. On the other hand Israel is a partisan source too.
The fog of war
What other sources are there? Various humanitarian aid organisations like Red Cross who have a presence within Gaza perhaps. But Red Cross is not perceived as a reliable source of information by pro-Israel supporters because of its lack of concern for Israeli hostages and is currently the subject of a lawsuit by the families of the hostages.
Much of what people believe is happening in Gaza reflects their own preconceptions about Israel, and I say this of both sides.
Some things are not in dispute
However, there are certain facts which neither party denies. One of those facts is that Israel imposed a complete blockade on all food and water entering Gaza immediately following October 7. (I emphasise to pro-Israel supporters that Israel does not deny this.) Israel only stopped the blockade following international pressure.
The humanitarian crisis
The cutoff of all food and water to 2 million Palestinian civilians is a shocking act of collective punishment which says it all about Israel’s willingness to kill civilians. It should inform our willingness to believe that Israel has intentionally engaged in the mass murder of civilians since. If the fact that Israel is intentionally massacring civilians seems obvious to you, you need to understand that Israel’s supporters do not see it that way in good faith.
Israel may be a democracy but it does not have the same commitment to human rights as other democracies
Another fact which pro-Israel supporters need to realise is that Israel’s reputation as a democracy is contested. For example, Mosab Hassan Yousef (whom I cite because as a spy for the Shin Bet he cannot be accused of being biased against Israel) describes in his autobiography Israel’s long history of detaining without trial Palestinians alleged to have committed various crimes. By contrast the presumption of innocence and due process is integral to Western legal systems.
Palestinian peace activists report the intentional killing of civilians in Gaza
Perhaps one of the most reliable sources about what is happening in Gaza is ironically individual Palestinians on social media who have access to on-the-ground information about what is going on through personal contacts, especially where the people in question are deeply critical of Hamas and are otherwise even-handed in their criticisms of Israel.
Not all critics can be dismissed
One such person is Ahmed Alkhatib, who says that his family were killed in a zone designated as a humanitarian safe zone.
He reports that there was no military target nearby to where his family were killed. Given that he is fair in his coverage of the Israel/ Palestine conflict elsewhere and is deeply critical of Hamas I believe him.
October 7 was an act of anti-Semitic racial hatred
A fact that pro-Palestinian supporters need to realise is that October 7 was not simply an attack on military targets but the intentional mass rape, torture, immolation, bodily mutilation, dismemberment and murder of civilians. A Muslim doctor who witnessed the aftermath of October 7 writes about her experiences here.
There’s only so much recontextualising we should stomach
October 7 was not a justified act of resistance to Israeli occupation provoked by oppression but a genocidal act of anti-Semitic racial hatred. To describe mass rape so brutal that it broke women’s pelvic bones as having “context” is utterly shameful and pro-Palestinian supporters ought to stop saying that.
Genocidal rape has no mitigating context.
We ought to be tentative about our views on what is happening in Gaza
In short I think that we should be tentative in our conclusions about what is happening in Gaza. I think the evidence points to intentional revenge killings of civilians by Israel. However, it comes a long way short of a convincing case for genocide and I am joined in that opinion by the International Court of Justice, which said in a judgment that there is not enough evidence for genocide at present.
Bias is polarising the discourse
Whatever the case may be, I think that my articles have shown how damaging bias and lack of even-handedness on this issue has been to the credibility of people in a position to convey crucial information about the conflict. If pro-Israel supporters or pro-Palestinian supporters want to avoid polarisation on this subject and to persuade people on the other side to moderate their views, avoiding bias is critical.
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You share many valid thoughts and observations but I feel the need to call you out on a key one where this (pro Israeli) reader feels you misrepresent: Immediately following the genocidal belief based massacre by Hamas Israel did indeed decide to block the flow of goods and services into Gaza coming through crossings and channels it controlled. Since the Rafah crossing is an undeniable fact and it, along with many kilometers of borders leads to Egypt, you cannot however talk of a blockade and allude to genocidal motives.
Israel simply decided that “enough was enough” - despite years of upon year of rocket attacks and cross border raids from Gaza into Israel, Israel had continued to supply many of the the goods and services that Gazans (who strongly support those same Hamas militants carrying out those attacks) relied on for their day to day existence. Gazans crossed into Israel to work, to shop, to receive medical care. I for one fully supported Israel’s decision then to make the point that you “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” and make Gaza Egypt’s problem (aka “Let’s see how they like that”). You can argue that this was cold hearted, cynical, cruel even (note: war is all of that - welcome to the result of your actions Hamas & co.) but not genocidal, nor borderline so.
A fair and balanced summation of the situation. I have a friend living in Israel who has an underground bunker with half a metre of steel and concrete protecting him and his family. He says they have endured years of spasmodic rocket attacks - some day several and close by. He claims Israel plays down the casualties and damage done by these attacks to convince Hamas they are not worth the cost.
Have you considered going back prior to 1948 and the partition looking at what is enmity that has endured for hundreds, even thousands of years? It is difficult to find any basis for optimism and a permanent solution.