Hostilities are currently ongoing between Israel and Hamas. They began on the morning of 7th October when Hamas initiated an attack called “Al Aqsa Flood,” launching around 5,000 rockets into Israeli territory. Simultaneously, approximately 1,000 Palestinian militants infiltrated Israel from Gaza using various means such as trucks, pickup trucks, motorcycles, bulldozers, speedboats, and paragliders, which caught the Israeli government and people off guard. Subsequently, Israel launched a counterattack on the Gaza Strip, resulting in significant casualties among the citizens and extensive property damage.
To explain these events, it is essential to recognize that many people, especially in Western countries, have assigned all the blame to Hamas, often labeling them as savages and demonizing them, and even advocating for their complete destruction.
However, I contend that this is an oversimplification.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of these events, it is crucial to consider the historical background.
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Many people argue that the establishment of Israel as a Jewish state was necessary to provide a homeland for Jews who had endured terrible persecution at the hands of the Nazis.
However, as explained in the preceding articles, these atrocities against Jews were not perpetrated by Arabs but rather by Germans and their collaborators in numerous European countries. Why should Arabs be held accountable and displaced from their homes for the actions of Europeans?
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The reality is that the primary reason for the creation of Israel was the discovery of significant oil reserves in the Middle East during the first half of the 20th century. This oil was crucial for the burgeoning Western industries. Consequently, Israel was established as a military outpost and a Western armed presence to safeguard the flow of oil supplies from the region to the West. This process involved the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes, resulting in casualties and widespread fear in the territory that now comprises Israel.
Many individuals, particularly in Western countries, advocate for the complete eradication of Palestinian Arabs, including women and children. However, they often fail to delve deeper and comprehend the motivations behind Hamas’s decision to launch attacks. The truth is that these actions are the result of decades of severe oppression and atrocities committed against Palestinians by Israeli forces. Just as Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction in the physical world, a similar principle applies to human affairs. Where there is oppression, there will inevitably be resistance, as further elaborated in the article below.
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The sudden attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7th was evidently well-planned and bears a resemblance to the famous Tet Offensive in South Vietnam in January 1968. The Tet Offensive took the American occupying forces by complete surprise, leading to a significant failure of U.S. intelligence, similar to how the Hamas attack caught the Israelis off guard and represented a significant failure of Israeli intelligence.
While many people refer to Hamas as savages and depict those living in Gaza as animals, it is important to acknowledge that Hamas soldiers may have committed some atrocities in Israel. However, this should be understood as a reaction to over 75 years of terrible oppression and atrocities inflicted on Palestinians by Israelis, often with the support of certain Western powers. The Hamas soldiers who infiltrated Israel likely recognized that they were embarking on a suicide mission, akin to the Japanese Kamikaze pilots toward the end of the Second World War. Yet, they remained resolute in their mission, driven by decades of anger stemming from the ongoing atrocities against their people.
Furthermore, we must consider the retaliatory actions by Israelis, which have resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, including women and children residing in Gaza. Israeli forces have employed tactics that, in many cases, far exceed the magnitude of the initial Hamas attack. This has involved the obliteration of entire apartment buildings with their occupants, disruptions in access to essential resources like food, water, and electricity, and the effective blockade of the 2 million people in Gaza, depriving them of basic necessities for survival.
Before the creation of Israel, approximately 90% of the people living in the region were Arabs. Subsequently, a significant number of them fled their homes in fear and panic, leaving behind their possessions, as many suffered casualties at the hands of Israelis. Most of these displaced individuals continue to endure harsh living conditions in places like Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, and Lebanon. True and lasting peace in the region can only be achieved when justice is served to them and they are properly rehabilitated.
There has been a selective campaign led by Western political leaders, including U.S. President Biden, as well as the Western media, that places the blame solely on Hamas for the unfolding events, often characterizing them as vicious animals. It is now crucial to delve into the full narrative and uncover the truth behind the complex situation.
Markandey Katju is an Indian jurist and former Supreme Court judge of India who served as chairman for the Press Council of India. He has also worked as Standing Counsel for the Income Tax Department.
The views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not represent the editorial policy or views of Global Village Space.