To Stand With the Palestinians, Support Israel Against Hamas

Moral equivalence and whataboutism only get in the way of lasting peace.

By
67
Israel continues to deploy soldiers, tanks, and armored vehicles near the Gaza border in Sderot, Israel on October 14, 2023. (Photo by Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu/Getty Images)

After its deadly terrorist attack on October 7, any doubts about Hamas’ devotion to the destruction of Israel should be readily dismissed. But subsequent commentary on the Israel-Hamas war has often missed that Hamas is also the Palestinians’ greatest enemy. The state of Palestine would likely have come into full existence long ago had Hamas (and Hezbollah) never existed. The best way to stand with the Palestinians is to support Israel’s war to destroy Hamas.

No morally serious discussion of the Israel-Hamas war can start without the premise that Israel and Palestine both have a right to exist as separate, sovereign states of equal legitimacy. That was the premise of the United Nations’ 1947 partition plan (which the Jewish Agency for Palestine—the predecessor to the Israeli government—accepted and the Arab states did not). 

It is also the premise of the 1995 Oslo Accords, which among other things established the Palestinian National Authority as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Through the Oslo accords, the Palestinian Authority recognized Israel’s right to exist. The two parties disagreed about their borders and security arrangements, but they agreed that the basic principle of mutual recognition is the bedrock of any plausible, lasting peace. 

Yet Hamas rejects both Israel’s existence and the Palestinian Authority’s legitimacy. It fought a war against the Palestinian Authority in 2007, seized military control over the Gaza Strip, and set up an authoritarian government there. 

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  1. Deleted Comment

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    Michael Berkowitz

    A lot of this is correct, but you make it sound as if the Gazans will greet their Israeli liberators with Star-of-David flags and confetti. Yes, they chafe under Hamas and would like to see it gone, but they're just as happy about killing Israeli civilians as Hamas (on the whole). Nor do we see an outpouring of outrage on the West Bank at the unspeakable crimes committed by Hamas.

    I don't think it a good tactic, if we want peace, to reward the Palestinians for this with new concessions. On the contrary, we will reach a peaceful solution faster by telling them that their behavior has lost them some opportunities and they can now look forward to a smaller, more limited state (or autonomy, I don't care), which will shrink even further if they don't grab it soon.

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      Lchrisberg

      Forget that. It's time for Israel to incorporate Gaza and the West Bank into Israel and begin resettlement of Arabs living in those territories not willing to become Israeli citizens and/or have a history of resistance to their brother nations in Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.

      Make the problem manageable and capable of dissipating over time.

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  3. Israel.D.Gale

    "protesters need to understand that Hamas' view [that Israel should not exist at all] is not shared by the Palestinian National Authority"
    This is misleading. Although the PA once recognized Israel, more recently officials at all levels have called for Israel's destruction. This is copiously documented at palwatch.org.

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  4. Seth Halpern

    Btw, The Times of Israel posted multiple videos indicating that the deadly Gaza hospital explosion was almost certainly set off by a fragment of an intercepted or faulty Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket.

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-says-islamic-jihad-rocket-misfire-caused-gaza-hospital-blast/

    Apparently X/Twitter is still good for something.

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    Lchrisberg

    "No morally serious discussion of the Israel-Hamas war can start without the premise that Israel and Palestine both have a right to exist as separate, sovereign states of equal legitimacy."

    Complete garbage.

    There is simply no legitimate argument for a separate "Palestinian" state. There never has been an Arabic Palestinian state and the Arabs living in Israel have no ethnic, cultural, or religious differences from the Arabs in surrounding Egypt, Jordan, and Syria to justify a separate state.

    The Arabs lost the wars to destroy Israel and the territory earned by Israel is legitimate. The lives of Arabs livinig in Israel would not be substantially different were they migrated to surrounding Arab nations. In fact, they would likely be much better.

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    1. TheGonzzz

      There is much less of a legitimate argument for a separate Israelian state than there is for a Palestinian state. Not only did the English renege on their promise to grant Arabs in that region their own independence for their help versus the Ottoman Empire in WWI, but they also unilaterally supported the creation of a Jewish state inside of Palestine even though the Jews were very much a small minority in the Mandate of Palestine.

      The idea that the argument for a separate Palestinian state is illegitimate because "there never has been an Arabic Palestinian state" is moot because under that logic, many of the countries today would not exist (think of all the countries that popped out of the Austro-Hungarian Empire post-WWI). Additionally, the idea that "Arabs living in Israel have no ethnic, cultural, or religious differences from the Arabs in surrounding Egypt, Jordan, and Syria to justify a separate state" is no less different than saying that the states of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have no justification of having their own state since all their inhabitants have no ethnic, cultural and religious differences between them.

      While I understand that I am perhaps reaching with these arguments, we have to remain pragmatic like Paul in his column and by denying both nations' right to exist, we are nowhere closer to solving the issue at hand.

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        Lchrisberg

        Arabs living in Israel have no ethnic, cultural, or religious differences from the Arabs in surrounding Egypt, Jordan, and Syria to justify a separate state "is no less different than saying that the states of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have no justification of having their own state since all their inhabitants have no ethnic, cultural and religious differences between them."

        Agreed. There is far more in common than divides them. Should they choose, they could form a federation. What is your point? Mine is that it would be a small task to resettle the Arabs in Israel with the Arabs in Egypt, Jordan, and Syria because there is little that separates them. It would be like moving from California to Florida like so many freedom loving people in the US are currently doing. Given that the Arabs living in Israel cannot live peacefully with the Jews in Isreal, it is a far more decent and humane resolution to the violence and death the Islamists wreack on the people of Israel for them to resettle in another nation.

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        1. TheGonzzz

          I appreciate your answers Lchrisberg but saying that resettling what some sources say around 5 million Palestinians who live in Palestine is a small task is preposterous. While I agree that culturally they are very similar to their neighbours, it is extremely idealistic to believe that we can simply move them like an American going from Cal to Florida. In fact, many have travelled to surrounding countries like Egypt and Jordan (the latter is currently hosting more than 2 million of them, often in refugee camps in less-than-ideal living conditions). Pragmatically speaking, they cannot afford to take in so many people aside from the fact that Hamas is 100% gonna use it as a way to infiltrate these countries to recruit more terrorists.

          Also, this idea that Arabs cannot live in peace in Israel is simply untrue and frankly has me wondering if you are aware of Israeli politics. Just recently, it's the first time an Arab party managed to win seats in the Knesset. Jews have always been a minority in that piece of land and lived many centuries peacefully under successive Muslim empires paying the jizya in exchange for their safety. So, this idea all of a sudden they cannot peacefully coexist is laughable at best and very dangerous at best. Also, please stop conflating Islamists with Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist group, and Islam is a religion of peace, not the same thing.

          "Israel was originally divided into two partitions, one each for the Jews and Arabs. After getting drubbed in their first war, the Arabs in Israel had the reamining portions of the British partition seized by their Arab neighbors." You are talking about the post-WWII partition. I was talking about the McMahon–Hussein correspondence which happened during WWI.

          And yes, you're right, I am not gonna be delusional and disregard the reality that Israel won all the wars it participated in which gives it tremendous legitimacy. But with that same logic, they got kicked out of Israel by the Romans and all that. Romans won. Israelis lost. That's how the world works.

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            Lchrisberg

            Oh, I forgot about the Hindu/Muslim displacement on the independence of India and Pakistan. Here's a quick one from the Wiki. The numbers seem about right so I didn't go any further.
            "After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, over 4.7 million Hindus and Sikhs from West Pakistan left for India, and 6.5 million Muslims chose to migrate to Pakistan."

            The best part of this solution is that the problem is manageable. The kids that cannot live together have been separated. Everyone can go on living their lives with their kin.

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            Lchrisberg

            "Pragmatically speaking, they cannot afford to take in so many people aside from the fact that Hamas is 100% gonna use it as a way to infiltrate these countries to recruit more terrorists."
            What Hamas? They will be gone. The Arab rulers have been dealing with the Muslim Brotherhood factions (Hamas split from the MB at the end of the 1980s) for quite some time now and they'll be just fine.

            "Also, this idea that Arabs cannot live in peace in Israel is simply untrue and frankly has me wondering if you are aware of Israeli politics."
            Likely far more so than you are.

            "Jews have always been a minority in that piece of land and lived many centuries peacefully under successive Muslim empires paying the jizya in exchange for their safety."
            False. First, you played a little bait and switch. Muslim Arab. Are you making an argument of ethnicity or religion? While Isreael was generally under the control of Arabs from 640 or so to 1520 or so, Seljuk Turks, Mongols, Mamelukes, and Crusaders all ruled there as well. After the Ottomons took it in 1520 or so, Arabs NEVER ruled in Israel until the initial split in 1948.

            Counting up the years from 1500 BC or so to today, the Jews been a larger percentage of the population of Israel than Arabs for far many more years in history.

            Finally, none of these arguements are anything better than flotsam. In 1948, Israel was split between Arabs and Jews and the Jews drove the Arabs out. It's theirs. Just like the US winning the Mexican war and obtaining California and much of the SW of the US. The Arabs lost. Deal with it and move on.

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            Lchrisberg

            "I appreciate your answers Lchrisberg but saying that resettling what some sources say around 5 million Palestinians who live in Palestine is a small task is preposterous."

            No, it isn't. It's been done on a much larger scale before. Wiki reference "Between 1944 and 1948, millions of people, including ethnic Germans (Volksdeutsche) and German citizens (Reichsdeutsche), were permanently or temporarily moved from Central and Eastern Europe. By 1950, a total of about 12 million[5] Germans had fled or been expelled from east-central Europe into Allied-occupied Germany and Austria. "

            Further, there are hardly 5 million Arabs in Gaza. They need not all be resettled, either. So long as an Arab accepts citizenship in Israel like 2 million (20% of Israeli population) already have) there is no reason to force them out unless they have ties to Hamas, Hezbollah, the PA, or any other organization promoting a "Palestinian" state.

            Get the facts. Educate yourself.

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        Lchrisberg

        "Not only did the English renege on their promise to grant Arabs in that region their own independence for their help versus the Ottoman Empire in WWI,"

        Another laugher. Israel was originally divided into two partitions, one each for the Jews and Arabs. After getting drubbed in their first war, the Arabs in Israel had the reamining portions of the British partition seized by their Arab neighbors.

        Learn some history.

        "The idea that the argument for a separate Palestinian state is illegitimate because "there never has been an Arabic Palestinian state" is moot because under that logic, many of the countries today would not exist (think of all the countries that popped out of the Austro-Hungarian Empire post-WWI)."

        Wrong again. Where did I apply that logic to anything except the silly Arab argument? Israel is a legitimate state and representative of its citizens because it's people crushed their Arab neigbors in several wars fought over the territory. They won. Arabs lost. That's how the world works.

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        Lchrisberg

        "There is much less of a legitimate argument for a separate Israelian state than there is for a Palestinian state."

        Laughable. Israel was the home of the Jews for a millenia before any Arab stepped out of the desert. Further, even after being scattered by the Romans and others throughout history, Israel has remained the avowed homeland of the Jews.

        You are going to have to do much better than that. That sucked.

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  6. MathewA

    excellent article and very much agreed.

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  7. Andrew Anderson

    Struggling with this one. I support the fact that Israel is a State. It has a right to exist. Yet, so does Palestine. HAMAS is a factor as more of a thorn to Palestine. Just like the ZIONIST movement of old. The United States went thru their Revolution with the Patriots v. British. The Russians had the Bolsheviks. Pretty much every country has a terrorist organization fighting for something. Agree, “what aboutism.” Yet, to me, anyway, what is a proper solution for Israel and a future Palestine? One last add, the images speak volumes. The more people see Palestinian children being killed and injured….You know where this is going…

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      Lchrisberg

      "Yet, so does Palestine."

      No, it doesn't. There has never been an Arabic Palestinian state and the Arabs residing in Israel are culturally, ethnically, and religiously no different than the surrounding Arab nations (Egypt, Syria, Jordan) that formerly ruled over the territory lost to Israel in war.

      History says..... try again.

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  8. Clark.Monson

    Good piece. Hamas is awful and needs to be broken for good. But for all the talk of Gaza and Hamas, I wonder to what extent recent events will cause Israel to rethink its West Bank approach? On that, I plead ignorance, but would like to know what experts think.

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  9. Samuel Mpona

    “ The state of Palestine would likely have come into full existence long ago had Hamas (and Hezbollah) never existed. ”
    This is not true at all.
    The Likud had in its charter a pledge to never allow the existence of Palestinian state. The current coalition in power is made of parties that go as far as to even deny the existence of a Palestinian people.
    After Rabin’s death and since the first Netanyahu government Israel has continuously expanded settlements in the West Bank, weakened the Fatah (who did recognize Israel’s right to exist) and actually propped up the Hamas.

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      Lchrisberg

      "The Likud had in its charter a pledge to never allow the existence of Palestinian state. The current coalition in power is made of parties that go as far as to even deny the existence of a Palestinian people."

      As far as Likud, that pledge kind of mirrors the Hamas pledge in their "constitution", no? Neither plege is worth the oxygen required to speak it, though.

      As far as a "Palestinian" people, they have never existed and were conjured in the 1960s. The Arabs living in Israel are ethnically, culutrally, and religiously homogenous with the Arabs in the surrounding nations (Egypt, Jordan, Syria) which formally ruled the land Israel won in war.

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      1. Israel.D.Gale

        Likud's policy statement of opposition to establishing a new Palestinian state "kind of parallels" Hamas' advocacy (and active pursuit) of genocidal murder of Jews? What is that, some kind of sick joke? Gimme a break.

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          Lchrisberg

          No, I didn't say that. That was your unethical distortion of my comments. What I said is both groups support a single state, theirs. That's 100% accurate and has NOTHING to do with advocay of genocidal murder of Jews.

          English comprehension much?

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          1. Israel.D.Gale

            No, it is you that are having trouble with comprehension. The topic of Likud's pledge, like it or hate it, is what kind of government there should be. The topic of Hamas' pledge is the genocidal commitment to make Israel "judenrein". They do not "kind of mirror" each other.

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      PaulH

      Israel made some very generous offers to Arafat around 2000 which would have resulted in a Palestinian state. He declined for various reasons, but, in part, he was worried about blowback from Hamas and Hezbollah.

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      1. Samuel Mpona

        You, like all Israel defenders, are obfuscating: the Hezbollah and Hamas were not the only obstacle to Palestinian statehood. There was also a consistent set of policies and choices from Israel to make sure it never happens. The Likud, the Israeli far right and the Israeli citizens who voted for them throughout the years were and are the main obstacle to statehood and to any lasting peace.

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          PaulH

          Nope. Arafat declined to take a good offer. But as you seem more interested in labelling and insulting than actually responding, this conversation is over.

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  10. Seth Halpern

    I don't have any (cough) illusions about the Palestinians, but there isn't exactly a moral choice in this matter.

    Look, you could be dead set against the KKK in 1870 or 1915 without fantasizing that white Southern society would accept racial equality.

    Palestinian political culture has been wedded to a bloody, irredentist "Lost Cause" martyrology for at least 75 years. Hamas, the PLO and similar organizations have been the inevitable expressions of that mindset all along.

    Eliminating violent terror organizations may be the sine qua non of addressing that pathology, but it is not remotely sufficient.

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