Israel and Palestine: A cycle of violence that needs to end

In trying to make sense of the latest blood-letting in Israel and Palestine, we are well aware that whatever we say will attract howls of outrage from one side or the other.

What cannot be condoned or wished away – through any amount of whataboutery – is that the murders and brutality visited upon Israeli civilians, who were relaxing over a holiday weekend, was terrorism, plain and simple.

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Militant anti-Jewish organisation Hamas can, with some justification, therefore, be labelled a terrorist movement. Yet, what also cannot be wished away is that the Palestinian people, who have seen their land steadily whittled away by the state of Israel from the end of World War II, are bitter. And angry.

The Israeli reaction to the surprise assault by more than 1 000 Hamas militants has already caused hundreds of deaths in Gaza. These Israeli air and artillery strikes are killing scores of civilians.

Revenge is the Israeli mood at the moment, and that country will not be happy unless Hamas is wiped off the face of the earth – even if that means levelling Gaza in the process.

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An Israeli land attack will not only risk many casualties on its own side, but could spread the war wide… for instance, the militant organisation Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon has already threatened to attack Israel if there is such an invasion.

There is much credibility in suggestions that outside forces – foremost among them Iran – were behind the coordinated Hamas operation. Iran and other Palestinian allies are not happy with moves by Israel and Arab states in the region to normalise their relations.

Appealing to calm and a ceasefire to two sides which do not want to stop fighting is senseless. And each body is yet another brick in the wall of hatred preventing them from ever meeting each other.

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