| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Peaceful march of Jews in London to support Israel... | |
| Posted by: | Steven Rose | |
| Date/Time: | 24/12/23 14:33:00 |
| I am sure that John Hawkes did not intend to imply that any contributor to this forum sympathises with Hamas. It goes without saying that every civilised person would find the events of October 7 abhorrent. But the leadership of Hamas are not concerned about the moral disapproval of people in the West. All they are interested in is that public opinion in the West should force their governments to bring about a ceasefire, which would leave Hamas in control of Gaza, ready to strike again when the time is right. One-sided criticism of Israel, a country which for some can do no right, effectively furthers Hamas’ aims. And to that extent those who deny Israel’s right to remove the threat posed by Hamas are fellow travellers, however much they may personally deplore Hamas’ genocidal aims and brutal methods. This does not mean that Israel is beyond criticism. It is perfectly legitimate to question Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and indeed their conduct of the war. Should their forces allow Hamas to fire rockets into Israel with impunity if Hamas operates in densely populated areas? Should the Israelis risk losing more men by fighting in the tunnels on Hamas’ terms in order to avoid civilian casualties on the ground? These are difficult moral problems for which I don’t have an answer . |