Newsletter #166 — October 25, 2023
This Special Edition of the Beyond Intractability in Context Newsletter offers links to articles that we have found to be especially useful as we have struggled to understand the far-reaching implications of Hamas' brutal attack on Israel and the extremely dangerous and tragic war that that attack has unleashed. The things that we have learned from these articles have led us to sharply revise our previous views about this conflict. As we explained in Sunday's Newsletter #165, we think that this is an unusual case in which many of the peacebuilding field's traditional strategies need to be adjusted to account for Hamas' refusal to consider coexistence, its commitment to Israel's total destruction, and the grotesque violence of its assault. We realize that the conclusions we have reached are likely to be quite controversial and we invite readers to send us their thoughts on this difficult issue, as well as links to resources you have found especially useful. As always, we will publish these links along with any thoughtful and reasoned comments we receive.
Colleague Activities
Highlighting things that some of our conflict and peacebuilding colleagues are writing about the Israel/Gaza/Hamas situation. We should note that several others have made cogent comments, but not yet in fora that can be shared.
- Forgiveness
Eileen Boris's Political Forgiveness Monthly for October 2023 — Eileen's main article is entitled "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive," a direct quote from the Dalai Lama. Writing after the Israel/Gaza conflict broke out, Eileen goes on to say, "if we want to survive as humanity, violence is not the answer. Instead, we need to make contact with our own hears and shift our mindsets to one of political forgiveness. On then can we meet these changes and begin to heal together. - Ending the Violence
Scaling the Wall of Grief in Israel and Palestine -- This article by Lisa Schirch recounts how history and stories about that history shape current day thoughts and events. Amid all the despair and horror, we can carve out spaces for hope, for grieving, for care for those traumatized, for those lost. There is a better way. "The violence will end when the occupation ends and there is justice, democracy, and a land for all people and when the world can work against antisemitism without working against Palestinian human rights." - Ending the Violence
Canadian Friends Service Committee E-Newsletter In response to the ongoing intensity of violence in Palestine/Israel. — “[F]reedom from the scourge of war will only be brought about through the faithfulness of individuals to their inmost convictions" As such, CFSC calls for an immediate ceasefire and new leaders who are open to paths of nonviolence. It calls for the immediate release of all the hostages and end to the violence of the Israeli military. CFSC calls on each individual to search for and recognize our shared humanity.
From around the web, more thoughts about the tragic situation in Israel/Gaza and the Mideast Region
- Israeli Fears
Not since the Holocaust have this many Jews been killed in a single day — Israeli rabbi, author and blogger Daniel Gordis reflects on the enormity of the attacks, concluding that Israel will win, but it will never be the same. Despite the fact that the government was "nowhere to be found," the people and the army were raising a defense on their own. - Israeli Fears
Why Jews Cannot Stop Shaking Right Now — An explanation of why Israelis (and Jews, more generally) find the Hamas' October 7 even more terrifying than non-Jews might conclude from watching the news. There is a long history of this kind of violence that we thought we had moved beyond. Now it seems clear that we haven't. - Israeli Fears
Why Israel Is Acting This Way — An essay that places Israeli actions (both past and future) into the broader context of Middle Eastern political violence — violence that often does not involve Israel (and does involve large-scale attacks on civilians). - Failure of Past Peace Initiatives
Hamas does not yet understand the depth of Israeli resolve — A must-read history of the many Israeli peace overtures that were violently rejected by Palestinians (including an account of the 2000 era when Israelis made all of the concessions that peacemakers recommended and had those concessions met with a massive wave of terror attacks). - The Big Picture
It’s Not the Occupation — A counter-argument to the claim that the Hamas war was simply a desperate effort to resist an unjust occupation. The article explains the long history of similar violence — violence that precedes any sort of Israeli occupation. - The Big Picture
A Quick Primer on Understanding 21st-Century Israel — The many conflicts swirling around Israel cannot be understood by a quick perusal of current events. This is a part of the world where history really matters and this is an especially good guide to sources that explain that history. - The Big Picture
War in Israel: Michael Oren Explains How ‘Evil’ Infiltrated the Country — An especially enlightening interview with former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Michael Oren, recorded on October 7. - History
Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries — The very real hardships faced by Palestinian refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars are only one side of the refugee flows associated with the Arab-Israeli conflict. This article explores a lesser-known story of what happened to Jewish refugees from Arab countries. - History
My Phone Says 2023. It Feels Like 1948. — The combined horror of the October 7 attack on Israel, the use of human shields by Hamas to protect itself, and global condemnation of anything that Israel might do that harms these civilians is leaving Israelis with the sense that they are fighting for their very existence. - Geo-Political Implications
There Are No Rules — An examination of the rules-based international order that was instituted following World War II to reduce the risk of that that war's horrors would be repeated. And, an exploration of the ways in which that, always tenuous, order is now eroding rapidly. - Geo-Political Implications
Complacency and the Coming Storm — An essay that asked us to consider the possibility that the relative peace and stability that we've enjoyed over the last several decades is something of an aberration and that "normal" times are much more dangerous. We need to take efforts to avoid this kind of normality much more seriously. - Israel and the Progressive Left
The Deep Roots of the Left’s Deafening Silence on Hamas — For many, the second biggest surprise associated with the October 7 attack was the reluctance of many on the left to condemn the attack (and the fact that some even supported it). This article looks at the intellectual foundations behind the left's reactions. - Israel and the Progressive Left
The Day the Delusions Died — An exploration of the ways in which the Hamas attack (and the way in which much of the progressive left reacted to that attack) has shattered the worldview of many progressives in ways that are forcing a massive rethinking. - Israel's View of UN Anti-Semitism
The United Nations, Israel and Anti-Semitism — A summary of the many areas in which Israelis believe that they are not being treated fairly by the United Nations. - Collapse of Violence Taboos
In Global Conflict Zones, Hospitals and Doctors Are No Longer Spared — A look at the global deterioration of protections that the laws of war provide to the doctors and hospitals serving the many casualties of war. - Hamas' Goals
What Hamas Wants — A chilling account of the many ways in which experts (including peacebuilders) misjudged Hamas. It is now clear that it is not a rational, good-faith actor seeking to defend the legitimate interests of its citizens. It is a sadistic and suicidal cult focused on destroying Israel and the Jews. - Hamas' Goals
A Catastrophic Success for Hamas? — A look at what Hamas (and, before it, Al Qaeda) had hoped to accomplish with their terror attacks and an analysis of how their "hoped for" victory led, instead, to catastrophe. - Gaza
Many Palestinians in Gaza hate Hamas. My father certainly did — A window into how extraordinarily difficult it is for Gazans to mount any sort of effective opposition to Hamas (and why brutal authoritarianism is so dangerous). - Hostages
The Best of Bad Options for Recovering the Hostages — From long-time Mideast negotiator, Dennis Ross, thoughts about how it might be possible to negotiate the release of the hostages. - Morality
The Moral Questions at the Heart of the Gaza War — A thought-provoking look of complex moral questions that are going to face Israeli soldiers as they enter Gaza (and the rest of the world as they judge the Israelis and the Palestinians). - Morality
The Savage Nihilism of Free Palestine — A thought-provoking essay exploring the role of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in Arab and Muslim culture and the relationship between these beliefs and European revolutionary thought. - Fog of War
A Dark Day for the Middle East—and Journalism — A careful analysis of the way in which the Gaza hospital bombing was reported in the mainstream US press -- an analysis that reveals a shocking disregard for basic journalistic ethics. - Hezbollah
This Is Hezbollah’s Arsenal Of Weapons It Could Rain On Israel — A look at the terrifying array of weapons that Hezbollah has hidden in civilian areas all over southern Lebanon — weapons that, if used, could quickly provoke a much wider and more catastrophic war. - Palestinian Lives
How the Palestinian Authority Failed Its People — A review of some of the many ways in which the Palestinian people have been victimized by their corrupt and ruthless leaders. - Palestinian Lives
Palestinian Lives Matter, Except to Hamas — Strong reason to believe that the Hamas' callousness and total disregard for civilian welfare extends to the citizens of Gaza. - Palestinian Lives
How is the IDF Minimizing Harm to Civilians in Gaza? — A summary of the specific steps Israel's Defense Forces have historically taken to limit civilian casualties during its many responses to Hamas' terror attacks — a sharp contrast to Hamas' direct targeting of Israeli civilians and use of civilian shields. - Iran
Appeasing Iran Has Failed — A critique of the Obama/Biden strategy of trying diffuse the Iranian threat by negotiating some sort of détente and an argument that Iran was never interested in any kind of reasonable compromise. - What Comes Next
What Comes After Hamas? A Plan to Return the Gaza Strip to Palestinians and Keep Israel Safe — A Foreign Affairs article that is starting to think seriously about how the Israeli campaign against Hamas might be followed by an international effort to bring peace and stability to Gaza. This is critical topic that demands a lot more attention. - Gaza Invasion
I Don’t See a Better Way Out — From someone who has devoted much of their life to making peace between Israelis and Palestinians, an agonizing account of his decision to support the invasion of Gaza. Now, the challenge is to mount that invasion in ways that will lead to a better world. - A Hopeful Alternative
A Humanist Manifesto — We end this dismal series of links with an uplifting reminder, from David Brooks, about the power of humanism -- our best defense against the forces of dystopia.
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