Israeli attacks on Hamas good for peace?
| June 17th, 2003Eugene Volokh posts an argument from fellow professor Johathan Zasloff, suggesting that Israel’s attacks on Hamas leaders (and anyone who happens to be standing nearby) could be helpful for peace. How? By eliminating Abu Mazen’s competition for leadership, enabling Mazen to “continue to condemn Israeli targeted assassinations, while at the same time enjoying the fruits of Israel’s crushing his opponents.”
Zasloff’s argument, however, is based on the idea that Israel will actually be able to crush Hamas, to such an extent that Hamas will no longer be a relevant part of Palestinian politics. Gee, is that’s all that’s required?
Reality check: If Israel was able to do that, it would have been done years ago.
The question isn’t “what will wiping out Hamas do” - wiping out Hamas isn’t a realistic policy option. It’s not on the menu. The question is “what will attacks that don’t wipe Hamas out, but do inflict casualties on nearby civilians, do?” What Israel’s attacks do is empower Hamas, by making Hamas seem more significant, more like the “real” opposition to Israel, and assisting their recruitment efforts. (Yes, Hamas leaders are killed, but more will rise to replace them.)
If Israel wants to empower Abu Mazen, they need to change their policy so that Palestinians saying a negotiated solution is possible will seem credible to more ordinary Palestinians. Assassinations of Hamas leaders is not a way to send that message.
Kevin Drum, responding to a similar argument, wrote “I am, as I’ve always been, puzzled by the general hawkish belief that if violence levels are ratcheted up just a little bit more the other guys will finally back down, even though no one ever thinks the same is true in the other direction.”
Stop being macho and start negotiating. Blowing up Hamas leaders (and anyone else standing nearby) is more than a waste of time, it’s immoral and counterproductive.
June 17th, 2003 at 2:24 pm
Yeah, I’ve never heard any sort of quote from a teenaged Palestinian that went, “You know, the way they shot my little brother, and crushed my house with a buldozer, killing my mother inside, and humiliated my father with searches at checkpoints, and the way they keep us all under house arrest and how none of the people I know have running water or jobs or anything really makes me not want to join Hamas and kill them all.”
If Israel were serious about fighting terrorism, they would be building schools and hospitals and job training programs and the like in the Occupied Territories. That way these young men and women could have some kind of hope for the future. When you take away everything from someone, they have nothing to lose. And having nothing to lose puts you in a position of power.
If the Israeli government wants to keep saying that it’s so wonderful because it is the only democracy in the region, then it should stop acting as bad as Hamas does.
This comment was written by Plucky Punk.Report this comment to the moderators
June 17th, 2003 at 7:08 pm
Israel gives a lot of funding to the Palestinian Authority, as do the United States and many Arab countries. But it is the Palestinian Authority, with its own civil systems, school systems, judicial systems, and so forth. As part of giving the Palesitnian Authority autonomy, Israel turned over the building of schools and hospitals to the Palestinian Authority, which is responsible for administrating in the Palestinian territories.
This comment was written by Tara.Report this comment to the moderators
June 18th, 2003 at 1:16 pm
This is also something to remember when people start frothing at the mouth about Arafat. For the past several years, the Israeli government has had the ability to kill him pretty much at will. But he’s still alive.
This comment was written by Barry.Report this comment to the moderators