Ever since Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel, killing hundreds of innocent Israeli citizens, noisy protests have broken out in support of Hamas and the Palestinian cause.
Hamas has openly declared its mission as the destruction of Israel as a country, wiping Israel from the world map and, in the process, returning the Jews to the stateless status as in Hitler’s time. As such, Israel was left with no alternative but to fight for its survival as a nation.
It’s important to recognize the stark differences in goals between Hamas and its supporters on one side and Israel on the other. Hamas aims to completely annihilate Israel, while Israel desires a peaceful settlement that preserves its territorial integrity. Recent outreach efforts of Israel to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE clearly highlight Israel’s desire for peace with its neighbors. Israel would readily accept the legitimacy of a Palestinian state if a suitable peace agreement could be reached.
It’s essential to realize that those who employ violence and aggressive tactics to achieve their objectives are terrorists. When a region or country defends itself against terrorist attacks, public support, and sympathy should be with those defending themselves rather than those who initiated the conflict.
India’s principled stance in this situation is to support Israel as a victim of war and violence while expressing sympathy and support for the people living in the Hamas-ruled region, who would likely prefer peace over war but find themselves in a situation they did not choose.
Those who support Hamas’s actions and condemn Israel, organizing demonstrations and protests, have little understanding of the ground realities in Hamas-controlled areas as they are often located far from the conflict. Conversely, many others silently empathize with Israel, recognizing that has no choice but to defend itself as a nation.
‘In such a scenario, the resolution adopted by UNO, which seems to blame Israel while making no specific observations about Hamas’s actions, appears to be one-sided and unfair.
Finally, it will not be out of place to mention that the war against terrorism should not be viewed through a religious lens, as terrorism affects everyone. It is in everyone’s interest to collectively work to eradicate terrorist acts for good.
