Israel, Diplomacy and Genocide

Israel has rebuffed Hamas' offer to negotiate diplomatically in this the 9th day of armed conflict in Gaza. By refusing to meet with Hamas representatives, Israel is saying that it can accomplish its goal of eliminating rocket attacks through the use of force. Of course, even though Hamas won the most recent round of elections in Gaza, Israel and the US consider it to be a terrorist group that cannot be negotiated with. But does that mean that war is a practical long-term solution for southern Israel and its citizens?

In my opinion this has and always will be a political conflict. That is, unless Israel commits genocide. If Israel kills a large enough percentage of living Palestinians through depriving the people of Gaza of electricity, food, water, fuel and medical supplies while using military violence, it may accomplish complete and uncontested control of the land it claims rights to. And is this result so far fetched? Is it such a stretch to imagine Israel purposefully killing thousands and tens of thousands of Palestinians through direct and indirect means? It frithens and saddens me to say that when I was in Israel I heard and saw more evidence of this being possible than of it being impossible. I did not go near Gaza as there were rockets being fired into the surrounding area at the time, but I still heard fearful Israelis use phrases laced with hate and disrespect when describing their neighbors. I heard Israeli soldiers ask why they don't just annihilate the "dogs" and still others say that they are nuclear state for a reason...

I am yet to hear an Israeli spokesperson speak about the horrors of the war that Israel is perpetrating. I am yet to hear a major military force, be it the US or another militarized nation, speak out in defense of the innocents being slaughtered. What I have heard is the Israeli government declaring its intentions to destroy Hamas' infrastructure, and how that process will be "messy" and "drawn out". I have heard that Israel's pursuit of Hamas and its armed supporters will be "relentless".

We assume that genocide in Palestine could never happen because of the amount of media coverage in present day Israel. But who is going to stop Israel's generals? The US? When in our 232 year history have we ever defended against the loss of innocent lives when it was politically inconvenient and expensive to do so? By defending the Palestinians in the case of genocide we would destroy our ties with a militarized state that we have systematically built up the strength of over the past 60 years. Not a chance in hell.

That is, unless Obama is different. Unless Obama is a man of integrity and of principles. A sympathetic and yet powerful new leader who can lead us into an era of compassion and respect for human rights, when war is no longer accepted as anything less than a last option and peace is sought vigorously.