The Hamas attack: How Israel’s goodwill gestures backfired

The Hamas massacre epitomizes the saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Hoping for peace, Israel gave Gaza to the Palestinians

In 2005, Israel removed all Israeli residents, dug up Jewish graves, withdrew all soldiers, and handed Gaza to the Palestinian Authority.  Soon after, Hamas violently overthrew the PA, and since then fired tens of thousands of rockets at Israeli civilians. Additionally, Hamas used incendiary balloons to burn Israeli land, and built 400 miles of tunnels to attack Israel. As a defensive measure, both Israel and Egypt began a blockade to prevent Hamas from importing materials used for terrorism.

Trading land for potential peace was a disaster. In fact, both the Israelis and the Gazans were worse off after Israel withdrew. It became clear that Hamas’ war is not about land; it is about Islamist supremacy and hatred of Jews.

The Hamas charter states: “The Day of Judgment will not come until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me; come and kill him.’”

Israelis saved the life of the mastermind of the October massacre

In 1989, Yahya Sinwar was given a life sentence for abducting and murdering two Israeli soldiers. While in prison, Sinwar was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Israeli neurosurgeons operated on him, saving his life.

In 2006, Hamas used one of its tunnels to enter Israel and kidnap a soldier named Gilad Shalit.

In 2011, Israel struck a deal with Hamas, releasing 1,027 prisoners in exchange for Gilad’s release. One of the prisoners was Yahya Sinwar.

The nephew of an Israeli prison doctor who treated Sinwar is now a hostage, kidnapped during the massacre that Sinwar planned.

Israel’s attempt to improve Palestinian lives facilitated the massacre

Last year, Secretary of State Blinken said the US had urged Israel to issue thousands of work permits for the people of Gaza.

The number of exits burgeoned from 7,500 in 2021 to 67,769 by the middle of 2023.

Israeli Prime Minister Lapid remarked, “We need to make the civilian population in Gaza realize that they can live a different life – to pressure Hamas to stop shooting at Israel. To that end, we have increased the number of permits for working in Israel that are issued to the residents of Gaza.”

By gaining access to Israel prior to October 7, Hamas was able to acquire maps and building layouts. They learned detailed information about the people, including how many children lived in each house, and which families owned dogs.

There is widespread support for terrorism among Palestinians

It is baffling why the US and the EU consider the Palestinian Authority to be likely peace partners. The PA engages in a “Pay-for-Slay” policy, rewarding terrorists with cash. The amount of cash a terrorist receives is directly proportional to the number of people he kills.  Like Hamas, the PA infuses hatred and jihadism in the minds of their children.

The same “experts” who believe they can entice the Palestinians away from their bellicose agenda are the ones who thought they could export modernity and democracy to Afghanistan. Today in Afghanistan, girls are not allowed to go to school after the age of eleven.

Many people believe that most of the Palestinian citizens are, unlike their leaders, innocent. They seek to distinguish the Gazan citizens from Hamas, and the West Bank citizens from the Palestinian Authority. A recent poll by the Arab World for Research & Development revealed that 83% of West Bank Palestinians and 63% of Gazans support the torture, mutilation, rape, kidnapping, and murder of Israelis.

Today, while many call for a ceasefire and a peace deal, it is important to remember the words of Golda Meir, “You cannot negotiate peace with someone who has come to kill you.”