The Palestinian Israeli Conflict and the Cinderella syndrome

The political and ideological pro-Palestinian perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict typically takes a rigid stance. It demonizes Israel and the Jews, portrays the Palestinians as victims and justifies the use of terror against those who think differently from them. it absolves Palestinians, including Hamas, of responsibility for the consequences of their own actions such as provoking the Israeli response to their invasion of Israel October 7, 2023.

On an individual level, when confronted with verified facts that conflict with their views, uninformed protesters, such as college students from elite campuses, often become flustered. When asked, for example, what do they mean by calling for “Free Palestine, most do not even realize that it means dismantling of Israel and expulsion of its non-Muslim Jewish and Christians citizens. More entrenched pro-Palestinians tend to deny the facts without refuting them or shift to other criticisms of Israel, thereby avoiding direct engagement with the arguments and facts presented that they cannot refute. Ultimately, the Pro-Palestinian-Hamas advocates invariably fail in aligning their narrative of victimization of the Palestinians with historical reality.

Unfortunately, much of the Western media also refuse to analyze the situation accurately. As horrific as the pictures of Gaza’s destruction are, (war is terrible), focusing solely on Israel’s response while ignoring Hamas’s role, and thereupon concluding that Israel is the aggressor and Gazans are the victims, distorts the context that Hamas initiated the current conflict and prolongs it by continuing to refuse to unconditionally release the hostages they have taken, including even the bodies of those killed.

By unilaterally and unconditionally calling on Israel and the UN to support establishment of a two-state solution without the Palestinians doing so themselves, those Western governments including England, France and Spain are trying to fit the wrong foot into the Palestinian Israeli shoe. These governments overlook the long history of Palestinian refusal to accept a negotiated peace agreement. They are also missing the main core about Hamas and Palestinian ideology. For Hamas and apparently now the entire Palestinian camp, the issue is not about establishing a Palestinian state but dismembering Israel. After all, Gaza since 2006 has been run by Hamas and has been a de facto Palestinian state.  By choosing to divert funds including EU funds into turning Gaza into the most sophisticated underground military infrastructure that the world has known rather than pursue peace with Israel, or even just concentrate on making Gaza prosperous, they have demonstrated how dangerous and destructive an unrepentant Palestinian regime can be. What prevents a new and recognized Palestinian state from pursuing that same destructive path?

When one connects the “dots” incorrectly, it almost inevitably leads to false conclusions. Portraying Palestinians solely as victims is like insisting that the shoe the prince brought belonged to one of Cinderella’s sisters. If Western governments genuinely care about Gazans’ welfare and seek to promote peace in the Middle East, they should instead demand that Hamas first release the hostages and cease their war against Israel, which would lead to an end to the fighting. They should also pressure regimes supporting Hamas to stop arming and funding the group. In particular, they should call on Qatar to halt funding, stop hosting Hamas leaders, and cease using Al Jazeera as a platform for disseminating anti-Israel pro Hamas hatred. Finally, Western governments should unite in calling on the Palestinians to propose their own peace plan as a meaningful first step toward genuine reconciliation.