Why Palestinian extremists can refuse any serious negotiations: Updated

On May 6, a paper edited by the Qatari and Egyptian mediators was presented as the “Gaza ceasefire proposal approved by Hamas”. It quickly became clear that this was a completely one-sided pro-Hamas pamphlet that was miles away from what constitutes a fair ceasefire.

Nevertheless, this unacceptable and therefore irrelevant text was broadcast by the mainstream media worldwide in a tone as if it were a message of peace. This disingenuous creation of hope represents a hard blow to Israel as part of a complex propaganda war. The dubious proposal does not offer the Israeli government an alternative to the strategy of continuing to “exert military pressure on Hamas.”

However, in the case of a military invasion of Rafah, large parts of the misinformed world public would perceive the Jewish state as an aggressive power that rejects a due ceasefire.

Because of the one-sided information, Western citizens are largely ignorant of the incessant Hamas attacks on Israel before the October 7 massacre. Rockets have been used in each of the years since 2001, a total of around 10,000 with peaks in 2024 (4,225) and 2021 (3,631). While some 1,400 Israelis died from the terror in those 22 years, an even greater damage was psychological. This included widespread depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with associated consequences such as miscarriages and general reproductive impairment.

An even more destructive effect concernes the world’s perception of the ongoing conflict. In this manipulated perception, helpless Palestinians fight against brutal Israelis. Tailored narratives have given the Palestinians the label of disadvantaged and abused victims. The distortion of Israeli/Palestinian history was the work of supposedly charitable non-profit organizations, especially NGOs. Decades of systematic cultivation of the distorted view have created an emotional bomb that exploded on October 7, 2023. More precisely, these were two bombs against Israel, of which the massacre itself was the first. The second is the global explosion of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic propaganda and organized unrest that was sparked when the Jewish state legitimately sought to end the terrorist threat through military means.

After having learned from the last 22 years of intensified terror and especially from its last pike in May 2021, one can identify the October 7, 2023 massacre as a planned provocation to stage the victim role of Gaza Palestinians at large scale. Thus, the envisaged invasion of Rafah would mean for Israel to fall even deeper into the deadly trap.1)

Analyzing the character of this trap, it comes out to be a surreal liability insurance. For many decades, Arab leaders have systematically been shielded from facing any consequences of their continued violence against Israel. This artificial protection took any pressure from them to ever negotiate seriously on a peaceful settlement of the dispute.

This protection against the consequences of their aggressions began in 1948, after six Arab countries had attacked the newly founded Jewish state and lost the war. Instead of letting the aggressors solve the resulting refugee problem, the UN started building around 50 refugee camps for those Arabs who had lost their homes.

In addition, countless supposedly fair resolutions systematically prevented Israel from establishing a stable settlement.2) Among other things, the security belt in southern Lebanon which protected Galilee against constant terrorist attacks had to be evacuated under UN pressure. Now, Galilee is being bombarded from there again.

An exceptionally constructive result could only come about if Israel did NOT bow to one of the counterproductive UN resolutions. This concerned Resolution 242, initiated by the British in 1967, which called for an immediate evacuation of Sinai after it had been occupied in the Six-Day War. That was an unfair demand. Of course, between opponents you cannot give the goods away before you have the money – in this case a binding contract. Israel’s fortitude was rewarded in 1979 when Egypt agreed to a “Land for Peace” treaty that remains in force today.

The UN’s unfair partiality towards the Arabs not only violates basic principles of its own Charter,2) it also sends a psychologically highly destructive signal: “You can threaten, terrorize and attack Israel as often as you want without having to fear consequences .” This is like signing a contract with an evil, surreal insurance company whose terms exempt the customer from any responsibility for violence against a specific third party. Of course, the “right” granted this way constitutes an unlawful privilege and therefore corresponds to the disenfranchisement of the third party in question.

After realizing that the Islamists have liability insurance for the violence they perpetrate, the following has to be taken into account:

Over the decades, step by step, Palestinian leaders have adapted “perfectly” to this surreally manipulated political environment. The adaptation included an enhancement of the empathy-free disposition shown by most autocratic leaders in history. The result is a further development of the “traditional” sacrifice of soldiers in unnecessary power wars. Now, also the civilian population is being sacrificed to achieve political goals. When Hamas fighters use schools and hospitals as combat posts, thereby increasing the number of civilian casualties, their leaders see this as a victory – because Western aid and “moral” support skyrocket.3)

This evil strategy brings “best” results when combined with an accordingly promoted demography. The number of – today worldwide distributed – Palestinian Arabs grew to the more than twentyfold during the last 100 years. This record-hitting figure is the result of accordingly manipulated living conditions.4)

In the broader context, the entire Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, with all its victims and damage, was from the perspective of the Islamist leadership a success which was calculated and provoked with the massacre of October 7th. The rocket attacks in May 2021 were the dress rehearsal when the desired Israeli reactions were already triggered.

Hamas’s calculation pays off all the more since its top leaders live comfortably in Qatar and have no problem sacrificing their fighters and subordinate commanders.2) The survival of the evil system is guaranteed by the UN and some other (mainly Western) forces. The success provides the psychological trigger to mobilize the next generation of extremist fighters and leaders. Without effective control of this psychological mechanism, it will soon be powerful enough to infect the West Bank and lead to a full-scale war against Israel.

Thus, Israel is almost trapped between two suicidal options – further attacks on the extremists in Rafah or appeasement according to the above mentioned “Gaza ceasefire proposal approved by Hamas”.  But, as historically and psychologically proven, any one-sided appeasement constitutes a road with no way out and leads to further demands until everything is given up.

A sustainable settlement, instead, requires removing the artificial obstacles, which are set by external forces.

The “Gaza ceasefire proposal approved by Hamas” is the product of mediators from Egypt and Qatar. Of course, no one can seriously expect Arabs to act as neutral mediators in this conflict – much more like the fox who is made guardian of the henhouse. The really relevant questions are: “Why did the Israeli government accept this unsuitable appointment of mediators?” and “Why did CIA Director William Burns, who also attended the mediators’ meetings, not prevent the publication of such a counterproductive paper?” As editor David Horovitz correctly analyzes in the Times of Israel, the published text is “constructed with inflammatory sophistication to ensure that Hamas survives the war and regains control of the entire Gaza Strip.” The legitimate Israeli goal – security from future violent attacks – is not covered.5)

If this destructive psychological background is ignored, the Israeli government falls into the tragic illusion that it can achieve political progress by exerting (more) military pressure on Hamas. – Instead, a full-scale Rafah invasion would inevitably lead to:

• Skyrocketing propaganda against Israel worldwide
• Involvement of an incalculable number of other parties, possibly including Palestinians in the West Bank and Hezbollah in Lebanon
• Even more unpredictable activities of fake friends
• Refugee movements towards Europe – a mayor goal of Islamists – by using the US-built pier
• Further increase in anti-Semitic unrest in the USA
• Therefore, a growing danger of a US civil war – especially, considering the aforementioned incalculable activities of false friends

Terrorism is a phenomenon with psychological roots and can never be combated with military means alone. This was confirmed by the disastrous results of the War on Terror in Afghanistan (2001-2021). On the contrary: all Western interventions in Muslim countries such as Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq have created precisely the atmosphere in which terrorist organizations emerged and grew – for example IS, Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabaab.

The only way to successfully combat terrorism is to combat the AMBIENCE in which it grows. This is a fight at the level of morality, clear principles and the allocation of responsibility. Because of its clear legal position, Israel not only deserves victory in this intellectual dispute, it can achieve it without violence. It just needs to consistently hold to account those who have caused and continue to cause this destructive, peace-preventing atmosphere.

This process begins with the simple question: “Who represents this surreal insurance company whose terms and conditions absolve the customer of any responsibility for violence against a particular third party?” – Undoubtedly, the UN and its associated institutions occupy a leading place among those in question. The most recent confirmation came with the supposedly peace-promoting, but once again one-sided and therefore destructive ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on May 24, 2024.

For detailed answers, read my article https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/sustainable-peace-plan-for-the-middle-east-short-version/.

REFERENCES

1) https://www.frieden-freiheit-fairness.com/en/blog/deadly-trap-israel-and-civilization-short-version

2) https://www.frieden-freiheit-fairness.com/en/book/chapter/staged-middle-east-conflict

3) https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/what-hamas-leaders-actually-want-in-their-own-words-part-2/

4) https://www.frieden-freiheit-fairness.com/en/blog/farce-5th-middle-east-war-and-end-freedom-short-version

5) https://www.timesofisrael.com/sinister-hamas-deal-would-let-it-keep-most-hostages-win-the-war-inflame-the-west-bank/