Ever since Hamas executed or imprisoned whoever stood in political opposition to them in Gaza by 2007, it instituted a regime of learning designed to change the mindsets of the young. Elements of the curricula taught in schools demonised not just the Jewish and Christian communities, but any Muslim who believed in a far more tolerant approach than the ultra-Wahabi slant sought to be implanted in the minds of Gazans by the new masters of the strip. Hamas was from its founding a group that from the start regarded violence as the best option against any foe, actual or perceived. Almost none of those talking or writing about Hamas have read its foundational charter, for once that was done, it would have been clear that the group was far and away a bigger threat to Israel than a Palestinian Authority that had decades ago accepted the right of the Jewish state to exist.
Unfortunately for the people of Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu followed in the path of Ariel Sharon, who out of a desire to boost the security of his country backed Maronite Christian gangs against their Shia rivals in Lebanon during the 1980s. From that time onwards, Israel became thus far the only target of Khomeinist groups, an unfortunate development, given that the country was already the focus of Wahabi attacks. Similarly, Netanyahu gave a long rope to Gaza under Hamas, while at the same time constantly tightening restrictions in the West Bank, run by the Palestinian Authority. The way in which the 7 October 2023 terror attack by Hamas against Israel was carried out indicated the consequences of such a miscalculation. The leaders of Hamas, comfortable in their luxurious homes in Qatar, calculated that the capture of hundreds of hostages by them would insulate the group from Israeli retaliation. At that time, it had been pointed out by this columnist that the 7 October attack was existential, and that irrespective of losses within the hostages, the IDF would have to break the back of the military wing of Hamas.
Should well-intentioned efforts including by President Biden aimed at securing an end to IDF actions in Gaza succeed, it would constitute a victory for Hamas that would enable it to not just get entrenched once again in Gaza, but in the West Bank as well, as well as within several impressionable minds all over the world who fail to understand that acts of terror are incompatible with the teachings of the great faith to which they claim fealty. In an existential conflict, one or the other side prevails, and if the task set for and by the IDF is not completed, the risks to international security would be far higher than would be the case should the IDF complete its mission. In a world where extremism got a boost of oxygen through the spectacle of the Taliban defeating the US and allied forces in Afghanistan by 2021, the military wing of Hamas surviving to fight another day would be another blow to the winds of moderation that are essential in those countries where extremists have increased their influence on young minds. At the same time, the indescribable torment of the people of Gaza should end, and the sooner the IDF succeeds in its mission, the better. Innocents need to be protected, and not get killed as what is so cruelly termed collateral damage.
While the task set for the IDF needs to be completed, it needs to be done in a way that minimizes civilian losses, not to mention further damage to infrastructure. Across the world, moderates are slowly beginning to prevail over hardliners in a way not seen since the 1970s. A swift conclusion to military operations in Gaza, coupled with a transfer of authority to moderate Arab hands, would accelerate a process ably led by futuristic leaders such as MBS and MBZ.