More than four centuries ago Queen Elizabeth I of England sent Protestant occupiers into what was to become Northen Ireland. Since that time indigenous resistance had never stopped, even in the face of overwhelming and continuous English force, until finally in 1998 there was power sharing. The previous four centuries had included Cromwe…
More than four centuries ago Queen Elizabeth I of England sent Protestant occupiers into what was to become Northen Ireland. Since that time indigenous resistance had never stopped, even in the face of overwhelming and continuous English force, until finally in 1998 there was power sharing. The previous four centuries had included Cromwell’s scorched earth campaign and other acts of massive brutality that make the Israeli Gaza response look mild. None of it resulted in permanent resolution of conflict.
Democracy and freedom for all is the only stable answer to coexistence. The only answer. Responding to insurgency with force many be necessary and emotionally satisfying in the short run, but it does not stop the back-and-forth killing. It does not stop the violence.
Some people point to the nuclear bombing of Japan as an act of overwhelming force that brought about resolution of conflict, but the war with Japan was not an insurgency against occupation. We were fighting a war between governments. The Emperor felt a duty to protect his people and had the authority to end the war once and for all.
The United Nations was providing government services in Gaza. Hamas is not a government. It is, like the IRA, a purely military insurgency organization. Palestinians who worked in UNRRA, by contrast, can provide effective interim government in Gaza until there is sufficient stability to hold elections. During this fixed (three year?) period security services that answer to UNRRA can be provided by other Arabs. The limited and temporary scope of the security mandate should include sappers to obliterate the tunnels. During this time members of Hamas should be rounded up and tried in court (at the Hague?).
Or we can brace ourselves for hundreds of years of more violence.
More than four centuries ago Queen Elizabeth I of England sent Protestant occupiers into what was to become Northen Ireland. Since that time indigenous resistance had never stopped, even in the face of overwhelming and continuous English force, until finally in 1998 there was power sharing. The previous four centuries had included Cromwell’s scorched earth campaign and other acts of massive brutality that make the Israeli Gaza response look mild. None of it resulted in permanent resolution of conflict.
Democracy and freedom for all is the only stable answer to coexistence. The only answer. Responding to insurgency with force many be necessary and emotionally satisfying in the short run, but it does not stop the back-and-forth killing. It does not stop the violence.
Some people point to the nuclear bombing of Japan as an act of overwhelming force that brought about resolution of conflict, but the war with Japan was not an insurgency against occupation. We were fighting a war between governments. The Emperor felt a duty to protect his people and had the authority to end the war once and for all.
The United Nations was providing government services in Gaza. Hamas is not a government. It is, like the IRA, a purely military insurgency organization. Palestinians who worked in UNRRA, by contrast, can provide effective interim government in Gaza until there is sufficient stability to hold elections. During this fixed (three year?) period security services that answer to UNRRA can be provided by other Arabs. The limited and temporary scope of the security mandate should include sappers to obliterate the tunnels. During this time members of Hamas should be rounded up and tried in court (at the Hague?).
Or we can brace ourselves for hundreds of years of more violence.