Preface
Many of the purported eye-witness accounts of sexual violence committed by Hamas on October 7 sound credible. For all we can know now, they may indeed have been widespread. It is very important that opponents of Israel’s horrific war not dismiss the allegations of sexual violence, or attempt to debunk them. The truth will come out.
Even without allegations of sexual violence, we know Hamas is a dark and polarizing force. By seeking Netanyahu’s “mighty vengeance” and then promising more October sevens, Hamas has demonstrated that it is not fit to govern Palestinians in any peaceful and just agreement with Israel. Neither, obviously, is the current Israeli government fit to govern Israelis in a just agreement with the Palestinians.
It is not necessary to mince any words about Hamas to argue that Israel’s war is precisely the wrong approach, and that America should leverage its military assistance to pressure Israel to reverse course.
Dear President Biden,
Anyone paying attention to the war in Gaza can see that it cannot possibly bring security to Israel. The terrible cost in lives is elevating an otherwise unpopular Hamas in the hearts and minds of too many Palestinians.
Without doubt, this massacre will swell the ranks of those intent on Israel’s destruction.
The only path to security for Israel is to undermine Hamas politically, by reversing course and fully committing to a viable Palestinian state. This will necessitate the relocation of approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Monumental as that task will be, it is the price of security for Israel. With all those settlers relocated, Israel will still retain 78 percent of historical Palestine.
Were it not for its preponderant military forces which the United States has made possible, Israel would have come to its senses long ago and negotiated a two-state solution. Instead, its excessive might has given Israeli governments a sense of entitlement to more Palestinian land (see: https://getrealwithisrael.com/2023/12/02/israel-and-the-curse-of-excessive-power/).
Especially for Prime Minister Netanyahu, a just peace has never been urgent. Instead, Israel has sought to dominate the Palestinians, by policies and laws that essentially amount to apartheid.
It is time for you, President Biden, and all friends of Israel to insist upon an immediate course correction. To that end, the United States must leverage the massive military aid it provides Israel.
If this particular Israeli government is not capable of reversing course, we must insist on it in any case.
Sincerely,
Todd Buchanan
Reform CAIR 