Cav's Place

It’s ever harder to write about such important topics, knowing that you couldn’t do them justice even if you’d actually dedicate yourself to them, much less if you’re simply writing a rushed post, but I guess it is important to at least keep saying something, and right now there’s even a faint trace of hope that it may no longer amount to merely screaming into the void anymore. I mean, when the outcry over Israel finally openly admitting and approving the plan for the complete takeover of Gaza included Germany ending what definitely seemed to be its unconditional support of Israel, regardless of all crimes and atrocities, and halting exports of military equipment to Israel that may be used in Gaza, it does seem that the line that had so far proved so elusive, being moved farther ahead whenever it could no longer be claimed that the horrors hadn’t yet reached the previous one, has finally been crossed.
To be perfectly clear: Hamas is a terrorist, criminal organization that shouldn’t be allowed to exist anymore, much less control and govern people and territory. But the same is true for the Israeli regime. In fact, I’ll be blunt and say that, in terms of what it does to the other side’s civilians and non-military infrastructure and territory, the Israeli regime is worse, and that was true all along, so I’m not just referring to the current situation that may well be the most horrifying string of atrocities and war crimes the world has seen in decades. And, to also mention the situation in the West Bank, I’m definitely adding Israeli settlers to the list of those who need to be removed and punished for their crimes.
Things are obviously far more nuanced when it comes to regular people, since it’s understandable if the Palestinians who are suffering and dying, as well as the Israeli survivors and the close friends and relatives of the victims of the terrorist acts committed by Hamas, are willing or at least considering to fight back, while the ones who nevertheless demand a real, just and lasting peace and two-state solution, openly opposing and protesting against the actions and policies of their respective regimes, fully deserve everyone’s respect and admiration. But there can be no excuse when it comes to those who are actually part of the regimes, at every level, and, especially in case of Israelis, those who act out or even merely openly support their policies out of an actual conviction that they’re correct.
So, while it was obvious all along that the end goal was to wipe out anything that may in any way be considered Palestine, did the fact that it has now been formally spelled out and approved finally cross that so elusive line, at least for European countries? Was that also influenced by the fact that the Palestinian Authority was also ruled out as a potential governing force, even if at the moment it’s the only realistic alternative to Hamas and, however desirable it’d be to have new political forces rise out of a healthy Palestinian civil society, Israel’s onslaught ensures that there can be no such thing in any foreseeable future? Either way, will this truly result in more than hollow statements of concern and vague references to potential future reactions? More specifically, will it lead to urgent and real protection for Palestinians, actual actions against the Israeli regime, and clear moves towards a fair two-state solution that will, eventually, pave the way to a lasting peace? At the moment, it’s anyone’s guess… But at least there are finally some faint signs that something may be moving in that direction, albeit still slowly and too late for so, so many.