Passions are running high across the world over the suffering in Gaza among the tight packed civilian population, especially the women and children. There is near universal shock at the large death toll, many times greater than that suffered by the Israelis. Militarily Israel has the upper hand and its defence forces and missile systems have been able to keep its own civilian population almost casualty free. Objectively this might be a source of praise, yet outside its homeland, Israel is now more unpopular across the world than at any time in its history. Jewish people everywhere feel the rise of anti-semitism. Bewildered they feel thrown back into fearful times past.
Moreover, the military objective of this apparently disproportionate campaign directed by the Israeli government, the stopping of the launch of rockets into their country, has not been achieved. At the end of each ceasefire, the rockets fly up once more. If you put together the destruction of Israel’s reputation and the military failure, you have a disaster. Everyone except the Israelis can see this. Soon it will strike home to them also, as refugees from Europe once again flee to its sanctuary, not in hope to forge a new nation, but in fear from one thought a friend. That is what anti-semitism does.
Meanwhile Hamas, on its last legs at the start of this campaign, is now riding high. The population of Gaza has defiantly turned back to the movement with which before it was fed up. The world now has a clear picture of the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza, not just in terms of the recent bombardment, but over the constricting and permanent blockade. The only country in the world which does not support them is the new hard line government in Egypt. They are trying to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas. Yet the irony is that the bar of what Hamas will accept is now far higher than it was before the fighting started and most of the world is behind them. Indeed most of the world has lost patience with Israel.
Time for the Israeli cabinet to sack a few generals for this strategic military failure?
Or time for Israeli voters to sack the government for the whole fiasco?
Or time for all sides to face the reality that when the choice is between permanent peace and everlasting war, there is only one choice worth making?
We shall have to wait and see.