Quora Answer: If You were Prime Minister of Israel, What Would You Do about Hamas Lobbing Missiles into Your Country?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “If you were Prime Minister of Israel, what would you do about Hamas lobbing missiles into your country?”

If you want to undermine Hamas, then you need to undermine the reasons why they exist.  This applies to any opposition group, any terrorist outfit, any ideological enemy.  It is common sense.  Ideas are the basis of resistance.  They must be addressed, because that is far more efficient than any conflict of attrition.  As long as the ideology is valid, another group will always arise espousing it.

Firstly, it is only logical to go back to the two-state solution, and dismantle the settlements.  Israel is a secular state, and it does not make sense for the Religious Far Right to dictate policy.  Why should the non-religious, or the irreligious die for the religious convictions of the extreme fringe?

Secondly, bring leaders of the Palestinians to the negotiating table.  Use this as a chance to elevate people we can deal with, and sideline their hardliners.  Make it their interest to deal with their own extremists, because they know their own kind better than any external intelligence apparatus.

Thirdly, dangle aid, and work at developing Palestine.  This creates a client state friendly to Israel, and a near abroad that is a source of cheap labour for a lower manufacturing cost.  This allows us to leverage on their lower cost, and our technological expertise.  Prosperity gives the people a stake in the status quo, and destroys Hamas recruitment.

It is important to promote secularism, and dismantle religious extremists groups, both Muslim and Jewish.  The problem with both sides is that they have allowed the lunatic fringe to dictate policy.  This is 2019.  Nobody should be treating scripture as historical documents that shape policy.

The state apparatus should be turned towards the extremist Jewish groups that are promoting a state of total war.  This includes Protestant groups that sponsor them.  Most of these groups are not in Israel, but are based far away from the fighting, in the US, in Europe, and elsewhere.  Why should Israeli citizens shed their blood for the agendas of foreigners?

The lessons here are learned from the British measures to tackle the Communist insurgency in Malaya.  If we isolate the larger population from the insurgents, and give them a stake in the system, through economic growth and development, we undermine the ideology.  The American system of using bigger guns, and bombing everything back to the Stone Age has not worked, whether in Vietnam, or now in Afghanistan, and the Middle East.

The current conflict will impoverish Israel long before the Palestinian issue is resolved.  Wars are expensive.  There is also the cost of treatment of troops that have to serve in conflict zone.  And if it leads to those associated with the establishment and the military-industrial complex being wealthy at the expanse of the population, it will lead to regime change by the disenfranchised.  This challenge to the state will come from within, from among the lower classes of the Israeli citizenry, not external forces.