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A Diplomatic Way Forward on the Israel/Hamas War [1]

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Date: 2023-12-23

John Mearsheimer’s story “Death and Destruction in Gaza” represented an utter condemnation of Israel’s actions in the current war in Gaza.

Mearsheimer, an Army Academy graduate, admitted that his position wouldn't impact the United States’ stance on the war, but he strove to make a point. He stated, “I want to be on record so that when historians look back on this moral calamity, they will see that some Americans were on the right side of history.” The foreign policy thinker of the realist school called Israel’s actions in Gaza “a crime against humanity” and said that the actions serve no meaningful military purpose. He also condemned the Biden administration’s support of those actions.

In addition, Mearsheimer accused Israel of purposely massacring a huge number of civilians, roughly 70 percent of whom were children and women. He said: “The claim that Israel is going to great lengths to minimize civilian casualties is belied by statements from high-level Israeli officials. For example, the IDF spokesman said on October 10, 2023, that ‘the emphasis is on damage and not on accuracy.’ That same day, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced: ‘I have lowered all the restraints – we will kill everyone we fight against; we will use every means.’”

UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said of the war in Gaza: “We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict” since his appointment in January 2017. Mearsheimer stated: “Israel is purposely starving the desperate Palestinian population by greatly limiting the amount of food, fuel, cooking gas, medicine, and water that can be brought into Gaza. Moreover, medical care is extremely hard to come by for a population that now includes approximately 50,000 wounded civilians. Not only has Israel greatly limited the supply of fuel into Gaza, which hospitals need to function, but it has targeted hospitals, ambulances, and first aid stations.” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said of Isarel’s policy in a report: “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly.”

Mr. Mearsheimer also faulted the Biden Administration’s expedition of ammunition to Israel as violating the Arms Export Control Act. He mentioned the violence in the West Bank where Israeli settlers, working closely with the Israeli Defense Forces, continue to kill innocent Palestinians and steal their land. There are problems with Mearsheimer’s story. He doesn’t mention that Hamas started the war with a horrific attack on Israel, and he failed to address the hateful ideology that underpins the group’s actions. Mearsheimer also failed to mention that Hamas hides weapons near civilian infrastructure like hospitals and mosques, showing no respect for the civilian population. In addition, there's also no condemnation of the anti-Semitic attacks we’ve seen as of late, an outgrowth of the war.

Some are forging a new path by voicing dissenting opinions, seeing the levels of destruction in this war as unacceptable. Connecticut Representative John B. Larson said in a report: “Continued failure to heed President Biden’s warnings about prioritizing the protection of civilians, developing a plan for Palestinian governance of Gaza post-war, and putting an end to settler violence in the West Bank are eroding support for Israel among the international community and here at home in the United States. I am calling for a new pause in fighting until Netanyahu and his government can lay out a strategy that would protect civilians, provide for sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid, remove Hamas from power, and begin immediate multilateral talks on securing a two-state solution. As with the previous humanitarian pause, it must also include the release of hostages from Hamas.”

Larson’s suggestions are a plea for a diplomatic solution. He isn’t the only outspoken member of the Connecticut congressional delegation on the issue. Senator Chris Murphy called Israel’s airstrikes unproportionate. Those who believe in a diplomatic solution to the current war, and want to save as many lives as possible, must make their voices heard by those who represent us. Perhaps we need a movement behind Larson and Murphy’s suggestions – letter writing to congressmen, works of journalism to make others more aware, and public demonstrations. It won’t help Israel’s cause to become more and more isolated in the world. Cornol Larry Wilkerson, a former State Department official in the George W Bush Administration, said he doesn’t expect Israel to exist in 30 years.

It's in the interest of the US, and Israel, that we follow a diplomatic path forward on this problem.

Jason Sibert is the Lead Writer of the Peace Economy Project

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