The Gaza War. Criticism of Israel Isn’t Always Anti-Semitism, And Censoring It Only Makes Matters Worse By Wahab Raofi

 

This article is published by the Orange County Register and its sister newspapers

By Wahab Raofi 

The Israeli response to Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on its people and territory on October 7, 2023, could not have been a simple verbal condemnation or warning. It had to be a counterattack, for anything short of that would likely encourage further attacks from Hamas.

The Iranian-backed Hamas attack involved a murderous rampage, killings and kidnapping of Israelis ranging from 10-month-old babies to an 86-year-old senior, as well as the reprehensible acts of raping Israeli women.

Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s goals are to destroy Hamas, bring hostages home and get re-elected. I concur with his first two aims, but the inhumane way the war on Hamas has been executed is not justifiable. Such a strategy carries the risk of fueling not only antisemitism, but also potentially creating a security threat for Israel’s ally, the United States, from Muslim extremists.

The possibility of an attack on U.S. soil like the September 11, 2001, suicide missions on U.S. soil is not unlikely. It is very important for the Biden administration to use tough love in convincing Israel’s government to stop killing innocent civilians.

Although I was born into a non-Arab Muslim family, I am not arguing for the U.S. to cease support for Israel, nor do I have any sympathy for Hamas. However, having spent over 10 years as interpreter for NATO forces in the war-torn Afghanistan, I've witnessed the true horrors of war.

After I retired three years ago, one of my wishes was never to see war again. Sadly, that wish was not granted. It can be seen almost every day on the TV screen and read in print media: Israel’s military relentlessly bombing of Gaza and killing thousands of Palestinian women and children who did not want, advocate or participate in this ugly war.

I totally agree that the Israel government has a legitimate right to pursue the terrorists and bring them to justice, if possible. I am on the same page with what the Jerusalem Post wrote recently in an editorial headlined “Stay the Course,” that Israel has every right to take tough actions against its internal and external enemies. I also acknowledge the fact that Israel is surrounded by Hezbollah, the Houthis and Shiite militias in Iraq. Iran is squeezing Israel into a multifront war with its proxies. Israel is in a tough neighborhood.

But the question remains: What could Israeli leaders have done to avoid the killing of so many civilians? Was there a different course of action for Israel to minimize or prevent civilian damages?

Let’s revisit a situation in which a national leader responded differently to an incident of grave magnitude. In a New York Times article by Thomas Friedman, we are reminded of what India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did in November, 2008, when 10 Pakistani jihadist militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, widely believed to be linked to Pakistan’s military intelligence, infiltrated India and killed more than 160 people in Mumbai, including 61 at two luxury hotels. What was Singh’s military response to India’s attack?

He did nothing.

Granted, Israel suffered at least 1,200 fatalities on Oct. 7, and while I still believe Israel needed to respond, it is essential to recognize that violence usually begets more violence, and there is no justification for either side to kill innocent civilians. In a more perfect world, we could believe in upholding universal values that prioritize peaceful resolutions. And many American Jews seem to feel the same way.

According to Time Magazine, progressive Jews have been protesting the U.S. policy toward Israel. Their calls for a ceasefire align with 66% of U.S. voters, who say they "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" with the idea, according to a poll conducted between Oct. 18-19 from Data for Progress, a progressive think-tank and polling firm.

More importantly, the U.S. government’s unwavering support of Netanyahu’s handling of the war could foment anti-U.S. sentiment among the Muslim worlds.

According to the Washington Post, antisemitic content has surged more than 900 percent on X (formerly Twitter) since Oct. 7, and there have been more than 1,000 incidents of real-world antisemitic attacks, vandalism and harassment in America, according to the Anti-Defamation League 

In Indonesia, a presidential candidate and the foreign minister addressed hundreds of thousands of protestors expressing solidarity with Palestine. In Malaysia, the prime minister, draped in a Palestinian keffiyeh, led his own rally, describing the situation as “insanity” and “the height of barbarism.” In Singapore, the government has simply banned displaying either side’s flag.

As members of humanity, do we not have an obligation to break the silence and speak up? To quote Jewish American New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman:

“It is time for the Biden administration to give Israel more than just gentle nudges about how it would be kind of, sort of nice if Israel could fight this war in Gaza without killing thousands of civilians. It’s time for the U.S. to stop wasting time searching for the perfect U.N. cease-fire resolution on Gaza ... It’s time to tell Israel that its war’s aim of wiping Hamas off the face of the earth is not going to be achieved — at least not at a cost that the U.S. or the world will tolerate, or that Israel should want.”

The end of the war on Hamas and the carnage of civilians doesn’t seem near. Is it the obligation of the Jewish community in Israel and abroad to call on their government to stop the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians? Even if they did, it doesn’t look like the Israeli government would heed the call.

The (Israel Defense Force) IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevie said that it could take months to arrest or kill Hamas’s top leaders and “many months” to finish fighting Hamas.

And if indeed the conflict persists, it would lead to a regrettable perpetuation of anti-Semitism. The act of targeting innocent civilians by Israel risks fostering animosity both domestically and internationally.

Israel possesses the power to choose its course of action, as does humanity at large. Silence is not an option; collective voices must advocate for a path that promotes peace and understanding. The American people should not become the victim of another Muslim attack on its soil because of Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election campaign.

And killing innocent Palestinians doesn’t make Israel any safer. So my criticism of Israel should not be equated with antisemitism. I criticize bad policies by the U.S., as well as those in my native Afghanistan.

   I conclude with a quote from former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres: “For peace, one must remember: as a bird cannot fly with one wing, as a man cannot applaud with one hand, so a country cannot make peace just with one side, with itself. For peace, we need the two of us.” 

 

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