Militarily, it is evident that Israel has severely damaged Hamas after its three weeks of massive military attacks, and Israeli leaders perhaps will get lavish reward from the Israeli voters in next month’s general election.
It is also very clear that Israel can do anything it likes against the defenseless Palestinian civilians, and finds it very easy to find excuses to attack Palestine. The horror which the Palestinians have to endure, often from their birth until their death, cannot only be blamed on Israel, but also on the Palestinian leaders from Fatah and Hamas who are fighting among themselves.
Israel decided a unilateral cease-fire on Sunday, and Hamas agreed later. Israeli leaders wanted to show a friendly signal to the new US President Barack Obama. No one knows how long the cease-fire will last. Hamas and other factions in Gaza need to seriously consider the act of firing rockets into Israel because it will only give Israel a perfect excuse to kill more Palestinians.
The Israeli government fully realizes the price of Israel’s brutal military oppression against the Palestinians – it will be very costly. It is not just Israelis and Palestinians who will pay the price, but the entire world. Terrorists will use this as a perfect justification to spread their terror.
Therefore we are of the opinion that the United Nations Security Council needs to establish a peacekeeping force to restore peace in one of the world’s most explosive areas. And Indonesia is apparently acceptable for both warring parties, despite the fact that Indonesia does not have diplomatic relation with Israel.
Israel is totally wrong when it thinks that its military might against its neighbor will quell the resistance of Palestinian independence fighters. Israeli leaders are wrong when they continue to regard – with the full support of the West – Hamas as just a terrorist group. Many of Hamas’ principles are opposed by the international community, but who can deny that Hamas won a democratically-held election and therefore it has the legitimate power to rule Palestine? Israel and Western countries only recognize President Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah faction. It is a divide et impera tactic.
But Hamas is also not at all realistic when it does not recognize Israel and it is ridiculous that it wants to erase Israel from the world map.
No one knows when the Palestinians will be able to live peacefully in their own state. The reconstruction of the devastated Gaza will need billions of dollars and take years to complete, although some Arab countries have pledged to finance the massive rebuilding projects.
It is ironic that President Mahmoud Abbas could only condemn the attack against his political rivals in Gaza. How will the Palestinians be able to realize their dream for an independent Palestine, when their leaders are blinded by their greediness for power?
The ceasefire is very fragile. Arab leaders have committed to helping Palestinians with the support of the European Union. US President Barack Obama, of course, has different opinions and policies from his predecessor George W. Bush. But the US’s position on Israel will not drastically change just because of the presence of a new president. And, we, the international community must help to re-establish a more durable cease-fire in Palestine.
