For the very first time in living memory, Bethlehem will not commemorate Christmas. Devasted by the toll of Israel‘s pounding of Gaza some 70 km away, Christ‘s birthtown in the West Bank will not have a single Christmas tree, not to mention celebrations. On last count, the Hamas-Israel dispute has actually eliminated more than 20,000 Palestinians and hurt 50,000-plus individuals. As an apostle of peace, Christ, the ‘king of the Jews’ would have been mortified.
On Friday, Benjamin Netanyahu restated that the combating would not stop unless Hamas was ‘entirely ruined’ and captives were securely launched. In spite of such difficult talk, Israel is no closer to attaining its objective of removing Hamas. Studies by the non-partisan research study network Arab Barometer reveal that in the month before the October 7 Hamas attacks, 67% of Palestinians in Gaza had little or no rely on the extremist group. If Israel continues its military operations, however, Hamas will not discover it hard to discover assistance and hire more individuals. Of all individuals, Elon Musk’s recommendation that Israel prevent such a result with ‘noticeable acts of generosity’ makes tactical, not to discuss, ‘Christian’ sense.
If Netanyahu is severe about removing Hamas, a far much better alternative would be to start talks with the Palestinian Authority (PA) to craft a political option, a path that honours the two-state optionregard the rights and goals of the Palestinian individuals, and guarantee the security and security of Israel. Paradoxically, it is Netanyahu’s unfaltering rejection to accept the two-state service, and his efforts to delegitimise PA that led the Israeli federal government to disregard to Hamas for the last 15 years, enabling it to enhance. The present military alternative is time- and resource-consuming. Any talk in between the 2 groups would need lodging and compromise by both sides – worths that Christmas, of all days, proclaims.