As the major battlefronts in Ukraine find themselves in a protracted stalemate, the conflict in Gaza has been readily embraced by mass media as an alternative, offering a boundless supply of dramatic narratives of bombings, injured children, and distraught mothers.
On-the-ground reporters emphasize the tragic unfolding events with a flair for dramatic language, often neglecting to furnish the essential context and nuanced analysis that might otherwise prove less sensational but more informative.
Stirring a potent mix of toxic emotions
Intricate details and complexities of geopolitical situations risk being overshadowed, as the media opts for a continuous stream of emotionally charged visuals, skillfully crafting a narrative that stirs a potent blend of anger, disgust, and fear among its audience.
It is prudent to contemplate the underlying origins of wars, which often revolve around mythical concepts of land ownership. Fundamental rights of those actually living on the land are callously disregarded in the name of religious ideologies and historical claims that, upon closer scrutiny are tenuous at best.
The land belongs to those who live on it
A world characterized by broader acceptance of the principle that land belongs to its inhabitants could pave the way for greater global peace. Human history reveals a nomadic evolutionary journey, where migration has consistently been an intrinsic human inclination. However, substantial population shifts have frequently been involuntarily, triggered by natural catastrophes and conflicts, disrupting the harmonious coexistence that a more inclusive understanding of land ownership might foster.
Do we really want to open a debate on who rightfully owns Australia, New Zealand, the United States, or South Africa? Take back all the land from who owns it now and give it back to the indigenous people? We could also go back to when the earliest homo sapiens started migrating from Africa to Europe and conflicted with the Neanderthals on hunting grounds? If Vladimir Putin gives history “lectures” on why Russia has the “right” to annex Ukraine, we can ask why Austria doesn’t have the right to recreate the Austro-Hungarian Empire and why not recreate the Holy Roman Empire, a complex political structure that existed from the Middle Ages until 1806.
Redrawing history maps for ideological and empire-building purposes is a mindset from the last century that triggered countless wars, especially in Europe. It was the reason why the founding fathers of the European Union had the vision of creating an alliance of nations, some of whom had fought each other for centuries, in an interdependent union of equals with open borders and the free flow of peoples and goods. It has ensured the longest era of peace and prosperity in central Europe and is the reason why most countries in eastern Europe, including Ukraine, are clamoring to join.
In antiquity, the Middle East was predominantly inhabited by nomadic tribes, whose dwellings were dictated by the grazing needs of their livestock. The concept of national boundaries is a relatively recent historical development. They were often the result of indiscriminate colonial map makers sitting in European capitals.
The debate over historical claims to Palestine by either the Jews or the Arabs becomes somewhat mooted when acknowledging that we have a modern reality where approximately 20 percent of Israel’s citizenry is Arab. Within the self-identified Jewish population we have a rich tapestry of diversity, encompassing Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, and other Jewish ethnicities. Beyond this, Israel is home to a mosaic of minorities, including the Druze, Bedouins, Circassians, and various Christian groups.
The primary objective of the Hamas terrorist organization is to establish an Islamic state. Dozens of foreigners from across the globe were among the victims of the October massacre this year. It was a callous and brutal demonstration of the organization’s complete disregard for human life. Innocent children, babies, fathers, mothers, and the old and frail were often shot at point-blank range. The trauma, horror, and rage in Israeli society is understandable but can never warrant a response that likewise causes massive civilian casualties.
The Hamas attack was planned in horrific detail to provoke the Israeli response. It was to be expected that Israel’s most rightwing leader ever, Benjamin Netanyahu, would react the way he did by ordering an invasion to “eradicate Hamas.” By using civilians as cover Hamas is callously taking into account the casualties as part of its greater global strategy, and it appears they are having much success:
The global landscape is witnessing the troubling aftermath with a surge in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. The voices of moderation find themselves overshadowed by extremists who vehemently advocate an ultimatum: a stark choice between good and evil “Palestine” or “Israel.” The polarizing narrative fosters an atmosphere of divisiveness and conflict, the breeding ground for extremists and demagogues eager to recruit new followers.
We have to connect the dots to understand why Hamas launched its attack on innocent Israeli civilians in the first place.
- It is no coincidence that the attack came after Israel was having some diplomatic success in improving relations with moderate Arab countries.
- Was Hamas instigated to launch the attack by Russia’s ally Iran to deflect attention and military resources from Ukraine? There is some evidence, though not confirmed, that Russian mercenaries were involved in the training of Hamas.
If Israel had a wiser leader, other options in response to the invasion of Gaza would have been the better choice. In the wake of massive Israeli bombings and civilian casualties in Gaza, Israel has lost the moral high ground.
The wiser option
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh faced a similar dilemma when Pakistani terrorists carried out in November 2008 a series of coordinated attacks including on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Indian history claiming the lives of an estimated 166 people with 300 others injured. Singh was under great pressure to launch an attack on Pakistan but urged caution. Later European and American analysts pinpointed rogue elements within Pakistani intelligence as having planned the attack to draw international attention to the India-Pakistan conflict by provoking an Indian military response.
By not escalating in 2008, India created a policy option to employ legal methods against the attack’s perpetrators and retained the moral high ground. If it had gone to war with Pakistan the result would probably have been a stalemate with the world sharing the blame 50:50.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the United States received an outpouring of sympathy from all parts of the world. Instead of carefully considering its options, President George Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, not having a real plan of what would come afterward. It was by all means a mistake of historical dimensions with many lives unnecessarily lost.
Evil can never be fought with a simplistic “eye for an eye” concept. Violence breeds more violence. The children traumatized by the bombings in Gaza are likely to be eager recruits for the next terror organization.
What does this all mean for you and me on a personal level?
Political conflicts are a reflection of the collective state of mind of the state or the nation. We will never eradicate war or conflict. It is part of the human condition that we are incomplete beings prone to irrational behavior.
Being pulled into the rabbit hole of daily images of disaster and conflict does something with your mindset and your emotions. It can numb the senses to real feelings of empathy and compassion and trigger anger, frustration, and melancholy sadness. You are not in control of external events but you are in control of how you perceive and react to these events.
During these times of conflict in the external world, it takes discipline to set boundaries to over-exposure to negative news without ignoring what is happening in the external world. A good antidote to grievance culture, negativity, and pain is the ability to find meaning, grace and beauty in every moment.
No matter how challenging these times may be, practicing the discipline of thought, taking a different perspective, and shifting your focus, will bring you into a higher vibrational field. A kind word here, compassion and a smile there, and being grateful for the smallest of things. Gratitude, love, empathy, peace,and kindness are the threads that weave together humanity.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
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