Israel must pause and consider the consequences of its righteous retribution

Editorial: If Israel is to retain the international support it so richly deserves, then it must also behave like any other civilised democracy that abides by the rules of war and international conventions

12 October 2023 (Dave Brown)

In a country where the party system is kaleidoscopically fragmented and where the average administration lasts a little less than two years, the formation of a national government in Israel is further evidence of a new mood of national unity.

The people of Israel have been left shocked, dismayed, distraught and angered by the barbarous terror attacks by Hamas. There was no justification for what they did, and Hamas could – and did – know that retribution would be swift and forceful. Israel’s main parties – Likud, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, and the centrist National Unity party of Benny Gantz – are joining together in an emergency administration specifically to prosecute their war on Hamas. Any differences in this area of policy have to be set aside in the interests of victory. It is also a show of defiance.

Yet what does victory look like? When Mr Netanyahu vows to “change the Middle East”, what does he mean? Like many leaders before him, he will have more chance of success, that is to say victory, if he defines his war aims – and makes them realistic. The means to victory, and presumably the eradication of Hamas, must also be ones that do not end up strengthening the enemy and becoming self-defeating. This is the challenge now facing the Netanyahu-Gantz government.