Opinion

Where is the outcry by the Irish for the Israeli children held hostage by Hamas?

Israel’s war is against Hamas, not the Palestinian people. It is not indiscriminate revenge

Photographs on a wall in Tel Aviv show some of the people believed to be held hostage by Hamas since October 7th. Photograph: Faiz Abu Rmeleh/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Dana Erlich
Wed Nov 15 2023 - 06:00

Black and white. Three neat, simple words. Easy to explain. Easy to understand. But we know life is rarely black and white.

When I arrived in Ireland almost three months ago I knew I was coming to live and work in a special country. Ireland’s global impact extends well beyond its size and population, like Israel’s. Back then, I remember being warned by some that Ireland was perceived as anti-Israel with some elements of anti-Semitism. But I know this, like most things, is not black and white. One can support the Palestinian cause and question the actions of the Israeli government, and not necessarily be anti-Semitic. Ireland, after all, like Israel, is a democracy. But if you support Hamas, it becomes black and white.

Since October 7th, Israelis and Jewish people have been feeling trapped in a nightmare. It was a day that reminded us our worst fears can come true, and our worst memories can recur.

Through their inhumane, brutal massacre of innocent civilians – so horrific some of the bodies have still not been identified – we truly understand the enemy we are facing. We call on the world, and Ireland, to do the same.

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We urge people to understand what Hamas is doing. Not only for the sake of the Israelis and other nationals they have slaughtered, or those they hold hostage in Gaza, or the people in Israel who have to shelter daily from the barrage of rockets being launched from Gaza. Do not just do it for us. Do it for the people of Gaza, who are the victims of Hamas.

Living in Ireland I have seen people’s love for life and peace. It is evident how the Israeli-Palestinian issue resonates strongly with them. But it was troubling to see people marching in the streets calling out against Israel, but not against Hamas. Where is their outcry for the lives of Israeli babies and children being held hostage by Hamas? Where is the outcry against the atrocities and abuse this terror organisation has inflicted, and continues to inflict, on its own population?

The truth is often the first casualty of war, and Hamas uses two key techniques to mobilise international pressure to try to force Israel into a premature ceasefire. Step one is to help instigate as many Palestinian casualties and as much destruction as possible. Step two is to spread the resulting images across the globe.

Hamas uses human shields, placing most of its military assets within or underneath civilian houses, malls, schools, mosques and hospitals. It intentionally positions its rocket launchers next to Palestinian civilians in the intent of drawing return fire. These are deliberate, horrible and calculated practices. Were it not for Israel’s defensive measures and Iron Dome system, Hamas would have killed and maimed more of Israel’s population. Just because Hamas rockets are mostly thwarted does not detract from their intent to murder.

Hamas also knows that no matter how carefully any military acts, when non-combatants are used as human shields, civilians and civilian infrastructures may be hit. It also knows that the IDF is held to a higher standard than any other military in similar circumstances.

There is also an additional, related aim for Hamas. It desperately wants to divert attention away from its horrific massacre of 1,200 innocent people in Israel (so far identified) and the kidnapping of up to 240 others, who are being held without any access to humanitarian aid. Only by depicting itself as the victim can Hamas regain the sympathy of some international audiences.

The idea that a regime would encourage the death of its own people might seem inconceivable, but not to those familiar with Hamas’s ideology.

The Hamas terrorist organisation is an integral part of the jihadist movement. Its aim is replacing Israel with an Islamist caliphate. These fanatics believe that goal justifies carrying out the most brutal, inhuman attacks on Israeli civilians and treating Gaza’s population as pawns to be sacrificed. Hamas preys on the sympathies of people who still do not comprehend that it is not a national liberation movement, but rather twin of Islamic State, also known as Isis, that brings nothing but instability and suffering.

Hamas constitutes an immediate threat to both Israeli and Palestinian civilians. However, the danger Hamas poses does not stop there. Just as aircraft hijackings, suicide bombings and car ramming attacks first targeted Israelis and then spread to Europe and beyond, the October 7th massacre may well inspire jihadi terrorists in other countries.

Israel’s war is against Hamas and not the Palestinian people. It is not indiscriminate revenge, but a war using targeted operations adhering to international law to make sure we eliminate the threat on our doorstep. This is the same threat holding Gazans as human shields.

There can be no comparison. There is no equivalence between those deliberately attacking innocent civilians and those battling against the source of such attacks.

International law recognises that there are times when the use of force is a necessity, an obligation and the only moral course of action. Facing the evil of Hamas, who set out to murder babies, and rape and slaughter innocent people in their beds, it is the obligation of every state to prevent such atrocities happening again. Like every other state in the world, Israel has the right and the obligation to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens.

One of the most cliched statements is that “if Israel would only do this or that, then there will be peace”. The attack on southern Israel demonstrates that Hamas has no interest in compromise or coexistence. It wants to eradicate Israel and refuses to recognise it.

This war is an existential battle, in which Israel’s existence is being challenged. Israel has gone a long way in trying to achieve peaceful coexistence. It recognised the Palestinian Authority and relinquished territory to the Palestinians. Israel vacated the entire Gaza Strip, including the dismantling of all Jewish settlements in that territory. However, Israel was not rewarded with peace or security. Instead, the territories it left were turned into terrorist training camps and launch pads for attacks.

There is a growing realisation that peace will only come when the majority of the Palestinians choose coexistence over conflict, and eject the extremists from their midst.

Supporting Hamas and other Palestinian terror organisations is black and white. Those that do are siding with hate and violence against Israelis of every faith, of Jews and Palestinians, and against peace. And that is a truly shocking choice.

Dana Erlich is the ambassador of Israel to Ireland

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