The anniversary of the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas and other militant Palestinian factions on southern Israel from Gaza finds the Middle East in a state of generalized warfare, which threatens to spill over globally. The horrendous murders and hostage taking of the initial event were followed by massive killing and destruction, first in Gaza, gradually engulfing the West Bank too, and more recently in Lebanon. Iran, Yemen and Syria also came or were brought into the inferno, pro-actively or passively, and of course the US and other Western allies of Israel.
It is not too far-fetched to worry about a major war breaking out if the next exchange of bombs between Israel and Iran hits nuclear installations and/or major population or economic centres and/or leaders of either side. If one of the key adversaries over-performs or stumbles, who knows who else and how may join the fray, to punish, rescue or just support their own interests that they may perceive as threatened. The 7 October anniversary, the US elections, various religious observances and other planned or haphazard events may give rise to unforeseen consequences, most if not all of which would not be good.
Particularly disconcerting is the absolute rejection of and hatred among the communities involved in this bloody set of confrontations. Calls to eliminate this or that leader, state, activist group or religious community emanate from all sides, de facto denying the other’s humanity and summarily condemning the other to extinction, individually and collectively. References to divine rights and millennia-old vendettas would sound incredulous and unreal to any objective outsider, but seem to be the ultimate gut feeling that instigates this carnage. Even if individual leaders or interest groups may have more mundane calculations in mind, the passions they excite are visceral and the hatred deep and thirsty for blood.
This is a recipe for disaster and a proof of major failings in human nature. The promise of the end of World War II seems to be heading to a final disproof, with institutions from human rights, protections against genocide and war crimes, and avoidance of another major war crumbling on the verge of collapse. All sane individuals, groups, countries and organizations need to step in now and say: it’s enough! The violence pandemic needs to be stopped. Time to bury the hatchet, mourn one’s dead, and honour the living, allowing them to have a peaceful future. It should be possible to build coexistence that respects the right of self-determination, the identity and the aspirations for a better future of each of the groups in this small but so symbolically laden part of the world. Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), which may seem the most probable future at this point, should not be an option.
