Who is responsible for the war?

The events which took place in Israel on Saturday the 7th of October have changed many lives forever. For those whose lives were taken in the original massacre, they have now gone, and the thousands of family members and friends affected will live with that knowledge forever more. Likewise in the aftermath of the war and retribution thousands may lose their lives, inconsequence affecting those around about them. Those people who are all directly affected are seeing the consequence of violent hatred.

There can be no excuse for the actions of Hamas regardless of the provocations, that if you were a Palestinian you would feel the same way. Killing what you believe to be your enemy is not something new it has happened in the world since time began it happens every day in several countries around the world yet we in the west hear little off it. What cannot be justified is the treatment of the dead, the display of the bodies of the deceased whatever nationality is never justified for any cause. In fact, it generally shows that the perpetrator off the violence has no conscience, caring only for the destruction and abomination of another human being.

It is wrong to just blame the Palestinian people for what happened. The blame solely lies with the organisation called Hamas, the group that put themselves forward as the de facto government of Gaza. They are simple killers, and that fact needs to be recognised by all in the world.

One of the big questions for the world is who provided them with the weapons and the facilities and advice to act in the devastating the way they did. Who would gain from such an event? The big question but we all know for sure it will not be the average Palestinian in Gaza, the Israeli, or the people on the ground in the neighbouring lands who may get caught up in the extending conflict. The ones most likely to gain, in the political sense are the nations and players whoever they may be, who wish such events to continue in what has been a volatile area since the Second World War.

The western media and in some cases, politicians slightly point the finger at an Iranian involvement but neither group is open-ended in committing to blaming Iran. Why? Because to date there is no tangible evidence to indicate a direct involvement. It seems to be accepted that the Iranians are major financial sponsors of Hamas, but the west will be cautious of accusing them of direct collaboration due to the possible consequences, even more so at this time when the Americans appeared to be trying to be reconciliatory.

Another option for advice on how to instigate the attack, although unlikely could be a joint venture so to speak, between Russia and Iran both with the same aim to destabilise the Middle East and the NATO countries. The west has been frightened of the Russian, Chinese friendship since the start of the Ukraine war with a genuine belief it is a threat to western world control. How great the so-called friendship is, we do not know but they certainly will have the same train of political thought. The link between Russia and Iran and to an extent Syria is a completely different scenario as they come from different spheres in attitude which makes the association more terrifying in the actions they might take. These are of course just innuendos because there is no evidence of any involvement. It cannot be denied that the outbreak of war between the Israelis and Hamas has been a benefit to Putin as it has drawn the world’s attention from the Ukraine. A secondary benefit would be if Russia could worm itself into being a major peacemaker between the factions. That would give them even more credibility within the Arabian world. However, as other commentators have mentioned, an extended outbreak of war over the middle eastern zone could be equally as damaging to the Russian Federation as it would be to the western superpowers.

There are other players in the area, the smaller countries round the Mediterranean or even Gulf States. Many who see Israel as an enemy but there would be limited gain for them to have been involved. There are even claims that ISIS and al Qaeda have been part of the process somewhere down the line, even perhaps with former ISIS fighters leading some of the attacking groups. Very possible although questionable that they are still strong enough to have a significant influential role. The conspiracy theorists of course will be having a field day scrambling to find credible evidence or even uncredible to show the Western powers such as America and some of the larger European countries instigated the attack to keep their thriving arms businesses alive. That massive sector of the worlds business community will indeed be delighted as they see the profits it will bring over the preceding years. However, to claim they may have aided in the build-up of the invasion seems more like a story for a film or book.

 Which comes back to Hamas who claim they done it for the Palestinian people, a bit debatable as they must have known that the retribution would take the lives of many innocent Palestinians in Gaza. Plaudits in some of the smaller news channels and blogs round the world lean towards the feeling that Hamas cleverly set a trap for Israel. Knowing full well that the response would be devasting for Gaza, thereby bringing an end to the conciliatory talks between the Israeli state and the Arab countries. Whilst hoping that over time as the death toll rises in Gaza the western superpowers will struggle to keep up their support for the Israeli government. Any civil unrest in Europe would be seen as an added bonus following Hamas’s rallying call to the Islamic extremists, which has to date not materialised, but it could come at any time. Again, bringing strife between the Islamic and Christian worlds. If all this is true, then it puts Hamas in a different light as it shows them a much more sophisticated group than previously thought.

Mainstream media and larger political groups pontificate in the debate about who is at fault for the recent events. Palestinians claim they are justified in their actions because of their entrapment in what has become known as the ‘open prison’ of Gaza also their perceived treatment as second-class citizens by the state of Israel. The Israeli claims that they must keep the Palestinians separate for their own safety due to the many killings in attacks over the decades. The feeling by many that the world is anti-Zionist increases the just distrust of all neighbours. If we are all going to be honest the feelings and beliefs of both sides are not wrong, but neither are their actions right. However, unbending the actions of the two main players have been, ultimately, the ongoing Palestinian issue is the fault of the western superpowers and the main Arab countries. Neither side has made genuine moves to improve the situation. For whatever reason, the political will is never there. The EU, US and UK have thrown money at various Palestinian causes. To what end? Gaza is plagued with poverty and unemployment, which anywhere in the world breeds unease, mistrust, and hatred. Where has all the money pumped into Gaza gone? How has the Palestinian on the ground benefited? Yes, Israel can be accused of restrictive movement practises which would not allow the small enclave of Gaza to flourish but it is the external forces who have failed in their mediation. When Putin commented that the tragedy “is a vivid example of the failure of US policy” in the middle east, he was not completely wrong, but he failed to point the finger at the others who have failed such as the EU and the Arab superpowers and it must not be forgotten the Kremlin also. What will the international community do now to stop the possible outbreak of an extended war?

We can be sure the events of the 7th of October 2023 will have set back the aspirations of the true Palestinian people for years to come. It has changed much of the western world; indeed, history may well show it even more devastating than the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The distrust and misunderstanding between the west and the Arab world has always been a dangerous powder keg.

Always easy to light a fire under both with far reaching and devasting consequences.