Israel/Gaza: The Normalization of the Unbearable
The chaos and tragedy that struck the Middle East on October 7, 2023 left an indelible mark not only on Israel and Palestine, but also on the rest of the world. Over the past six months, we have witnessed a series of events that have challenged understanding and morality.
From the escalation of violence to attempts at diplomatic mediation, the post-7 October period was marked by profound turbulence that continues to open wounds to this day.
The Normalization of the Unbearable is a reflection on the issues that continue to influence the destiny not only of the region, but also of areas beyond its borders.
The Reconstruction of Exceptionality
October 7, 2023, altered the weight of Middle Eastern fractures. So much so that the first reaction was the mobilization of the image of 9/11 – alluding to the plurality of meanings of the attacks of September 11, 2001 – to characterize the exceptionality of the pain and perplexity of the Israeli-Palestinian monster event of that Saturday.
There was much talk about the Israeli 9/11 and its counterpart among the Arabs. Soon after, it became clear, on both sides, that the situation was even more serious, particular, and profound. It was noted, therefore, that the extraordinary – like 9/11 – had known, exceptional features. It had already happened.
Whereas what was seen on October 7th was not yet complete. So, five days later, on October 12th, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared it to be something worse than the " Holocaust ," and President Mahmoud Abbas, on the Palestinian side, on October 13th, described the Jewish reaction as a macabre updating and overcoming of the " Nakba ."
The power of these words – Holocaust and Nakba – evokes the worst moments in the history of these heirs of Abraham. Both may well have forgotten the Templar battles and the endless skirmishes of the Middle Ages. But no one has erased from their retinas or memory the imperative of " never more," fixed by the context of the ruins on the ground from the battles of 1914-1945.
It was, singularly, horrific. However, October 7th and the six months that followed rendered those words – Holocaust and Nakba – almost empty, sterile, and meaningless in the face of the utter trivialization of Middle Eastern human tragedies.
The Dehumanization of Tragedy
The mental and moral significance of this accident has not yet been accounted for. But it remains impossible to remain indifferent. The 1.200 – or 1.300 – deaths, the more than 100 injured and the more than 130 Jewish and Christian hostages on October 7th, six months later, resulted in 33 deaths, millions of people affected, displaced, attacked and injured and a hostility to the Ismailis never imagined.
Therefore, a brutalization of the lethality of relationships that made any historical parallel and any lexical relevance of words weak.
Rarely in human history has the meaning of the Latin adage that one should never trifle or gamble with the suffering of others been so emphatically disregarded . Now, in the six months following October 7th, nothing has been more justly disrespected than the suffering of others.
A French parliamentarian came up with the best formulation about the incident when he indicated that the act of October 7th was unforgivable, but not without justification. All observers detained in the situation can, in turn, formulate that the six months of the ordeal in Gaza has its justification, but it also remains impossible to forgive.
So much pain, so much hate, so much resentment.
Pain, hatred and resentment at unbearable levels. But, for some reason, they started to be supported so as not to cause embarrassment. Nobody remains indifferent. But no one finds a solution.
The Permanence of Conflict
The state of Israel, from its inception, has been an unspeakable affront to the Palestinians. The memory of the Nakba strikes so deeply into their souls that even the idea of two states never gained full support.
Everyone knows that the creation of the state of Israel only increased the conflicts between them. So much so that it only increased its proportion of cruelty over the years until reaching the monstrosity of the last six months, translatable into the most heinous human, moral and intellectual tragedy of the present century.
Westerners, Europeans and North Americans, were the first to indicate unconditional support for the Israelis' " right to self-defense " against the Palestinians on October 7th. But, when it became clear that this was an unprecedented act of revenge , they tried to back down, remain neutral, redefine alliances, say yes to no and no to yes, but it was too late.
The Israeli high command had already neutralized, brutalized, humiliated and penalized the residents of Gaza, as it had never allowed itself to do since 1948. First, depriving them of basic inputs for their survival – water, energy, medicines. Then, sending ground troops.
And then, proposing to physically eliminate Hamas – which everyone knows is an idea destined for perpetuity.
The Global View and Political Positions
The position of Russia and China, permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, were late, cautious and consequential. They noted that it was impossible to support Israel and impossible not to recognize the aggression against the Hebrew state. Postures like this do not indicate hesitation, much less cohesion.
They only suggest that the complexity of Middle Eastern disputes deserves retreat, respect and consideration. No one in Moscow has forgotten the millions of muzhiks mobilized in the patriotic war against Hitler and no one in Asia has forgotten the countless human losses resulting from the North American fury against Japan.
Both Russians and Chinese, therefore, measure well the weight of hatred, pain and resentment in the eruption of tragedies. Therefore, they also know that existential questions for others – in this case, Jews and Arabs – should not be treated lightly.
South Africans, endowed with the moral grandeur of those who survived apartheid , abandoned this discretion and denounced Tel Aviv's action at the International Court of Justice ( ICJ ). The applause from dissenters was overwhelming. The Court accepted and deemed the complaint valid. But the practical effects of its decision are still awaiting realization, which everyone knows will not lessen the suffering of the Palestinians.
Before and after this, the international community, represented in the United Nations , indicated – and even voted for – a ceasefire on several occasions. More recently, throughout 2024, the Security Council itself condemned the massacre. But no one seems able to contain the fury, the desire for revenge, and the relentless resilience on both sides.
October 7th was, therefore, a perfect trap. Hamas urged Israel to reinstate a state of endless war , and the state of Israel complied. As predicted and instigated, no significant segment of the West remained indifferent. But all were divided. Some in support of Hamas or Israel. Others in a mere show of neutrality.
The Biden Dilemma and the Jewish Lobby
President Joe Biden has been put in the worst situation ever. His main opponent in the November 2024 US presidential election, Donald J. Trump, promised, if elected, to resolve the situation within twenty-four hours – as he also promised to do with the Ukrainian dispute.
Thus, little by little, President Biden's destiny began to intersect with that of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The Jewish lobby in Washington will never allow the neutralization of Israel's fury. So much so that the Americans abstained from all multilateral deliberations on the matter at the United Nations and the Security Council.
No one is able to predict an end to this new phase of the conflict. But everyone is capable of realizing that it has become insulting to die with impunity for Gaza and unseemly to kill mercilessly for Israel. None of this is bearable. And therefore, it cannot be normalized.
Conclusion
As the conflict persists and tensions intensify, it is clear that there are no simple or quick solutions to the problems facing the Israeli and Palestinian people. As global leaders struggle to find a way forward, the pain and suffering of victims continues to be ignored and subjugated to politics and rhetoric.
The normalization of the unacceptable can no longer be tolerated, and it is imperative that the international community actively seeks a just and lasting resolution to this entrenched conflict.
Edited by: Francisco Lopes-Santos
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Picture: © 2024 Francisco Lopes-Santos
