There is a quick path to an end to the war in the Middle East: the recognition of Israel's right to exist. It's happened before. Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, among other countries in the region, have embraced this formula. Peace agreements were signed and, from them, new commercial, human, and cultural relations prospered between governments and peoples who were previously enemies.
Antisemitism can be defined as a feeling of prejudice, hostility, or discrimination against Jews. Its oldest form, although still active, went out of fashion when the horrors of the Holocaust came to light. But the hatred remained latent. Today it manifests itself, mostly, through the denial of the right to self-determination of the Jewish people, consolidated by a sovereign decision of the United Nations in 1948. No other national movement has suffered or is suffering anything similar.
By murdering 1200 civilians and kidnapping more than 200 innocent people, Hamas took the front line of this movement fueled by prejudice. More than that: Hamas purposely turned the Gaza Strip into a military target, knowing the terrible human consequences it imposes on its people. The death of Palestinian civilians, for Hamas, is part of a strategy to achieve its nefarious objective. Just read the statute of this terrorist movement to understand what I'm referring to. It's on the Internet for anyone who wants to see it.
Every death of innocent people in a war must be mourned, regardless of where they are. In this conflict, however, there are two sides with different and clearly defined practices and values.
It is no coincidence that the most solid democracies in the West have expressed, through their elected governments, solidarity with Israel. There is a clear understanding that antisemitism, now disguised as anti-Zionism, is not just a Jewish problem. Behind this new wave of intolerance, a threat to the model of society in which we live is growing. In the Gaza Strip, the Hamas dictatorship persecutes minorities, and opponents, oppresses women, and stifles freedom of expression. To do this, it adopts a radical interpretation of the Islamic religion, which it intends to impose as far as its claws reach. Hatred for Jews, in this case, is hatred for democracy and diversity.
In this context, it is essential to separate Hamas from the cause it falsely swears to defend. I believe that the majority of Palestinians want to live in peace with Israel. But this will only be possible when intolerance, terror, and savagery are defeated by free and democratic societies. This is the unavoidable challenge that, out of opportunism, ignorance, or bad faith, so many people omit their inflammatory opinions on social media. In this moment of pain and apprehension, we are moved by the certainty that we will win. This is a fight for the future. May it end soon.
