A new position paper published by Mada al-Carmel – The Arab Center for Applied Social Research, authored by Dr. Mtanes Shihadeh, addresses the Israeli government’s decision to expand the war and the calls to end it from different sectors of society. Indeed, there is a rift between those who support a project that seeks to prolong the war for ideological reasons as well as political and personal interests, especially on the part of Netanyahu, and groups that oppose the war for various other reasons.
The paper argues that the absence of a unified project that calls for an end to the war on clear and comprehensive grounds weakens the opposition. What is needed is a political alternative that unifies groups with different motives for opposing war and occupation. The opposition’s voices are divided into three main categories. The first are those who call for an end to the genocidal war and starvation out of concerns over the negative impact on Israel's national interests and reputation. This category includes academic, business, artistic, and cultural groups, as well as former military, security, and political leaders. Second is the families of the hostages who are ready to end the war and to reach an exchange deal that ensures the safe return of those still alive and the recovery of the remains of those who have died. The third group, which is smaller and less influential, consists of human rights organizations and is led by B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights. It also includes a limited number of political figures and activists who publicly accuse Israel of war crimes, genocide, and starving Gaza’s population; they demand an end to the war on moral and humanitarian grounds, in compliance with international law.
The opposition to the war came after it became clear to a large segment of Israeli society that the motives for the continuation and expansion of the war, and the occupation of Gaza City and the central region’s camps, stem from ideological and political considerations and the personal interests of Netanyahu and the governing coalition. In fact, continuing and expanding the war poses a danger to the lives of the hostages. What is also becoming increasingly clear is that the genocidal war serves the project of the extreme religious right to reoccupy the entire Gaza Strip, expel the population, and possibly rebuild settlements there, in addition to annexing the West Bank. Yet theirs is a project for which there is no consensus in Israeli society.
To read the position paper in English, click here
To read the position paper in Arabic, click here
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