The war in Gaza now poses a widening threat. As the death toll rises, cell phones and modern communication send images of the horrors across the world.
In the region, the war is beginning to spread. Violence has escalated between Hezbollah based in Lebanon and Israel. U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have come under attack, with the U.S. retaliating by bombing reported terrorist centers. Rockets have been released from Yemen aimed at Israel.
Iran is looming as a potential target or combatant. Demonstrations – often gathering despite official bans – are growing across the region as Arab governments come under greater pressure to do something.
Antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise, from university campuses in the U.S. to Paris neighborhoods to Russian provinces. As the death toll rises and more children and mothers are slain, the demand for intervention will grow. The violence will spread, turning neighbor against neighbor in countries far from the Middle East.
Israel has retaliated against the Hamas terrorist attack. It can continue the attack on Gaza, but only with increasing civilian casualties, increasing global outrage, and increasing isolation in the world. The notion that it can “exterminate Hamas” is an illusion. Its violence is minting more new terrorists than it is killing. The rage is understandable, but it is leading Israelis into an indefensible trap.
It is time to stop. The world must be brought in to resolve what is quickly becoming a world crisis. A ceasefire is essential. It should be followed immediately by a UN-monitored exchange of hostages for prisoners – the hostages taken by Hamas for the Palestinians held without charges in Israeli jails. A UN Stabilization Force, with soldiers from across the world, should be mobilized to take control of Gaza, with Israeli troops withdrawing. The Arab countries should provide resources for the massive reconstruction project that will be necessary, with Gaza residents given the right to return. With one-half of the homes in the north destroyed, the task requires international commitment. The Arab Sunni countries should agree to accept what is left of the Hamas forces in Gaza, with their removal overseen by the UN Stabilization Force.
This will stop the humanitarian catastrophe that is ongoing in Gaza. It will bring the hostages back home alive. It will extract Israel from a war that is undermining its future. It will do more to reduce the Hamas threat than continued destruction and death in Gaza.
Any Israeli government – particularly its current war government – would find it hard to accept a ceasefire. It will only occur if the United States demands it unequivocally. Biden must act as forcefully as Ronald Reagan did in 1982 when Israel was bombing Beirut. He informed the Israeli leader Menachem Begin that continuing the bombing would impact the U.S. support for Israel. Begin ended the bombing the next day.
Joe Biden has called the United States the “indispensable nation.” The administration cannot continue to arm and back Israel while wringing its hands at the undeniable violations of the laws of war. The U.S. has become an accomplice in what is happening in Gaza. It has no choice but to act.
Were the ceasefire and the UN supervision to take place, then the hard work would begin: a peace process that involves the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the countries of the region, including Iran.
The contours of that are unclear. What is clear is that continued occupation offers no security. Extermination is a madman’s nightmare.
Security for Israel requires justice for Palestinians – and support from the world community. As difficult as any settlement seems, it cannot begin unless the violence ends before it spirals out of control. The World Court must define racism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia. We must not throw terms around that are harmful to the process. Israel must be the land of promise and not the land of terrorism and revenge.
You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this newspaper or by email at jjackson@rainbowpush.org. Follow him on Twitter @RevJJackson.
©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
