A devastating tragedy is unfolding before our eyes. It has resulted in the loss of thousands of innocent lives. A heartbreaking toll inflicted upon civilian populations. It’s important to stand in solidarity with the victims, both Palestinian and Israeli. It's also essential to separate fact from propaganda. The Israel-Hamas conflict should not be framed as a Muslim vs. non-Muslim issue, which is a dangerous oversimplification. Instead, any decent human being should stand as pro-humanitarian and pro-peace.
Many have been swept up by emotions, chanting slogans influenced by media narratives. One popular slogan is "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." This refers to the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which encompasses the entire state of Israel today. What does the chant really mean?
Unmasking Hamas
The Hamas Covenant outlines the meaning. It calls for the complete annihilation of Israel and the extermination of every Jew. In essence, the slogan is a call for genocide. It states explicitly: “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it…” Hamas rejects any negotiation and advocates for violence as the only solution. Article 13 states: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals, and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors." Hamas' stance, which prioritizes violence over negotiation, has repeatedly hindered peace negotiations. The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas is not primarily about land or a two-state solution but rather, whether Israel and Jews should exist at all. If Hamas were to disarm, there might be an opportunity for peace, but if Israel disarmed today, it would cease to exist.
Challenging Misconceptions
One common assertion is that “Israel is the occupier in Gaza.” The fact is, Israel fully withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Gaza has been under the control of Hamas for the past 18 years and receives substantial financial support from sympathizers worldwide. Surprisingly, despite these resources, Hamas failed to provide basic necessities like food, electricity, and water for the Palestinian people. Instead, they allocate funds to war efforts, including the construction of extensive underground tunnels, rocket launch bases, and munition centers near civilian infrastructure like schools and hospitals. Contrary to belief that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people, it is Israel that provides Gaza with electricity, water, and food that Hamas doesn't even pay for! Every day, 18,000 Palestinians cross over into Israel for work because they struggle to make a living in Gaza. Israel issued work permits and welcomed Palestinians to join its workforce.
A Day That Will Live In Infamy
The day before October 7th, thousands of Palestinians crossed the border into Israel for work, like any other day, to earn a living and put food on the table for their kids. After October 7th, their kids are dead, their houses lie in ruins, and they have no work or food. The blame must fall squarely on Hamas for the savage attacks that precipitated this tragedy. If Hamas had struck Israeli combatants, that's a different story. That's fair game in a war. It is important not to confuse expressing sympathy for the Israeli civilians killed with being anti-Muslim. Unfortunately, in many places, including Malaysia, this has become the standard of judgment. Even PM Anwar refrained from condemning the massacre by Hamas. Expressing sympathy for ALL victims should not be mutually exclusive; it's an act of compassion and commitment to principles of peace.
Singapore PM, Lee Hsien Loong, said what Anwar could not:
"The fact is Hamas launched vicious, horrible attacks against large numbers of civilians, and this is something which could not be justified by any rationale whatsoever. Whatever the background, whatever the historical situation, nothing justifies such an action, either in law or indeed, in human decency and morality..."
It is sad to see on social media, people who are pro-Palestine celebrating the massacre of the Israeli civilians. And yet, these same people are outraged that Israel's bombs are killing innocent Palestinians. Isn't the life of an Israeli baby just as valuable as the life of a Palestinian baby? Hamas' goal is to wipe out every Jew, and they don't care if they're civilians. They don't even care what happens to Palestinians. They once said, “We don't care if Gaza is erased.” If Israel had intended to wipe out Palestinians, they could have done it a long time ago. They certainly have the firepower and capability to accomplish it.
Toy Guns: Not A Game
The Education Ministry's proposal for a Palestinian Solidarity Week proved reckless. Given the emotional nature of the conflict, it risked devolving into a platform for hatred and promoting violence. That's exactly what happened. The "We Stand with Palestine" week became the "We Hate Israel" and "Let's Kill Jews" week. It was appalling to see teachers and students brandishing toy guns. Whose blood were they out for? How fortunate there are no Jews here, or they would have been hunted down by our cute ten-year-old jihadis. Schools are meant to be sanctuaries of learning, promoting values and inculcating friendships, rather than stoking hatred and animosity. If we're not careful, we'll slide down the slippery slope into terrorism and Talibanism.
What Else Do Palestinians Want?
Palestinians have expressed expectation that Malaysia should do more for them. The government has generously pledged RM100 million to the Palestinian cause. This matches the RM100 million budget allocated for non-Muslim Malaysians. Yes, we can give to the suffering Palestinians, but will the funds really reach the intended recipients or will it go into Hamas' coffers to purchase more rockets to launch into Israel?
Uniten announced scholarships for Palestinian students. Not too long ago, a young Indian girl asked the PM why non-Malays were being marginalized in opportunities for education. The man who famously said, "...anak Cina anak saya, anak India anak saya..." chided her for daring to ask a question contravening the "social contract." Apparently, foreigners can get scholarships, but Chinese and Indian students should be grateful because the tuan-tanah has graciously allowed them to live here. Feed your own anak first-lah, dear PM.
This raises the question of what the neighboring Arab countries are doing for the Palestinians.
The “Friendly” Neighbourhood
The Arab world's relationship with Palestine is complicated. For sure, no school came up with hare-brained schemes for a Palestinian Solidarity Week. Egypt and Jordan oppose a Palestinian exodus into their territory. Palestinian militants have caused unrest in Lebanon, in Jordan, in Iraq. In the past, they tried to overthrow the Jordanian monarchy and assassinated Prime Minister, Wasfi Tal. So, it's no surprise that most Arab nations view Palestinians with a certain degree of caution. Hence, their restrained reactions, in stark contrast to the frenzied fervour of many Malaysians and pro-Palestine activists globally. Egypt actually shares a border with Gaza but refused to open it fearing an infiltration of Hamas terrorists.
"It's like we're in a big prison, surrounded by guns and violence."
If you thought this statement and the above image is Gaza, you'd be wrong. It's describing Palestinian refugees in Lebanon! This was a quote by Raed Hamadeh, teacher in UNRWA schools in Lebanon. Palestinians live in camp-like conditions, divided by walls and barbed wires. Their poverty rate is 93% and they're not allowed citizenship.
Where's the outrage? Where are the protest marches? Where is the solidarity and slogans? There's none. Why? Because this does not involve any Jews to blame.
The Arabs in the region know the Palestinians and Hamas better than anyone else. Not us Malaysians, half a world away, parading our toy guns, shouting slogans, burning flags, boycotting McDonalds, and flooding the internet with juvenile "israelkoyak" hashtags, as if this could help a single Palestinian child or hurt a single Jew. While Malaysia does not recognize Israel, a number of Arab countries have diplomatic relations with Israel including Egypt, Jordan and UAE. Saudi Arabia was on the verge of a treaty. It is the worst-kept secret that the reason Hamas acted on October 7th was to stall Israel-Saudi relations.
One of the worst humanitarian disasters on the planet today is the ongoing war in Yemen. 150,000 civilians killed, including 11,000 children. 80% of the population require humanitarian assistance. 85,000 children died of starvation in 3 years. Where's the outrage? Where are the protests? When will we have a Yemen Solidarity Week in our schools? Do we even know where Yemen is? Maybe our Education Minister can educate us.
Did Malaysia protest when 7,000 Yazidi girls were sold into sex slavery in Iraq? Did our politicians condemn the genocide of 5,000 Yazidi men and boys as vehemently as they condemn Israel? Why didn't we hear about them? Where was the media? Why the hypocrisy? Simple. Because it didn't involve Jews. There’s no opportunity to show anti-Israel sentiments in Yemen or Darfur or in solidarity with the Uyhgurs in China. We have unscrupulous politicians today milking the Israel-Palestine conflict for all its worth for their personal political benefits.
Turning Back The Clock
The justification for Hamas attacking and maiming, raping and killing, kidnapping and beheading is that Israel has been doing it for 75 years after stealing Palestinian land. The standard narrative is that the Jews came as conquerors and colonizers of the land in 1948. But history did not begin in 1948. If you go back to the 7th century, it was the Arab Muslims who came as the conquerors and colonizers of the land. If you go back to the 1st century, it was the Romans who were the conquerors and colonizers of the land expelling the Jews. How far back do we want to go? Greeks, Persians, Babylonians have all been conquerors and colonizers of the land. So, who does the land belong to?
Hamas even acknowledges that Arabs only arrived on the scene when the Muslims conquered Jerusalem in the 7th century. They admit they conquered, colonized and occupied. The very same accusation levelled at Israel! According to the Hamas Covenant: "This is the law governing the land of Palestine…and the same goes for any land the Moslems have conquered by force..”
There is a fascinating historical account of Caliph Umar arriving in Jerusalem when the Muslims conquered Jerusalem in AD 637.
“But the Caliph was most curious to see the Temple of Solomon, of fabled magnificence. He was horrified to discover that the Temple was in ruins …It was at this moment that Temple Mount's identity as a site holy to Islam began to take shape… This was the first time a Muslim had stepped into Jerusalem. He wanted to see the Jewish Temple but did not realize that the temple had been destroyed by the Romans more than 500 years earlier in AD 70. It was then that Umar laid the foundations for what would eventually become the al-Aqsa.” (Excerpt from: Tune, Carey. Faith:Muhammad Or Jesus. p.140)
Although pro-Palestine activists cite 1948 as the reason for animosities with Jews, the fact is Jew hatred began long before. For example: The Fez massacre in AD 1033 where 6000 Jews were slaughtered by the forces of Abu'l Kamal Tamim in Morocco.
The conflict between Israel and Palestine is not just about the present or even 1948. It has deep historical roots. To find a way forward, we must empathize with the innocent lives affected on both sides, for every life is precious. By discerning the complexities surrounding this land, questioning the standard narratives, recognizing what Hamas really stands for, and championing a pro-humanitarian and pro-peace stance, there may yet be hope for a better future. One where Jews and Palestinians can co-exist.
From the river to the sea, let peace be the decree.
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