A just war: Israel's occupation may be illegal, but the terrorists of Hamas give them no choice but to attack

 

Independent Voices
Monday 19 November 2012 09:27 EST
Comments
v2-A Palestinian woman inspects the rubble of her destroyed house after an Israeli air strike in the east of Gaza city
v2-A Palestinian woman inspects the rubble of her destroyed house after an Israeli air strike in the east of Gaza city (EPA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

What's going on?

Over the past week, the news has been dominated by a sudden and severe escalation in the conflict over Gaza. It's brutal. The latest information suggests that both sides are on the attack, with 91 Palestinians and three Israelis dead. Israel says that it must defend its people from the provocation of Hamas, a terrorist group. The Palestinians says that Israel's occupation is illegal, and this degree of brutally is totally unjustified.

So is Israel's aggression towards the Palestinians justified?

Case for: Self-defence

How can a democracy like Israel be expected to tolerate the terrorism across its border? It cannot. Hamas may have been elected but they are a militant, terrorist group bent on destroying the Jewish state by any means possible. Its leadership must be fatally wounded and it is incumbent upon the international community, led by America, to stand up to tyranny. Until Hamas is defeated, there will be no peace in the Middle East.

Case Against: Disproportionate

It is Israel, not Hamas, that started this war. Its illegal occupation is the single biggest cause of the incessant conflict in the Middle East, and until the Palestinians are allowed their own nation state, this conflict will continue. In any case, the numbers speak for themselves: Israel's brutal onslaught - which is clearly motivated by forthcoming elections - is utterly out of proportion, as well as ineffective. Each Palestinian murdered radicalises a hundred others .

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in