I’ll be honest — as pro-Israel as I am, it’s hard to see the pictures of the devastation in Gaza.
After the horrific Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on the Jewish nation, the Israeli retaliation has been fierce and relentless. It is impossible to avoid the pictures of destroyed homes, communities razed to the ground and hungry children, all of which only serve to increase the outcry from pro-Palestinian groups.
But what’s the alternative?
When convicted murderers come up for sentencing, one of the main factors in determining how severe their sentences will be is whether they show remorse.
Remorse from the perpetrator softens the hearts of people, opening them up to starting a process of forgiveness because of the hope of some kind of rehabilitation.
However, after five months of relentless war, the residents of Gaza seem far from remorseful for the actions of their elected leaders, Hamas.
Instead, a new poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research indicates a doubling down of support for Hamas and its militant stance against Israel, even after enduring immense suffering from the Israeli military operations.
These #Palestinian poll results (from March 2024) tell a depressing story:
– 71% say 10/7 attacks were “correct”
– 91% say #Hamas committed no war crimes in this conflict
– 59% say Hamas should control #Gaza after the war is over
– Hamas has double the popular support of #Fatah,…— Robert Satloff (@robsatloff) March 20, 2024
NBC covered the poll, giving credence to its legitimacy, although, unsurprisingly, the outlet chose to justify some of the appalling numbers. They also seemed to minimize or omit most of the more hard-line positions reflected in the raw poll data, putting more emphasis on war fatigue rather than Gazans’ overwhelming support for Hamas and lack of remorse over the Oct. 7 attacks.
Is peace possible with a people who believe that kidnapping, rape and murder are legitimate tools of war?
The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research is an independent Ramallah-based polling institute that has been surveying public opinion in the Palestinian territories on a quarterly basis since the 1990s. The organization conducted this in-person poll during the initial days of the conflict’s fifth month. The poll sampled 1,580 adults — 830 respondents residing in the West Bank and 750 living in the Gaza Strip. The research group has the ability to deploy surveyors throughout the Gaza Strip to directly collect data, despite the ongoing hostilities in the region, NBC reported. The fieldwork for the poll took place between March 5 and March 10.
The deeply concerning poll shows that 71 percent of Palestinians believe Hamas’ decision to launch the Oct. 7 attacks was the correct one.
Ninety-four percent believe that Israel has committed war crimes during the current conflict, and 91 percent believe Hamas has not committed any war crimes in this war.
Sixty-four percent of Palestinians believe they will win the war against Israel.
Forty-nine percent believe “Hamas is the most deserving of representing and leading the Palestinian people today.”
Israel has endured decades of terrorist violence, indoctrination of hate and outright calls for its destruction from Hamas and others in Gaza.
The latest poll confirms that after years of trying to achieve peace through negotiations and deterrence, huge numbers of Palestinians, especially in Gaza, still remain firmly opposed to Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.
Additionally, a clear majority of Gazans prefer Hamas to remain in control after the conflict. There seems to be little appetite for adopting a more pragmatic, middle-of-the-road approach.
A poll released today shows that 71% of Palestinians support the Oct 7 massacre.
Is this really the time for a Palestinian state to be established?https://t.co/gcKJFA3Ev9 pic.twitter.com/xaWKVaQdY2
— Shelley G (@ShelleyGldschmt) March 20, 2024
So, while the sights of Gaza’s devastation may be heartbreaking, it comes down to an us-or-them approach.
Knowing that Palestinians still support the Hamas terrorists and would stand behind them should they attack again, how could Israel do anything less?
Harsh as it sounds, conventional solutions like reviving the peace process or economic incentives seem pointless in the face of an enemy that seems determined to destroy them, even if it means their own destruction in the process.
Israel has a fundamental right to defend its people.
This could mean taking whatever military measures are necessary, including possibly reoccupying the area until every Hamas member and supporter is eradicated or imprisoned and all terror capabilities and terrorist indoctrination mechanisms are destroyed.
Alternatively, they could leverage Arab cooperation from the states that signed on to the Abraham Accords — the historic bilateral agreements on Arab–Israeli normalization brokered by former President Donald Trump and his administration. This may allow Gazans to maintain some control of the area with economic and development assistance from these sister Arab nations. However, this could only be done after Hamas is obliterated.
At the end of the day, regardless of what is done, the prospect of a peaceful night’s sleep for Israelis, knowing that the enemy is up at night plotting their annihilation, is not an enviable position.
But whether the Palestinians like it or not, pulling out the entire infrastructure of hate from the root may be the only chance their own children have of survival.
