This commentary is by Philip Finkelstein of Charlotte, a technical writer and business analyst. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of British Columbia and has been a blog contributor for Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has its origins more than a century ago and since then there has been a continual dispute over territory and way of life. Both actors hold their claims to be definitively true, making room for negotiation and resolution a difficult enterprise (maybe this rings some bells regarding the partisan divide in the U.S.?).
The conflict has gone through numerous phases, with times of both limited peace and physical violence. In recent weeks, the world saw the situation escalate dramatically to what can unequivocally be classified as the latter, and it seems everyone has something to say about this uptick in hostilities — but few have any clue what they’re talking about.
If you got your information on this subject from a late-night talk show host (or either of the mainstream media echo chambers, for that matter) and then felt the inspiration to post a meme on social media, just know that you mostly likely missed the finer points and that this form of lazy and ignorant political activism is doing more harm than good.
The radical polarization and vehement hate we all find so abhorrent between Israel and Palestine are the same forces at play here at home. Gone are the days of having a healthy supply of moderate politicians. Gone are the days of finding common ground. Gone are the days in which constructive and pragmatic thinkers hold higher esteem than fearmongers and extremists. Gone are the days of objectivity and truth.
Am I talking about Israel-Palestine or the U.S.? I hope the irony is not lost on you.
To be clear, drawing this parallel is not to say that these two situations should be viewed on the same footing, and it’s certainly not intended to downplay the current violence in Israel-Palestine; one is the result of religious and doctrinal schism fostered over millennium (much harder to resolve), while the other is the result of social media, disingenuous reporting, and cheap populist political strategy. Nevertheless, the crux of the issue, for either matter, is that of dogmatic and tribalistic ideology.
In America today, the pro-Palestinian movement is stronger than ever, not because people suddenly read up on the subject, but because it has become fashionable on the political left to espouse such beliefs, in no small part due to the fact that ex-president Donald Trump was such a strong proponent of Israel. This tribal virtue signaling is indicative of the polarized times, where one feels obliged to oppose the other side on every issue, regardless of reason.
You clearly see it on the political right, too, with congressmen and ordinary citizens alike literally denying and whitewashing the Jan. 6 insurrection, while continuing to blindly follow their dethroned demagogue for the sake of ostensible party (or tribal) cohesion.
The truth does not matter. Facts do not matter. The country as a whole — irrelevant. No, now it’s all about feelings, likes and followers, and party before country.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict transcends borders, making the situation a little more complicated, but, similarly, radical polarization on both sides has left no room for diplomacy. Just as Democrats and Republicans can’t bring themselves to agree on anything, Israeli and Palestinian leadership push narratives of complete contradiction and operate on extreme ends of the political spectrum.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Zionist settlement strategy he embraces is provocation worthy of criticism. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the anti-Semitism he cradles is repugnance deserving admonishment. This is called fanaticism and all sides are guilty of it — Israelis, Palestinians, Republicans, Democrats.
Rather than demonizing our enemies, a constructive, moderate agenda should be pursued. If we want peace between Israel and Palestine, the U.S. should thus lead by example and work toward moderatism within our own populace and government. In Israel-Palestine, both leaders are using the current conflict to bolster their own political agendas and deflect election tensions (again, sound familiar?). The recent Israel-Gaza cease-fire is indeed welcome news, but make no mistake — it’s nothing more than a bandage on a festering wound.
So, to all those protesting and posting their support for Palestine, understand that Palestinians, and more specifically the people of Gaza, are under tyrannical rule — not purely by the so-called oppressor Israel but by their own leaders.
The Hamas administration in Gaza puts the fanaticism of the others to shame, creating an environment in which Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy is likely impossible. Support for Hamas within Gaza needs to be stymied for the sake of the Palestinians suffering there, but this will never happen while Hamas continues to elude unambiguous condemnation.
Fully blaming the conflict on Israel for its unwillingness to constructively negotiate with Hamas, and in effect Palestine, while we ourselves aren’t even capable of looking across the aisle is the irony I speak of. Not only is this hypocrisy a bad look, it’s fueling an actual war abroad and a culture war at home.
