A Plea for Peace at a Critical Moment for the US and the Israel-Gaza War
An antiwar perspective is just being ahead of the curve.
The ongoing war between Israel and Gaza has been a source of immense suffering for the people of the region. In the unfolding turmoil, glimmers of hope exist as pushes for peace increase. As the carnage continues, it is more important than ever to examine the situation from an antiwar lens.
The human cost of the conflict cannot be overstated. As it stands, over 70,000 Gazans are injured; over 30,000 are dead and more than 12,000 of them are children. Innocent men, women, and children have been maimed and slaughtered. The destruction of homes and infrastructure has left the survivors homeless and without access to necessities. Many minds will be traumatized, with some shattered. The toll of the conflict is immense; the people of Gaza will be ruined for generations to come.
The United States has played a notable role in this genocide, providing billions in military aid to Israel and often running cover for its actions. The US must take a more balanced approach to the conflict by working towards a resolution that respects the rights of all innocent parties involved. This appears to be the direction the Biden administration is finally going in after hoping for a ceasefire and hostage deal next week. Frankly, it’s about damn time.
Earlier this month, an AP-NORC poll discovered that half of American adults say Israel has gone too far against Gaza. This spells bad news not only for Zionists but for the Biden admin as well. As the war drags on, the more fed up with it the American people become, and the crappier Biden’s reelection odds become. However, if Biden appears sympathetic to Hamas and hostile towards Israel, the Dems risk driving voters into the arms of Donald Trump.
What a precarious predicament. The deck is thoroughly stacked against Biden unless he can pull out his own Trump card by brokering a permanent ceasefire between the warring factions before November. Is he truly up for the challenge? No, his flavor of cognitive decline has become incredibly apparent, regardless of the corporate press’s whataboutisms and other copium.
Unfortunately, Bibi and Biden have competing visions for the next steps in this war. Biden has roughly 8 months to enact it. Bibi has more time to enact his, but he’s facing his form of pressure. Even The New York Times recognizes that Biden is incentivized to end the war quickly.
The disparity in visions reflects the opposing political calendars on which the two leaders are operating. Mr. Netanyahu has a compelling interest in prolonging the war against Hamas to postpone the day of reckoning when he will face accountability for failing to prevent the Oct. 7 terrorist attack. Mr. Biden conversely has a powerful incentive to end the war as soon as possible to tamp down anger in the left wing of his party before the fall re-election campaign when he will need all the support he can get.
Despite Biden’s reassurances, Israel and Hamas played down chances of a hostage deal, so who knows what the hell is going on? The international community is coming together to call for an end to the violence in the Israel-Gaza war. South Africa took Israel to the ICJ, which ruled in favor of plausible genocide. Egypt is warning of catastrophic consequences for an Israeli attack on Rafah.
The people of Gaza deserve to live in peace and liberty, free from the fear of war and destruction. Despite the chucklefuck behavior from Hamas and Israel, the United States must take a more active role in promoting peace and finding a lasting resolution to the conflict. Only through dialogue and diplomacy can we hope to find a way forward that benefits all parties involved, and America is a world leader. If the US can’t, then it should stand down and disinvolve itself instead of tapping its tax base.
Despite the Biden admin position being a two-state solution, don’t mistake what I’ve written so far as a call for Palestinian statehood. A potential state of Palestine is not an enabler of liberty and peace, it is a destroyer of it. Statism is a dangerous proposition because of its advocacy for a monopoly on force. It’s important to stress that any form of Palestinian government must not be compulsory, but rather voluntary.
A free market will provide the lasting peace and prosperity that Gazans need to rebuild and live again. I don’t have high hopes this will happen though. It’s a difficult proposition to make outside of libertarian and conservative circles.
The conflict between Israel and Gaza is a complex issue. However, it is clear that the current situation is unsustainable and that a peaceful resolution must be found. The United States must join the international community in taking a more balanced approach to the conflict and work towards a resolution that respects the rights and needs of all parties involved or butt the hell out entirely. Only through a commitment to peace, liberty, and justice can we hope to end the suffering and build a better future for the people of the region. Thanks for reading.