The Answers to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The calculus has forever changed on Oct 7, 2023. Following Hamas' atrocious attacks on innocent Israeli citizens, the time for real change has arrived. It is no longer tenable to kick the can down the road for a later generation to deal with. The current situation is an existential threat that must be addressed now. So, how do we do so?

First, we must disabuse ourselves of the notion that the 'normal Palestinian' desires peace, and that it is just the pesky minority extremist element of Hamas that is the problem. Polling conducted in both Gaza and the West Bank shows that most Palestinians support Hamas and their actions, though no polling is necessary to come to this conclusion. All one must do is view videos of the reactions of Palestinians as Hamas members return from their barbarous raids, sometimes while parading around innocent hostages.

So, how does one deal with an intractable neighboring statelet that is absolutely resolved on the destruction of the state of Israel, from the river to the sea?

Finding a historical parallel from which to draw a solution can be challenging. One might think of the UK and the IRA, or the United States and Al-Qaeda, but these examples differ in ways so fundamental that they render the comparison meaningless.

The closest parallel might be that between Israel and Hezbollah, to the North. Like Hamas, Hezbollah is a non-state actor with significant military capabilities (bolstered by Iran). The 2006 Lebanon War saw Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel, which led to a significant Israeli military response. This earlier conflict mirrors the Israel-Hamas situation in several ways, including the challenges of a non-state actor using asymmetric warfare tactics and the regional and international implications of such conflicts.

I believe that a key element to the long-term success of destroying Hamas and ensuring that Gaza is demilitarized would be for a trusted, neutral third party to administer Gaza until such time as a non-extremist local government can be instituted.

This would be an unprecedented mantle of responsibility for a nation to assume, and clearly one fraught with serious risks. So, why would any nation want to undertake such a colossal undertaking?

Opportunity. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a nation to enter the world stage as a leader and majorly shift the perception of their nation among the nations of the world. So, which nations might be in positions such as to be able to take advantage of such an opportunity? An obvious example might be Norway, which, with the Oslo Accords, has a history of participating as a partner for peace in the Middle East. But I think that a more unorthodox solution is called for here, which is the intervention of a nation like India.

India has traditionally maintained a non-aligned stance in international politics and has been known for its independent foreign policy. Unlike Finland, which has a lot of experience in international diplomacy, India's experience has been more regional, such as dealing with the Kashmir issue. In the Middle East, India is generally viewed positively due to its historical support for the Palestinian cause and its relatively balanced approach towards Arab-Israeli issues.

Prime Minister Modi is an ambitious man, and a nationalist to his core. Taking such action, under his direction, would elevate India (perhaps soon to be known as "Bharat") on the global stage to heights previously unknown. If the overall mission is successful and the stewardship leads to an eventual un-radicalized Palestinian state, the gain in political capital and influence would be incalculable for India.

It is for these reasons that I think it is past time to proceed with a new and bold solution as we find ourselves in uncharted new territory.

There's one unassailable truism that is now at the forefront of every Israeli's mind, which is that Hamas was successful in permanently changing the rules of the game, and what happens next in large part depends on how they continue to proceed from here.