Former President Barack Obama has reiterated his stance that Israel has a right to defend itself but warns that “any military strategy that ignores” the loss of civilian lives in Gaza could backfire for Israel and its allies.
In a new Oct. 23 post shared on Medium, his second since the start of the conflict, President Obama called the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the terrorist group Hamas “horrific,” and applauded America’s stance of rightly declaring “solidarity with the Israeli people.”
President Obama says Israel has “a right to defend its citizens against such wanton violence,” he fully supports going after Hamas and “dismantling its military capabilities,” while also demanding that Hamas safely return the hostages it has taken.
The former president emphasized that doing so is an “enormously difficult task,” noting that military operations “often put civilians at risk.”
Adhering to International Law Crucial for Israel’s Security
President Obama said that following international law is essential because of its morality, importance in building alliances, and shaping international opinion, all of which he says are critical for Israel’s long-term security.“The world is watching closely as events in the region unfold, and any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire,” President Obama said.
“It’s therefore important that those of us supporting Israel in its time of need encourage a strategy that can incapacitate Hamas while minimizing further civilian casualties.”
President Obama is concerned that, despite Israel’s urgent calls for Gazans to evacuate south out of harms way as it increases military operations in the north, Israel’s efforts to neutralize Hamas in Gaza could “worsen a growing humanitarian crisis,” further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode support for Israel, and undermine long-term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.
Lasting Peace Will Require Agreement Among Leaders
The former president wants the international community to continue to engage with the Palestinian leaders who recognize Israel’s “right to exist,” to search for a peaceful solution to the geopolitical territorial dispute.President Obama also called for rejecting anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiments, and not lumping in all Palestinians with Hamas or other terrorist groups, while also recognizing that Israel has every right to exist.
“In dealing with what is an extraordinarily complex situation where so many people are in pain and passions are understandably running high, all of us need to do our best to put our best values, rather than our worst fears, on display,” President Obama said.
“It means rejecting efforts to minimize the terrible tragedy that the Israeli people have just endured, as well as the morally-bankrupt suggestion that any cause can somehow justify the deliberate slaughter of innocent people.”
“Perhaps most of all, it means we should choose not to always assume the worst in those with whom we disagree,” President Obama said.
“If we care about keeping open the possibility of peace, security and dignity for future generations of Israeli and Palestinian children, as well as for our own children, then it falls upon all of us to at least make the effort to model, in our own words and actions, the kind of world we want them to inherit,” he added.
Officially known as the State of Israel, the country has existed since 1948. The groundwork for Israel was laid many years prior, though, with the Balfour Declaration, a declaration by the British government to the establishment of Palestine as a national home for the Jewish people.
Palestinians have lived in disputed territories ever since; many were displaced when Israel was formed and continue to be forcibly ejected by a settler movement.
Hamas denies Israel’s right to exist, and opposes Israeli occupation of territories it claims are part of the region it describes as Palestine. It advocates for establishing an Islamic state by any means, including violence.
