Age-old disputes must not deter quest for peace

Israel’s fighting force has tripled with the mobilisation of 360,000 reservists. More than half a million fighting men and women is enough for a formidable offence, defence and internal security forces. The new unity government has committed to erasing Hamas, and we will soon see how this will unfold.

Gaza close to hell on earth

It’s impossible not to sympathise with the 2.3 million Palestinians – nearly half of whom are children – crammed into Gaza. The UN estimates 340,000 of them have been displaced since Israeli airstrikes began. More than 200,000 are crowded into UN schools.

The Gaza Strip, like the West Bank, was not included in the territory claimed by Israel in 1948. Rather, it was seized following Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War of 1967, which is why Palestinians view it as occupied territory.

The land, sea and air blockade imposed on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas took control made life bleak. On Monday, two days after the Hamas attack, Israel announced it was cutting all essential supplies into Gaza. It must now be close to hell on earth.

However, one historical wrong piled upon another does not make a right. Hamas is a terrorist organisation, and should not be allowed to exist. As US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after arriving in Israel this week: “Anyone who wants peace and justice must condemn Hamas’s reign of terror.”

Australia has, and must continue to, stand with Israel and its people at this time of profound national tragedy.

Co-existence remains the only answer

In recent decades our country has benefited greatly from the contribution of the Jewish community. From incredible life stories such as that of Frank Lowy, who fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and went on to found the mighty Westfield empire, to innumerable other quiet achievers, there are many who have done much to help this country prosper.

But it is difficult for us to walk in an Israeli’s shoes. We are an island nation that most others regard benignly. How would we act if a neighbouring people were bent on removing us through death and terror?

In 1917, when the then British foreign secretary Arthur James Balfour, expressed support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” in what would become known as the Balfour Declaration, he also stated that “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine”.

More than a century on, the goal of peaceful co-existence seems more remote than it has for many years, but it is still valid. Jews and Palestinians who regard the region as their home are equally entitled to have their goals and aspirations taken into account.

The horrific attacks of last Saturday are a terrible new marker in Jewish history. How the next few days and weeks play out will determine if the prospect of a grand pact between Israel and its neighbours is put back years or generations. Progress, however slow and elusive, must remain the goal.