An Empathetic, Peace Seeking Response to the Israel-Hamas War

I had recently wrote a book that deconstructs the notions of reciprocal and redemptive violence (Breaking Bad Faith). So when the Israel-Hamas War broke out, I knew I had to revisit the context of the wider Israel-Palestinian conflict. The attack by Hamas on Israel was horrendous. I grieved for the families who lost loved ones and had loved ones held hostage. And for the hostages themselves. What horror. But knowing some of the background of the conflict, I also knew this attack was not random. There are decades of legitimate grievances held by Palestinians. Nothing could morally justify the Hamas attack, but could something explain it? Most media outlets were not doing comprehensive coverage on what might be behind this terrible assault.

I’m not an expert on this topic by any means. So, I sought out those who were and could bring their real-world expertise and experiences to bear to fill in the gaps. Some of this knowledge came from my new friend, Patheos blogger Kathy Shihadah, a Christian married to a Muslim from Gaza who have family living there. She has written extensively on the wider conflict and this war at Grace Colored Glasses. I also read long-time war correspondent Chris Hedges, material from B’Tselem (Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territory), listened to Palestinian Christian Daniel Bannoura’s story, peace activist Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie’s, and several other sources. What I discovered was what I didn’t know that I didn’t know about Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. And it was worse than I had previously thought.

The Horrendous Attack by Hamas and Its Impact

What I discovered of course must first be put in the context of the Hamas attack. Nothing justifies the terrifying atrocities that Hamas committed when they dehumanized, attacked, and killed 1,400 Israelis, including many women, children, and elderly. How terrible it must have been to endure that barbaric attack; how horrible it is now for the grieving families; how traumatic it is now for the over 200 hostages held by Hamas. Thank God two of the hostages have been released as of this writing. But how frustrating it is for both Israelis and Palestinians (of whom most don’t support Hamas) to put up with Hamas who refuses to renounce terror. But why? They appear to be brainwashed into believing in redemptive violence—the theory that only violence can solve their grievances. But what are those grievances?

Holding Various Views in Tension

I’m learning how important it is for us to hold multiple thoughts at the same time regarding victims and the various participants in this conflict. This helps us have empathy for all who suffer, gain understanding of root causes, and find guidance on how to respond. In that spirit, we must hold onto the thoughts above about the horrible attack by Hamas. But I suggest there are other thoughts we must also hold onto. From what I’ve learned from the sources above and my work studying retributive punishment and violence, we also must hold the following as well. Empathy for and understanding of all who suffer demand it. This is what Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie calls the “both-and” position. For example:

• Hamas is not Gaza and Gaza is not Hamas. Most Gazans are caught in the crossfire.
• What Hamas did on October 7 was not done in a vacuum.
• The history of this conflict is key to understanding it; giving historical context does in no way mean one is supporting Hamas.
• You can critique the policies of the nation state of Israel and not be antisemitic and still support Israel’s security.
• One can support Israel’s right to defend themselves and not support the methods they are using to do it.
• You can critique Hamas and still be pro-Palestinian.
• Revenge and destruction, although understandable and human, will not lead to a solution.
• Our human tendency is to scapegoat and dehumanize each other in the face of violent conflict.
• War crimes do not justify retaliatory war crimes or collective punishment.
• History teaches us that if Hamas is wiped out militarily, it will not be a long-term solution. Eventually violent, dehumanizing retaliation results in others rising up to take their place.

As far as holding these thoughts in tension, Rabbi Lau-Lavie puts it this way:

“I’m trying very hard to not lose the both-and position. But yes, I stand with Israel at this moment of hurt and will do everything I can to ensure we defend ourselves against terror. At the same time I stand with my Palestinian friends who want freedom. I abhor and decry Hamas as a terrorist organization that has hijacked the Palestinians and now 200 Israelis. It’s a both-and. And the both-and is tricky and very unpopular these days. And yet I think that is the only way to make any headway out of this mess. The humanitarian approach, knowing that face to face-and-face, eye-to-eye is the only way we’ll get through this. Not revenge. Not blaming. It’s very hard to say this in Israel right now and so I’m very careful when and how I say it. For some people it’s not only betrayal to say that I have sympathy for the Palestinians, it’s defeat.”

Impacts of Retaliatory Initiatives by Israel

The both-and is realizing that a horrendous war crime does not justify more war crimes. That is what the Israel IDF is doing right now in their reckless bombing of Gaza for the last 14 days using U.S.-supplied bombs. It is collective punishment. The latest death toll is 4,300 Palestinians and rising, with more than half of those killed (around 2,200) being women and children. If nothing can justify Hamas’ attack, then nothing can justify this.

Israel told the Palestinians in the north to flee to the south to avoid the coming ground war. But there is no safe place to go. Reports coming out of Gaza say they are still getting bombed along the way. Dense populations of people moving south only creates a humanitarian crisis. Gaza has been cut off from food, water, fuel for electricity, and humanitarian aid. Aid is now trickling in through Egypt, but so far it in no way makes up for the normal flow of supplies that came from there before the war (100 trucks a day), let alone what’s needed these last two weeks to aid the victims of the bombing and siege. The planned ground war will kill more civilians. The sick in hospitals and the medical personnel who remain to care for them are especially vulnerable. Gaza hospitals are already under tremendous strain.

What We Need to Know About the Wider Israel-Palestinian Conflict

According to sources like Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, Amnesty International, the UN, and various journalists with experience on the ground (e.g. Chris Hedges), Israel over the years has slowly created an apartheid-like system for Palestinians in military-occupied territories without giving them full rights. This includes an illegal blockade on Gaza since 2007, which has been described as an “open air prison.” What’s more, there is documented violence against Palestinians, even children. Here are some facts:

• Christian Palestinian Daniel Bannoura says it’s more accurate to call the Gaza Strip an open air concentration camp, not a prison. Why? Because the overwhelming majority of the people are innocent of crimes.
• These injustices on Gazans are just from the current war. The wider conflict with Israel and past indiscriminate bombing by the IDF in at least four previous wars has caused untold suffering for Gazans for years. The trauma on families and particularly children is heartbreaking as told in the 2014 documentary, Born in Gaza.
• Despite claims to the contrary, Palestinians have tried peaceful methods to solve the conflict. They have petitioned international courts. They have held peaceful protests like the Great March of Return in 2018. Yet they have been rebuffed and, in some cases, met with violence from Israeli soldiers. Journalist Chris Hedges and fellow journalist Joe Sacco while working in Gaza witnessed Israeli soldiers taunting small boys into throwing rocks and then shooting them.
• Daniel Bannoura recounts the many ways that his fellow Palestinians are oppressed by Israel in the West Bank: They encourage illegal settlements, block free passage of Palestinians, set up military check points, and even abduct Palestinians from time to time in the name of security.
• Chris Hedges and the Associated Press has reported that, “At least 90 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by armed settlers or the Israeli military since the Oct. 7 incursion into Israel by Hamas.”
• Hamas is the violent extremist reaction to legitimate grievances. Due to the recent siege and the long-term blockade and other injustices imposed on Palestinians, Gaza became a breeding ground for extremists.
• Kathy Shihadah explains how this has occurred over the years in her article, How to make sense of the Palestinian call for freedom and justice.

A Call for Peace Not Violent Retaliation      

As I laid out in Breaking Bad Faith, violent retribution does not work in the long run. It makes people on the other side strengthen their resolve and pushes some to take more extremist positions. This is what happened in Gaza.

As of this writing, 377 international aid agencies, Jewish Voice for Peace, the people I’m talking to on the ground in Palestine, and a growing number of people of good will are calling for an humanitarian ceasefire. We must tell Israel to stop the bombing and this ground war. And tell our own U.S. government to pressure Israel to stop. A ground war will backfire and kill and injure more innocent Palestinians and cause more trauma. President Biden has told Netanyahu that we made mistakes in places like Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. We don’t want Israel to make the same mistakes. Tell Israel to cancel the ground war and pursue a humanitarian process of negotiation.

People say “you can’t negotiate with terrorists.” True. But you can negotiate with human beings. Understand that the individuals that make up Hamas are human beings first and terrorists second. They are terrorists who have been brainwashed into believing retributive violence is the answer. How? Kathy Shihadah explains what a typical Hamas soldier is like: “We must acknowledge that each of the young Palestinian fighters [Hamas] has lived through at least four wars (2008, 2012, 2014, 2021), and this experience has shaped him. He likely grew up not just fearful and angry, but hungry, malnourished, and anxious. He likely has seen dead bodies, amputated limbs, and blood. He has likely lost loved ones and played in the shells of bombed-out houses. The violence against him has not stopped long enough for him to get PTSD. There has been no ‘post’ to his trauma.” Watch the documentary cited above, Born in Gaza, to put yourself in a Gazan’s shoes. The way to negotiate a peace is to first acknowledge the humanity of your enemy and then renounce all reciprocal violence. Only then is there hope for your enemy to do the same.

Sadly, of course this will not happen on the level of the Israeli or U.S. governments. Certainly not anytime soon. The U.S. won’t even accept a pause in the war. It was the only country to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution on October 18 that called for humanitarian pauses to allow undeterred aid into Gaza. But calls for a negotiated peace is happening with many people of good will whose goal is peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. As I asked in Breaking Bad Faith after making a case for restorative (not retributive) justice, “What brings true restoration and redemption? What suppresses evil behavior? Physical force or genuine love for humanity? Waging war or plotting peace? We all must decide.” I implore you to support plotting peace and not revenge and retaliation. As Rabbi Lau-Lavie said, “The humanitarian approach… is the only way we’ll get through this.”

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Look for upcoming podcasts on The Spiritual Brewpub of interviews currently scheduled with Kathy Shihadah, Daniel Bannouri, and hopefully Rabbi Lau-Lavie.

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Michael Camp tends the Spiritual Brewpub, which helps disillusioned or post-evangelicals uncover historical facts and insights that help them deconstruct, rethink, and rebuild a more authentic faith or philosophy of life. He is the author of Breaking Bad Faith: Exposing Myth and Violence in Popular Theology to Recover the Path of Peace. To get specific help deconstructing conservative Christianity and rebuilding healthy faith, see Michael’s Religious Deconstruction Workshop.