Although Mr Barak strongly supports a ground campaign in Gaza, he is critical of talk of “destroying Hamas” by Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, as well as ministers in his government and some generals. “What does it even mean?” he says. “That no-one can still breathe and believe in Hamas’s ideology? That’s not a believable war aim. Israel’s objective now has to be clearer. It has to be that Hamas will be denied its Daesh-like military capabilities,” he says, referring to the Arabic term for Islamic State.

https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/15/ehud-barak-blames-binyamin-netanyahu-for-the-greatest-failure-in-israels-history

This kind of rational thinking is preferable to the ideologues ranting on the sidelines. Hamas is not going to stop, and Israel is not going to stop. But can we find a realistic place to at least halt?

In terms of jurisprudence, isn’t the right course of action to isolate the perpetrators of the deed, and hold them accountable? In other words, please limit the scope to Hamas – not all Islam, or a speculated backer, such as Iran. That reeks of Imperialism. But is indeed right to accept Hamas’ claim of responsibility, and deal with them responsiblity.

Which does not mean, as Barak so wisely points out, that the goal is to wipe out everything and anything like Hamas. Try to understand: Hamas is one military instrument, which represents a broader socio-political interest. To disable the military instrument is a rational goal. To eradicate the society behind the fear, hatred, and blame, is not.

In law, we deal with what it. Murder is illegal, and we make a law against it. Yet it never stops. More laws against murder do not lessen it. We must seek a much more intelligent solution to a much deeper problem – and that will be eternal, has been eternal already. But in the meantime, we follow step: 1) determine the murderer, using just means 2) try the murderer, by such means as is publicly, universally supported (not closed military tribunal) and 3) mete punishment, hopefully NOT as retribution – because you can never undo crime, and, punishment with rage will only perpetuate the desire to kill. These are now facts, with ample evidence in Sociology and Criminology. The punishment should instead be “restitutional” – need to restore the balance of good and evil, such that good prevails. Thus, for Hamas we must 1) be diligent in ascertaining Hamas’ guilt. This would not be the first time a rebel group claimed a rebel action, just for attention. Law is a tedious thing. 2) Submit to a world tribunal, not to a stacked Israeli jury. If indeed these are war crimes or humanitarian crimes, they should withstand the scrutiny of a higher court 3) Seizing Hamas’ assets, and redirecting those to repair of the damage they caused, would be actually useful, and just.

Mr Barak advises the government not to rush a ground operation. “We’re not facing an existential threat from Hamas,” he says. “Israel will win this.” Once all the reservists who have been called up have undergone refresher training, Israel can take control of most of the Gaza Strip and destroy Hamas’s centres of power and military capabilities “in two to six weeks.”

Ibid.

This is painfully evident to me. Hamas is like a tiny insect compared to Israel, backed by the US. Indeed, the nature of terrorism is implicitly that of the “underdog”. Hamas does not expect to “beat” Israel. This was a “terrorist” act – to cause terror amongst the innocents.

Israel has acknowledged that Hamas took more than 120 civilians and soldiers hostage. Mr Barak thinks that a ground operation should be delayed if an agreement can be reached to release some of them.

Ibid.

Give the man a cigar. In contrast, a hasty ground operation WILL result in daily, televised executions of hostages – young children and babies. And that will go on Netanyahu’s head, even though he doesn’t seem to get that.

He also wants Israel to ensure that its actions are seen as legitimate by the wider world. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack most Western governments offered Israel their full support. But “the support also comes with an expectation we abide by international law in our operations,” Mr Barak warns. “Support will erode when there is footage of ruined homes [in Gaza] with bodies of children and weeping old women.”

Ibid.

And there is a reason he warns Netanyahu of this – the track record under his rule is NOT seen as legitimate by the wider world – not even the wider Jewish world. EVERYONE KNOWS the underlying Zionist bent of this guy, and his party, and it leaves a bad taste in our mouths. The world does not agree that Israel should get/take everything it hungers for. Right? The solution, with which I agree, is going to be hard for the big ugly ego of Netanyahu to swallow:

Mr Barak believes that the optimal outcome, once Hamas’s military capabilities have been sufficiently degraded, is the re-establishment of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. The authority, which was established under the Oslo Accords and runs the autonomous parts of the West Bank, was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in a bloody coup in 2007. However he warns that Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, “cannot be seen to be returning on Israeli bayonets”. There will, therefore, need to be an interim period during which “Israel will capitulate to international pressure and hand Gaza over to an Arab peacekeeping force, which could include members such as Egypt, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. They would secure the area until the Palestinian Authority could take control.”