Mossad, the world’s most advanced intelligence agency, is in a faux pas. It was an utter intelligence failure for it, as it was caught pants down at the hands of Hamas. Though the Zionist state has pounced back with vengeance, and is out to obliterate Hamas and the Palestinians, alike, it goes without saying that Israel for the first time in history is a strategic fix. The offensive by the Gaza-based militia must have been a carefully planned artwork for months, and surely would have met with assistance from powers-that-be in the region that are anti-Jewish state. But the Zions were found sleeping on a holiday. Likewise, the manner in which Hamas fired hundreds of rockets inside Israel and intruded from sea, airborne and land routes deep into the supra-rated security conscious state is a lesson in low-profile warfare with a mighty military. With hundreds of Israeli casualties confirmed, and reports of their personnel being taken hostage, at the cost of a similar staggering death and destruction inside the occupied territories in retaliation has boiled down to one-word: Mideast in a state of war.
There is a lot of soul-searching to do in what is going on between Hamas and Israel today. The fact that Ismail Haniyeh chose Yom Kippur day, and that on the 50 anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, confirms that the resistance movement in the Arab lands is alive and kicking. The pro-Hamas reaction worldwide among the masses is another indicator that there is a wedge between the ruling strata and the man on the streets. Qatar and Afghanistan surprisingly are yelling from the pulpit in support of Palestinians, in response to the muted message of restraint from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. It clearly makes out a case that a geopolitical decision on the future of stateless Palestinians cannot be delayed anymore. With election year in the US, no amount of military pounding of Palestinians will help. Hamas’ adventure has turned the tables of diplomacy. Time for Israelis to literally seek to expiate their sins and achieve reconciliation with Palestinians. That is what Yom Kippur-2 is all about.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2023.
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