It is convenient to think that by killing the head of the snake with fire and fury, the gophers will leave the garden alone. Recent history in the Middle East has shown that scenario to not only be false, but instead, the gophers reemerge more emboldened and there are holes everywhere in the garden. Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon formed in the context of neglected soil of unstable governments. In the absence of a functional formal justice system, a loyal police force and military capable of defending borders, these political factions, backed by Iran and further enriched through illicit activities, stain the image of what otherwise are beautiful nations filled with peaceful people.
Israel and the West claim that Islamist extremism is the root cause of the problem. While ISIS and Alqueda are recent reminders of extremist sects, fewer may recall Hezbollah’s hijacking of TWA Flight 847 and bombing of the American embassy a few decades ago. Shia Islam, a 10% minority of the Islamic faithful, conveniently attributes the power of divine prophecy to a line of descendants of Ali, opening faith-backed political opportunities for strongman leaders. Moreover, it goes beyond the text of the Qur'an preaching the necessity of self sacrifice against the oppressor in the form of jihad.
This populist-like prophecy is a powerful recruitment tool for young men who want to fight back. Impoverished and feeling like they have a foot on their neck from Israel and its western backers, they are standing up to the man in alignment to what the preacher says God says they should do. It’s an easy trap to fall into, and isn’t far off from what the Trump supporters like the Proud Boys believe.
This minority “extremism” seized power from the weak central governments of Palestine and Lebanon, and leads Israel to determine that snake and gopher killing a la whack-a-mole is justified. However, Hezbollah and Hamas loyalists will not simply go away. The poverty, lawlessness and lack of dignity from Israel and the international community will continue to drive disenfranchised men to fight. Israel and the West must awaken to this reality, as the US did in Afghanistan and Iraq. Destroying nations is far easier than rebuilding them.
The nation rebuilding guidebook is short on recent examples, but Israel itself serves as the perfect example. Recognition of the Israeli peoples’ suffrage and dignity after WWII laid the foundation to establish and bolster Israel as a modern nation. Palestine and Lebanon must soon form a broad coalition of representatives, including the diaspora, to reestablish a sovereign leadership team that can affirm a rule of law, facilitate food aid, hold elections and establish a security presence. The international community must then formulate a plan to finance and rebuild the devastation to schools, hospitals, homes and entrepreneurs. The United States has given $310 billion dollars to Israel since its inception, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Under the Marshall Plan after WWII, $150 billion in today's dollars were lent to 16 nations at very low interest rates. Resources are essential.
Beyond providing resources to rebuild and establish normalcy, if Israel and the west want lasting peace in the region, there must be dignity, recognition and respect given to the citizens of Palestine and Lebanon. Arab culture and Islam must be embraced, not demonized. Only then will the young men that Hamas and Hezbollah appeal to be willing to find an alternative to the jihad resistance.
It is convenient to think that by killing the head of the snake with fire and fury, the gophers will leave the garden alone. Recent history in the Middle East has shown that scenario to not only be false, but instead, the gophers reemerge more emboldened and there are holes everywhere in the garden.
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