By Keith Newman
I was once an optimistic young man who believed that one day the world would find peace. There was no doubt in my mind that society would quickly evolve, and logic would rule the day. I even imagined that the future held the promise of a nuclear free world. Over the years, I developed a greater understanding of global affairs, and the dreams of my youth gave way to a more realistic view that most assuredly will not have as pleasant an ending.
As we approach the final three months of 2023, the world is faced with a second major conflict to contend with. The stakes are high as fear spreads around the world and people begin to choose sides, often without knowing the facts. We now have a deeper understanding of how misinformation can distort reality, encouraging people to make decisions that oftentimes may not be in their best interests. Or, in some cases, it can create an enemy that does not exist.
While we are still in the beginning stages of this conflict, it would not be unrealistic to assume that the fighting is going to intensify and it’s possible that other countries may be involved. We now must face the reality that this brutal attack by Hamas may very well have ignited a world war that we never imagined would happen. The U.S. now finds itself embroiled in two major conflicts in different parts of the world and
While this attack began on the anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, we do not know if that played any part in the start of this conflict. We do know, however, that Iran is involved and the likely source for the weapons currently being used against Israel. It’s also fair to speculate that Putin may have been involved, encouraging Iran, and supplying them with weapons that may have been confiscated on the battlefields in Ukraine.
It makes sense when you consider that Putin is running out of options. He has been frustrated since the war in Ukraine began by his inability to launch a successful invasion. The United States and NATO have armed Ukraine and supported their fight against Russian expansion, and it’s been mostly successful. By forcing the U.S. and NATO to fight and fund wars on two separate fronts, he could try to take the focus off Ukraine and place it squarely in another part of the world.
It would also be foolish to not consider the possibility that the peace agreement being negotiated between Israel and Saudi Arabia may have been a contributing factor in Hamas’ decision to launch an attack now. Negotiations between the two countries have been ongoing for some time and recent reports indicated that significant progress was being made. A Saudi official even visited Ramallah for the first time ever back in September. The deal was a good one for all the parties involved as Saudi Arabia and Israel would normalize relations and make it easier for people to travel between the two countries, Saudi Arabia would acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and the Palestinian people would get their own land.
To the average person, that would appear to be a great deal for everyone involved. But Hamas is not your average political organization. From its inception, Hamas has one stated goal, the destruction of Israel. That is the very essence of its existence. For Saudi Arabia to sign a peace deal with Israel would effectively eliminate that possibility. Iran harbors similar feelings for Israel and the possibility that they could decide to dip into their substantial nuclear arsenal is very real.
Hoping that it will act as a deterrent, the U.S. currently has a carrier strike group, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford, is currently headed to the Mediterranean. Whether that will be a successful strategy or not remains to be seen but it does signal that the U.S. is prepared to join the conflict if necessary. In the not-too-distant future, it is likely that forces from additional NATO countries will join them in an act of solidarity.
In the coming days, talk of blaming Israel is going to increase. Already, there has been violence in this country associated with the attack and there are sure to be many more incidents in the days ahead. In a nation that has seen a sharp increase in antisemitism these past few years, that is a scary prospect. The Jewish community in America is already on edge with attacks occurring regularly. In 2022, these hate crimes were up 37% from the previous year. In Illinois alone, there was an increase of 128% from 2021 and this year the numbers have been even higher. Those numbers should not be acceptable to anyone.
Others have claimed that the Biden administration is to blame for this as a result of giving billions of dollars to the Iranian government. That is not true and just another example of how misinformation can influence one’s opinions. While it’s true that they received access to previously frozen bank accounts, they didn’t receive any money. Those funds may only be used for humanitarian purposes and must be paid directly to third party vendors who will supply necessaries such as food and medicine to the Iranian people. The Iranian government has no other access to these funds.
While much of what we now know is speculation, we do know for sure is that Hamas has only one stated goal, the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. The attack, which caught the world by surprise, was especially brutal and barbaric in nature. Hundreds of innocent Israelis were slaughtered, many of them women and children, while dozens of others were taken hostage. When taking their small population into account, this attack is the equivalent of seven 9/11’s. The carnage is unimaginable and every family in Israel has either lost someone or knows a family who has lost someone. It is a small country that has endured much but they are a resilient people, and they will ultimately prevail.
The Warwick Dispatch will continue to keep you informed as the facts become available. In the meantime, we pray for the innocent victims of this horrific terrorist attack, and we hope that all sides will be able to come together and resolve this conflict peacefully.
