The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell offered a provocative insight into the nature of Hamas this week. Speaking at the Union of the Mediterranean Forum, Borrell said that: ‘Hamas is not merely a group of individuals but an unkillable idea and ideology.’ This view is a worrying one for Israel as it seeks, in the words of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to ‘eliminate’ Hamas. But what if Borell is right that Hamas cannot be destroyed?
History suggests that seemingly invincible organisations and ideologies can indeed be defeated, often after military defeat, through thorough socio-economic and political reformations. Take Nazi Germany. While comparisons with the Third Reich are easy to reach for, when it comes to considering the future of Hamas, they are valid. The downfall of the Nazis demonstrates the power of military prowess in vanquishing deep-rooted ideologies. Allied forces, through their unyielding aerial and ground assaults, not only toppled the physical stronghold of the Nazi regime, but also set the stage for an ideological metamorphosis. This seismic shift, underpinned by the Marshall Plan’s economic ingenuity, underscores a fundamental truth: when military strategy is skilfully married with political and economic foresight, even the most formidable ideologies can be unraveled.
Those who say that Hamas is here for good might well point to the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan
The fall of Imperial Japan and Fascist Italy also provide some encouragement; in both cases, decisive military defeats marked the end of extremist ideologies. Japan’s post-war transformation into a pacifist state and Italy’s rebirth as a republic exemplify how the strategy of overpowering ideologues through force, when blended with reconstruction efforts, can indeed redefine a nation’s ideological course.
Those who say that Hamas is here for good might well point to the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, two decades after it was kicked out of power. The Taliban’s refusal to die appears to superficially challenge the idea that entrenched ideologies can be decisively defeated. Yet this situation reveals a missed element: deep societal and economic reform. Unlike the Axis powers, which underwent transformative post-war changes, Afghanistan saw no such comprehensive overhaul. The Taliban could be defeated on the battlefield, but without the vacuum being filled by something more attractive, its return was inevitable.
Something similar could happen if Gaza, much of which has been destroyed or severely damaged by Israeli bombardment, is left to languish once Israel considers its military objectives to have been completed. The military defeat of Hamas must be definitive enough to prevent Hamas from claiming illusory victories amidst the ruins of Gaza and its people’s tragedy. But in order to prevent that happened, Gaza must be rebuilt – and those who live there offered hope of a better future.
Discussions have already commenced regarding the ambitious reconstruction of Gaza, a venture estimated to command an eye-watering sum of up to $50 billion (£40 billion), most of it is expected to come from the Arab rich countries. But this rebuilding package – and indeed any aid to the Palestinian people – must be linked to political and cultural reforms to ensure that a corruption-free, peace-committed political authority emerges from the ruins. Israel, too, must change in its attitude towards a two-state solution. It should do more to make this a possibility. By doing so it can offer hope to Palestinians who might otherwise be attracted by the siren call of Hamas.
History serves as a testament to the fact that the seemingly indomitable fortress of rigid ideologies can indeed be conquered. Hamas need not be here forever – but whether it can be killed off will depend on what happens when the latest war between Israel and Gaza finally ends.
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