First: The ‘Five Eyes’ alliance provided input to Canada on what were described as ‘credible allegations’ regarding Indian diplomats’ exchanges on a Khalistani terrorist’s murder. What it missed out on, however, was to warn a major intelligence collaborator, Israel, about a coming attack by ‘Harakah-al-Muqawamah al Islamiyyah’ (HAMAS). So, where is the credibility?
The world is already in a major mess. Humanity is having to face enormous challenges like Climate Change, pandemics, natural disasters, endemic poverty, etc., and requires to come together to combat these most urgently. It cannot be done by any one nation on its own. And, yet, people continue to be deeply mired in pursuing petty, short-term interests, often at the behest of egoistical leaders. As if it was not enough to have the ongoing Russia-Ukraine claim innumerable lives and disrupt the global economy, another act of stupidity has been unleashed by HAMAS that will inflict enormous suffering on the very people it claims to represent. The process has already begun.
Of course, there are glib political justifications provided for such acts. True, the Palestinians are suffering for no fault of their own, but the solutions offered by their leaders and, more, their sympathisers have proved worse than the problem. It was possible, with the help of the international community, to create a territory that had the Israelis and the Palestinians living together in peace. Instead, it was made a jihad against the Jews. Every such attack as took place on 7 October further encourages the Israelis to take ‘proactive’ measures. The patronage and support provided by Iran, in particular, to extremist organisations like HAMAS and Hezbollah has undermined efforts in recent years by more pragmatic ‘Muslim’ nations like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain, etc., to ‘normalise’ relations with Israel and, thereby, gain concessions for the Palestinians.
It is clear that the attack by HAMAS is a deliberate and desperate attempt to scuttle this process, despite the heavy price that will have to be paid by the ordinary people. Israel was under enormous pressure from the global community and its own people to hold back on its aggressive policies against the Palestinians. Unfortunately, after witnessing the atrocities committed against civilians by the ‘invading forces’, Israel will be given a free hand to clamp down further. The sufferings of the Palestinians, who are already living under the most difficult circumstances, will only increase further. What kind of strategy is that? “Those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.”
