Every time the events of Gaza are discussed, one must not forget the magnitude of the massacre perpetrated by Israel there. An unprecedented massacre during which the Hebrew State set an extremely serious precedent as the advanced military machine pulverized civilians to compel fighters to stop rocket attacks. The world has beheld scenes it had thought would never happen or recur. Every time the events of Gaza are discussed, one must not forget that all solutions will remain temporary or incomplete as long as the long tragedy and bitter conflict do not reach an end through a just and comprehensive peace.
The Gaza tragedy wouldn't have taken place had the successive Israeli governments been serious about the peace choice. It is the absence of a will for peace that prompted Israel to foil any serious Palestinian attempt at promoting the peace option. We only have to look at how Israel dealt with a partner called Yasser Arafat, whose legitimacy as a leader shouldn't have been questioned. This is not to mention how Israel dealt with the elected Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. It is not an exaggeration to say that Israel's behavior towards Arafat and Abbas has weakened the advocates of negotiations and has spread an atmosphere of despair to the benefit of the camp opposing negotiations.
The first lesson we must derive from the Gaza tragedy is that only comprehensive and just peace can prevent such massacres from recurring. Neither military dominance nor international measures can impose a permanent ceasefire. In the absence of a just peace, there will always be a side that is seeking to fight and that will assuredly find an opportunity to do so. This has been shown by the past years experience and was confirmed by the recent Gaza events.
The parties to this conflict must draw this lesson along with the new US administration. The Arab-Israeli conflict might not be the only crucial issue in the Middle East. But ending this conflict would certainly curb the cycle of earthquakes that hit the region on the backdrop of the prevailing feelings of despair and frustration. Hence, Obama's administration must take rapid action to revive hope in a just and comprehensive peace, one that necessarily entails the establishment of a viable independent Palestinian State.
The second lesson is for Israel not to harbor the illusion that it can repeat the Gaza crushing scenario or replicate it elsewhere. Israel must not imagine that by paralyzing Hamas' ability to fire rockets, the movement will simply retire, confining itself to Gaza.
As for the third lesson, it is related to the Hamas movement and its choices in the coming phase. The movement must carry out a quiet and responsible reading of what took place - especially that the crime perpetrated by Israel exacted a heavy toll on the Gazans in terms of casualties and infrastructure. We say this because Hamas is not merely a resistance movement in Gaza but also an authority, regardless of the conditions that have turned it into an absolute authority in the Strip. This kind of power involves great responsibility and precise calculations.
After the end of the aggression and the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza, Hamas will be faced with difficult questions. Did Israel manage through its repeated aggressions to drag the Islamic movement into a confrontation at an inappropriate time for it on both the Israeli and American levels amidst Arab and Palestinian divisions? What about its future relations with the Palestinian Authority recognized by the whole world? What about the inter-Palestinian dialogue and the conditions of its success? Other questions will relate to the movement and whether it misread the balances of power and underestimated Egypt's role, among others.
Every time the events of Gaza are discussed, one must not forget who committed the massacre. And yet, to ensure that no other such massacre will recur, lessons must be drawn. This task requires first and foremost the restoration of the Palestinian house.
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