October 8 and Beyond
On the one-year anniversary of the genocidal war on Gaza, and in support of the global movement for Every Life, A Universe, I believe it is worthwhile to consider three realities:
The situation on October 6, 2023
What actually happened on October 7, and
What has been happening since that fateful day.
The following article is the third of three dedicated to analyzing the realities before, during, and after October 7th, 2023.
by Jonathan Kuttab
Right after October 7, and under the intense trauma of that day which has not yet dissipated, Israel announced a number of fateful decisions that continue to govern its behavior to this day, a full year later:
Israel announced that there were no longer any restraints or red lines for military violence. If there was ever actually any respect for rules, standards, regulations, international law, or international public opinion, these were no longer operative. In light of what happened on October 7, everything was allowed, and in fact required, to avenge that defeat and “ensure it never happens again”.
Genocidal language and actions were now the order of the day. Gaza had to be “wiped out” and leveled to the ground. They were “Amalek” (a Biblical reference to a tribe King Saul was ordered to annihilate: men, women, children, and animals, without mercy.) They were announced to be “human animals” and would be treated as such. “They” clearly referred to all Gazans, (and subsequently, others as well). Israel justified cutting off their water, food, fuel, and medical supplies. These statements and actions were carried out at the very highest level and repeated by various officials and leaders: From the Prime Minister, the President of Israel, to the Defense Minister, to journalists and pundits. Violence against Palestinians in Gaza was, and is, celebrated by some Israeli soldiers proclaiming their crimes on their social media accounts. These statements seem to accurately reflect overwhelming sentiment in Jewish Israeli society.
The important distinctions between civilian and military, combatants and non-combatants, were completely erased. This was accomplished with a variety of excuses, first ignoring Hamas’ political and civil institutions and organizations, then making the claim that Hamas was embedded in the civilian population and used their own civilians as “human shields.” These excuses continued with bogus claims that military command centers were located under hospitals, universities, mosques, and other civilian structures. By always claiming, without proof, that they have accurate intelligence information, Israel totally erased the distinction between civilian life and military targets. Preventing access by independent foreign journalists while hunting down local journalists made the message clear: Israel’s version of events was not to be challenged or fact-checked. It should be noted that detailed investigations following the 2008-2009 and 2014 conflicts by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations Human Rights Council, have failed to find a single documented case of any civilian deaths caused by Hamas using human shields.
The full power of destructive weapons and advanced technology was used against the whole population in Gaza. 2000-pound bombs were dropped in the midst of a densely-populated area, and even on tent encampments, with horrendous results. Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) programs such as Lavender were used to provide algorithms that generated a bank of hundreds of “targets” daily which could be destroyed with missiles, artillery, armed drones, quad-copters, and tanks, usually from afar. They were enhanced by such cruel A.I. programs as Daddy’s Home to ensure that whole families of “targets” would also be wiped out.
Populations were ordered to move around, leave their homes en masse, on short notice, and be crowded into smaller and smaller “safe areas” which were in turn bombed and attacked. There seemed to be no limit or restraint on the violence used. This same tactic is now being used in Lebanon. On Wednesday, October 2nd, Israel “ordered” the evacuation of 30 towns and villages in Lebanon, including villages north of the Litani River and Nabatiyyah, the 6th largest city in Lebanon. Those who refused to move were told they would be presumed to be terrorists or sympathizers and risked being shot or bombed just for staying in their homes.
Powerful friends abroad, particularly politicians and media in the United States, were enlisted to support the Israeli narrative. These powerful figures sought to prevent and fight calls for ceasefire and de-escalation, protect and provide impunity against international accountability for Israel, and label all those who tried to challenge Israel and its actions as enemies and antisemites.
Goals were announced for the military campaign, such as “total victory” and the utter destruction of Hamas and its governing structures, that were impossible to realize and that ensured that the war would continue almost indefinitely. What Israel initially announced would last a few weeks has continued for one year, and there is no end in sight. Running out of ammunition, which occurred in the first few weeks, was remedied by an apparently limitless resupply from the United States, and a commitment to continue doing so.
Worst of all, the very thought of peace and resolution of the conflict with Palestinians was removed entirely from the conversation. A full year after October 7, there is no discussion of resolving the Palestinian Question. On July 18, the Israeli Knesset overwhelmingly rejected any possibility for a future Palestinian state. No peace process, no negotiations, no vision of anything other than continuing conflict and reliance on military power alone. The issue for Israel is no longer fear of expanding the conflict, but seeking ways to ensure that it expands and escalates further. Beginning on October, 8, the current government made a fatal choice for Israel: it will live by the sword, and it may end up dying by the sword.
On October 7, I thought naively that the horrible events of that day may offer an opening for direct negotiations between Hamas and Israel, where parties could exchange hostages and prisoners and begin a genuine conversation about a lasting, just peace. I also thought that the utter collapse of the High-Tech Wall and of Israel’s “security doctrine” could lead to a re-evaluation of militarism and a move towards diplomacy, and reconciliation. I was very wrong. Instead, we saw a doubling down on military solutions, a determination to use power and more power, a rejection of all calls for ceasefire, de-escalation, and negotiations, a shrinking of the Israeli “peace camp,” and a grim, vengeful determination to use overwhelming force and force alone. The principles established by Israel on October 8 are now the principles that guide it in Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, and perhaps also Iran and elsewhere.
The saddest thing about the current situation is that all parties are now thinking only in military terms. No one is thinking of “what makes for peace,” but only about how to inflict greater pain, loss and destruction on the other side.
Those of us who care about justice and peace, who care about Palestinians, Israelis, Lebanese, and other human beings need to break out of the paradigm being imposed on us by one interpretation of October 7, and return to basic principles: Justice, fairness, human rights, international law, and seeking that which makes for peace, rather than war. We must find a way, with a commitment to active nonviolence, to maintain our hope in a better future for all, rather than despair, despondency, and surrender to the dark logic of violence and hatred.
Jonathan Kuttab, FOSNA Executive Director