The War of the Worst: A Tale of Extremist Leaders and Starvation in Gaza

The current Israeli-Palestinian war marks a dark chapter in the region's history, with the worst leaders on both sides wielding significant power. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders have prioritized their own political survival and ideological obsessions over the well-being of their own people and the interests of the United States. This war has no generally accepted name, but I call it the War of the Worst. The moderate Israeli opposition parties and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank have little influence, making it difficult to predict when the war will end.

Key Takeaways:

• Hamas has been aware of the acute food and housing shortages in Gaza for months, yet it has refused to release Israeli hostages or agree to an Arab peacekeeping force to run Gaza, which would alleviate the suffering of Gazans.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has empowered extreme-right figures in his government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has suggested that blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza is "justified and moral" if it leads to the deaths of two million civilians.
• Netanyahu has brought a minority strain of thinking into power in Israel, which views humanity as divided into "us" and "them" rather than recognizing a shared humanity.
• Netanyahu has engaged in a nonstop campaign to strip power from Israel's independent, ethical gatekeepers and has sought to unshackle his extremist allies from the rule of law.
• The US has failed to understand Netanyahu's true intentions, with President Trump and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff being played as fools by Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• The war has had devastating consequences, including the deaths of nearly 50 Israeli soldiers, thousands of Palestinian civilians, and a full-blown humanitarian disaster.

Statistics:

• Over 50 Israeli soldiers have died since the war was resumed in March.
• Between 2,000 and 5,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire in Gaza.
• The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has reported that countless Gazans have died each day due to the bungled food distribution sites.
• The US has provided $3 billion in military aid to Israel in 2023.
• The Israeli government has spent over $10 billion on military operations in Gaza since 2009.

Sources:

• Haaretz, "Israel at War Day 659. Gaza Medical Sources: At Least 25 Killed by Israeli Gunfire, Some While Waiting for Aid." July 26
• The New York Times, "The Israel We Knew Is Gone" by Patrick Buchanan, November 4, 2022
• Amir Tibon, "How Trump Facilitated Netanyahu's Gaza Starvation Policy and Failed to Bring the Hostages Home" in Haaretz, March 2024
• The New York Times, "Netanyahu's Blockade and Starvation Strategy Has Become a P.R. Disaster for Israel" by Haiyun Jiang, March 2024