Palestinianism 

Gaza is a territory of 140-square miles. As far as heritage and history go, it and the West Bank, both 'Palestinian Territories', were originally part of ancient Israel. A well-enough-known bit of history, so much so that back in the 1920s, following the First World War, the international community was prepared to see that it was recognized as a Jewish homeland, resurrecting the past to inform the future. That is, until England and France came onto the scene and magnanimously presented a major portion of the land to Jordan, for its new kingdom.

There are now 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza. When Israel pulled back all of its settlements in Gaza, leaving the strip to the Palestinians, it was hoped that some measure of peace would ensue. Instead Gaza became more lawless than ever with competing tribal interests menacing the stability and lives of most Gazans, and the ruling Fatah seemingly incapable of bringing order to the geography. And then Hamas, after its election to political office, violently overthrew the Fatah factions in Gaza, and began to administer it themselves.

A measure of peace did descend on Gaza internally, with local tribes and terror groups pacified through the force of more unified Hamas armed militias, leaving an atmosphere of inner civility as Hamas set about establishing a more orderly civil structure within the enclave. Of course, when Hamas took possession of Gaza, Israel reacted by blockading the strip. Unsurprisingly, since the group, recognized for its terrorist credentials, aspires to the destruction of the State of Israel.

It was in Israel's best interests existentially to ensure that weapons and equipment that might lead to violent hostilities directed against Israel and particularly toward its citizens, not enter Gaza, and life became orderly under Hamas in Gaza, but necessarily straitened because of the blockade. Several 'wars' have taken place between the Israel Defence Forces and Hamas; the IDF entering Gaza defensively, Hamas responding offensively, both before and after each of the entries.

Hamas is so fundamentally dedicated to defending Palestinians and preserving their rights, priorities and basic human needs that it has always used the civilian population so heavily dependent on them as human shields, to protect themselves from the defensive actions of the IDF, responding to the offensive actions of Hamas rockets and artillery fire. Hamas's signature platform is the firing of rockets from within crowded civilian habitation to draw an Israeli response directly back to that site.

The suggestibility of defiance and 'resistance' to the oppression of Israel's defence of its own population persuaded Palestinian Gazans that they must sacrifice themselves for the sake of Hamas' longevity. Their defenders, their heroes, after all. While Israel's military has always sought to protect civilian life as much as possible, it has always been Hamas's strategy to place Palestinians directly in harm's way for the propaganda effect of dead Gazans horrifying the international community eager to accept the slander Hamas characterized Israel with.

Hamas, with the estimable assistance of the international press, most of whom remain compliant and complicit in aiding the terrorist group to send the messages of helpless Palestinian civilians heartlessly slaughtered by brutal Israeli soldiers, succeeded admirably in its mission to demonize Israel and further isolate it from the world community. The United Nations did its part as well, with its Palestine mission UNRWA compliant with the storage of weapons in their facilities for the terrorists; indignant at the suggestion they were doing so.

Finally, a world that has throughout its history rejected the very tribe that brought the two most followed religions into its sphere of global monotheistic influence fluidly emanating out of Judaism, has found a solid pedestal upon which to stand its monument to Jew-hatred. "The world's longest-running form of hate has never stopped searching for the right formula", wrote Bernard-Henri Levy; and it has found that formula thanks to the roiling hatreds of the Middle East.

Not condemning Islam for its sectarian viciousness in one bloodbath after another, but Israel, for defending itself from the virulent enmity of Arabs and Muslims. "Palestinian Arabs have assumed the status of iconic, transcendental victims, as the Jews did for a brief period after World War II, and as Israel did until 1967", commented Ben Cohen, another writer, speaking of the newest social movement given the name of "Palestinianism" ideology.

And as the Middle East convulses in bloodshed and savagery, the focus is on the millions of refugees desperately attempting to escape the carnage, earning the compassion of the world community which condemns, without too much passion expended in the doing, the Salafist purity of an Islam that has returned to its roots of divine conquest and aspirational world domination through jihad. But it is Israel that stands out as the world's classic centre dedicated to inspiring conflict.

Even as it struggles to confront the reality that its neighbours, all of whom in greater or lesser degree conspire to annihilate it as the world looks on complacently, while continuing to damn it for the insolence of its existence, enlisting one another in the indecency of slander, isolation and boycott.