THE FRANKENSTEINS WE CREATE
The Israel-Hamas theatre of war is drawing comparisons with Frankenstein and his monster. There are many voices in Israel today that are blaming Netanyahu and his Government for the rise of Hamas. Israel’s policy of ignoring and overlooking Hamas gave the terror group the legroom to prepare for such an audacious and horrific attack on Israel.
Analysts believe that Netanyahu’s real intent over the past few years was to keep the Palestinians divided and to halt the peace process. The attempt was to undermine President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and tolerate the Hamas. The idea was to prevent the PLA from being a legitimate player and frustrate all efforts for an independent Palestinian state.
Israel is said to have opened up discreet and informal diplomatic channels with Hamas, a terrorist organisation, via Egypt. Israel for years ignored the smuggling routes through the sea, by which the Hamas procured weapons and other military capabilities. Work permits for Gazans were increasingly increased from 8000 to 20,000 in two years. They even agreed to release many Gazan prisoners.
Placating the Hamas at best and ignoring it at worst has led Israel to pay a heavy price. The surprise attacks of 7th October 2023 aren’t an isolated case where a group has turned on the government that fed them.
The US backing for the Taliban in Afghanistan against the erstwhile USSR is perhaps the best example. The American CIA supplied Pakistan’s ISI with intelligence and technical inputs who in return trained the Mujahideen to fight against the Soviets. The US also looked the other way when many Arab dissidents and groups joined the Afghan effort both militarily and economically. The US was culpable in its encouragement of the Taliban, which sheltered extremist Islamist groups like Al-Qaeda, led by Osama Bin Laden, which in turn carried out the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US. The US then fought an almost 18-year-long war to wipe out the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban from Afghanistan. Pakistan, the US ally for decades, shielded America’s enemy №1, Osama bin Laden for years.
Closer home, we have the example of former PM Indira Gandhi. She is said to have given enough elbow room to the militant leader Bhindranwale, primarily for electoral gains against the Akalis. But by 1984, Bhindranwale had gained so much power that his orders were considered final in Punjab. Mrs Gandhi then had to launch Operation Bluestar to get rid of him. Eventually, she got targeted by the vicious circle of hate when her Sikh bodyguards assassinated her.
Many ruling systems have created terror monsters for expedient political interests. These monsters have later come back to bite their erstwhile friends. Netanyahu seems to be no exception.
