CommentaryPeter JenningsHostage executions must pull focus back...

CommentaryPeter Jennings
Hostage executions must pull focus back to Hamas evil5 hours ago


Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov and Almog Sarusi.Hamas terrorists killed six hostages in a tunnel deep under Rafah, southern Gaza, minutes before the Israel Defence Forces might have rescued them. One can only imagine the torment these people suffered across 11 months of captivity. This is a new inflection point in the war where we learn that Hamas will not stop fighting or trying to wipe out Israel and the Jews. The depth of hatred in Hamas ideology is frightening. This organisation thinks like al-Qa’ida and Islamic State but has persuaded the “progressive” West it is a welfare organisation. Even more than the captives Hamas seized from Israel, the terror organisation jails 590,000 Gazans.


These people are imprisoned not just by their geography but, more dangerously, they are manipulated by brainwashing, teaching toddlers how to kill Jews and mothers to wish for their children’s martyrdom.A street-level network of intelligence gatherers and thuggish enforcers makes sure an anti-Hamas resistance movement cannot form. One searches in vain for signs of Gazans turning their anger on Hamas at any point in the past 11 months. Rage at Hamas stealing aid, for example, will quickly be quashed by Hamas internal security. theaustralian.com.au03:09Hamas releases video Israeli hostageUP NEXTOutrage has risen in Israel over the failure to bring more hostages home from Gaza.


The organisation’s political control of Gaza remains total. Contrast that with resistance against the Taliban in Afghanistan, which is widespread and growing, or the Iraqi Sunni-led defeat of Islamic State, or popular protest against Iran’s mullahs.Hamas’s continued success is based on brutal coercion of Gazans; brainwashing the population through schools and media that fuels hatred of Jews. Iranian money and training cements Hamas control.The result is a religious and political world view shaped by pure hate. It is deeply entrenched among Gazans, as numerous opinion polls have shown since Hamas was elected in 2006. There is an uncomfortable truth here: Hamas is successful because it is overwhelmingly supported by Gazans. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar may meet his end killed by his own people.


But that hasn’t happened yet. If it were just a matter of destroying the five Al-Qassam military brigades, Israel would have won this conflict. The bigger challenge is to break Hamas away from its popular support base. There are no signs to say this is happening.In practical terms I see five main outcomes resulting from the tragic discovery of the six murdered hostages. First, Israel has no option other than to continue operations to destroy Hamas military, intelligence and political networks. Any let-up allows Hamas to emerge from the tunnels to resume its control of Gaza. And have no doubt that Hamas would unleash another October 7 at any opportunity.Second, Israel needs a strategy to start building a political force in Gaza that doesn’t have the destruction of Jews as its core philosophy.


This is a multi-decade project, so it’s best to get started. Benjamin NetanyahuIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should make the case in Washington and other capitals that the West needs to be part of this reshaping exercise. If there is substance to Anthony Albanese’s agonised admission that Hamas is “not something that should not be taken seriously”, then our Prime Minister could play a role by telling young protesters that supporting a jihadist death cult is stupid, un-Australian and career-limiting.

A third point is that international calls for a truce are damaging. A truce now would leave Hamas in charge, able to rebuild using UN money, and still brutalising Gazans


.Fourth, for all of the domestic political theatre coming from Kamala Harris, Keir Starmer and the Albanese government, our shared interest is that Israel prevails over Hamas. The conflict in Gaza is a case study in how supposedly intelligent governments can let ideology damage the national interest. Left-leaning politicians may hope never to lose a vote by calling for peace, but pressure on Israel just prolongs the war, and the type of peace that emerges matters profoundly.Finally, Hamas wins by avoiding defeat and Iran wins if Hamas wins.

Tehran’s ambition to dominate the Middle East including with nuclear weapons is the big strategic risk. If you doubt that, check the location of America’s aircraft carrier battle groups.What a pity our democracies have lost the capacity to talk about strategy with their own populations. This is a gap our enemies try to widen and exploit. Three weeks ago, ASIO head Mike Burgess told the ABC Insiders program that if people had “just rhetorical support” for Hamas but did not support the ideology or extremism “then we don’t have a problem” with them coming to Australia.Anthony Albanese and Mike Burgess speak during a press conference at Parliament House.

This week Burgess claimed “people have chosen to distort what I said”, and said: “If you think Hamas and what they did on the 7th of October is OK, I can tell you that is not OK, and from an ASIO security assessment point of view, you will not pass muster.”That’s a better line – a shame it is three weeks too late. But what about those protesters on our streets? Many think Hamas is OK.Nothing rubs the mystique off our overstretched intelligence services faster than an agency head making too many media appearances. Burgess can be assured the Prime Minister, once keen to push him into the media, will drop him faster than a hot falafel if the political need arises.Albanese remains where he has been since the Hamas attack: unwilling to clearly support Australia’s allies or condemn our enemies. Tongue-tied and locked in his own policy muddles, the Prime Minister is failing to lead on an issue with big domestic and international security implications.Government rhetoric attacks Israel at every point, comforting Hamas. This sustains the war, making it harder to achieve the outcome we need.