Image: RONEN ZVULUN/Reuters
One should not be surprised at what is happening in the Middle East. The writing has been on the wall for a long time. History taught us that oppressive regimes become more oppressive, as the resistance of the oppressed becomes more sophisticated.
We also experienced this in SA. The timing is no coincidence. The current government under Benjamin Netanyahu is the most extreme in the history of Israel. And we now live in a multipolar world in which the US no longer plays a global leadership role.
It started when Donald Trump said he no longer wanted the US to lead the world.
Hamas certainly also calculated that the US and the Western alliance are currently deeply involved in the war in Ukraine. A factor that should also be taken into consideration is that the Jewish state is anchored in a religious philosophy regarded by many as the basis for a form of apartheid.
However, the cold-blooded and targeted attack by Hamas on civilians in Israel, including foreign citizens, seriously harmed the cause of the Palestinians and the growing sympathy and support for their cause.
It also strengthened the hand of the far-right government in Tel Aviv. That, together with the strong Jewish lobby in the US and the fact that Palestinian allies in the region, among others Iran and Qatar, could also get involved, left the Biden administration little choice but to declare their strong support for Israel.
The Middle East is now a powder keg. Two wars are now raging, both with the potential to escalate with far-reaching consequences. Cool heads and strong leadership are now required, especially among the traditional allies of Israel, in order to avoid further escalation.
Dawie Jacobs, Sterrewag, Pretoria