The Middle East Lives by Its Own Laws

The acts of terrorism by Hamas in Israel and the Jewish state's counterstrike in Gaza have polarized the world. Increasingly, actions are being taken in Europe and the U.S. by both Palestinian and Israeli supporters that do not fit within the usual list of Western values. Masks have fallen, and on one hand, demonstrations demanding the destruction of the Jewish state, and on the other, those ignoring the suffering of Palestinian civilians, reveal just how thin the cultural layer of our current globalized world is and how much hatred is hidden beneath the undercurrents of societies dulled by hate speech laws.

The shootings and rocket strikes are accompanied by information operations, where parties go to great lengths to escalate emotions in order to find vocal supporters for themselves. The accusation of genocide by the Israeli army following a hospital explosion a few days ago has since subsided into confused equivocations by Hamas and Gaza officials. Therefore, we should be cautious in passing judgment until the situation is unequivocally clear.

However, I would like to ask those who, like Greta Thunberg, wish to throw Israel in the trash and praise Iran for its ongoing support of Hamas and Hezbollah, are you really aware of the laws by which those states you are cheering for in pressuring Israel live by?

On September 16th of last year, young Mahsa Amini, 22, died in a Tehran hospital after being detained by the morality police for not wearing a hijab, a headscarf, as required by Iranian laws. Witnesses claim the girl was beaten and mocked in the police van. The morality police insist that the liberal young woman died of natural causes due to heart failure.

A few days ago, two female journalists, Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, who reported on Amini's fate, were convicted of cooperating with the United States, conspiring against national security, and propaganda against the Islamic Republic. The Tehran court sentenced the women to six and seven years in prison, respectively. This is the policy of the Middle Eastern countries surrounding Israel and of Hamas governing Gaza, and that is why I find it difficult to understand those young women who come out on the streets in Europe and the U.S., demanding attacks on Israel and the destruction of the Jewish state. Do they wish for Israel, the country in the region most adhering to the principles of the rule of law, to also become an area recognizing Sharia law? Perhaps the aim of these spirited young women is for morality police to start monitoring women's attire in Europe as well? However, I don't believe this to be the case.

That is why I recommend carefully researching the values represented and the judgments supported before rushing to demonstrations. All efforts should be aimed at resolving the conflict, not fanning the flames and inciting revenge. Of course, it is difficult to preserve one’s humanity in the light of war, but at the very least, one must try.

Vsevolod Jürgenson