Much has been said in the media and on social networks in the past few month about the terrible events in Gaza. If anyone can see images of homes and families being made homeless and children being shelled, and not be saddened and angered, there’s something wrong with them. And so there was been an outpouring an anger against Israel’s conduct. They’re a democracy, they’re much stronger, they should behave better. That’s the general sentiment I’ve observed around the world. But locally, there’s this idea that we have a particular insight into the situation because of the Troubles and a particular right to lecture Israel because the RAF never bombed Dublin.
But anyone who thinks that is utterly naive. Let’s compare the two situations:
- Israel is a bit shorter than Ireland and at its widest point, only half as wide and has a population roughly equal to the Republic of Ireland and Belfast combined.
- The population of Gaza is roughly the same as the whole of Northern Ireland and lives in an area not much bigger than the Ards Peninsula.
- Israel main airport, it’s largest city (Tel Aviv) and its capital (Jerusalem) are within an hour’s drive of the Gaza border and within range of rocket attack.
- Mortar attacks by IRA in five-year period of 1990–1994: less than 70.
- Hamas rockets fired at Israel in 2014 so far: over 3,000.
- Civilians killed during the Troubles: 1,855.
- People killed by the Islamic militants ISIS in Iraq yesterday: 1,500.
- Membership of the IRA: about 10,000 over 30 years, no more than 2–2,500 in any given year.
- Membership of Hamas: around 10,000
- Borders of UK: Ireland, a stable, neutral government that was fighting terrorists.
- Borders of Israel: Egypt (been at war multiple times in the past 70 years), Syria (hostile and in a civil war with Islamic extremists), Jordan (vulnerable to takeover by Islamic militants), Iraq (a mess and full of Islamic extremists), Palestinian Authority (corrupt, unable to stop money getting into the hands of terrorists).
- The threat to Britain from handing over control of NI: would probably actually make Britain safer and save both money and lives.
- The threat to Israel from handing over Gaza and the West Bank: staging area for terrorists, possibility of takeover by militants, whole country in dire peril.
Really there is no comparison between the Troubles and Gaza. Fighting terrorists is inherently more difficult and costly in terms of human life in Gaza because of the population density and the ineffectiveness of the government there. Hundreds of millions of dollars, along with concrete and wiring, all intended for schools and hospitals and the good of Palestinian civilians, have been taken by Hamas and used to build their terror tunnels and fund their terror campaign. They are far better equipped than the IRA, have more civilians to hide behind, and face no effective opposition from their own people. The scale of violence is greater than anything we have experienced even at the height of the Troubles (never mind the fact that many people on social media will struggle to remember the ’94 ceasefire, let alone the really bad days of the Troubles). And the existential threat to Israel from allowing terror and chaos to prosper on its land borders is radically different to the tiny threat faced by the island nation of the UK.
Events in Iraq, Egypt, Libya and Syria in the past 11 years have fractured the Middle East. Tyrants have brought down or severely weakened, but many worse people have gained power. Asad is an evil man, but would could replace him would be even worse. Saddam was an evil man, but Iraq has been a bloodbath since he was overthrown. We can tut and wring our hands from a distance, but the people of the Middle East are the ones really suffering and Israel has the most o lose from this continuing because militant Sunni Islamic extremists would be quid happy to see Israel destroyed.
Telling Israel to play nice while it is surrounded by chaos and hostility is idiotic and irresponsible. If the world really wants to be moral, not just give lectures on morality, then it needs to confront the problem of Islamic militants in the Middle East. If they aren’t dealt with, there is no way that Israel will have the confidence to change its behaviour. And abandoning Israel would set off a far worse conflict than what we’ve seen so far. What would a cornered, isolated Israel do to protect itself? What would confident, unstopped militants do to a cornered, isolated Israel? It would be a bloodbath and quite possibly a nuclear one.
So yes, Israel has in all likelihood done some awful things, but I’m not sure what better alternatives it has if it wants to continue to exist. I hope there are alternatives and that smarter people who know more about the region and the conflict and the people can find those alternatives. But criticising without any understanding of the situation, without any sympathy for the existential threat Israel faces, without any comprehension of how radically different the conflict is to the Troubles, has little value. I can’t see why anyone in that conflict would listen to a lecture from people who think they know better but evidently don’t understand the situation at all.
(I can’t help but wonder if on some level people are associating Israel with their supporters in the American Religious Right, who aren’t exactly popular over here, particularly with younger people on social media, and in some way equating their conflict with a view of the Troubles as a Protestant–Catholic religious conflict. Or thinking along the lines of: the Orange Order are bullies, they’re sort of Protestant fundamentalists like the Religious Right who support Israel, so we don’t like Israel either.)
What the western powers really need to do, in my (decided non-expert) opinion, is deal with the threat from Islamic militants, particularly in Syria and Iraq. If Israel feels less threatened by them, then perhaps Hamas by itself would be less of a worry and there would be a real possibility for peace.
Sources
I confess that in terms of statistics I have relied heavily on Wikipedia for the statistics here. I was inspired by the following articles:
- What if the British had treated the Northern Irish like Israel treats Palestine? (Belfast Telegraph)
- The Three State Solution (Times of Israel)
- Iraq: Hell has broken out here and nobody cares (Anglican News)
- ISIS purge Christians in Iraq (Huffington Post)
- PCI Moderator calls for prayer
- Nine things you should know about Hamas (The Gospel Coalition)
- The FAQs: Persecution of Christians in Iraq (The Gospel Coalition)
Some brief thoughts for Christians
How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralysed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
Habakkuk 1:2–4 NIV
Any Christians reading this will I hope be following the terrible events in Iraq which in all likelihood will soon be almost devoid of Christians. The Palestinians and Israelis need our prayers, but so do the Christians. The violence in Israel and Gaza needs to stop, but so does the violence in Syria and Iraq. And if it stops, then perhaps peace will come to the Israelis and Palestinians too. Read the book of Habakkuk where corrupt leaders are overthrown by even worse men of violence and people cry out to God for justice and rescue. Give thanks that Jesus came in answer to that cry and pray for the day to come when he will return to bring an end to injustice and violence and deliver his people, wherever they may be found.
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
2 Thessalonians 1:3–7 NIV
Further reading
Open Doors has some helpful resources:
Other:

