The rearmament that does not frighten pacifists: Hamas

If pacifists truly cared about peace, they would have an urgent task today: to take to the streets to demand the disarmament of Hamas. Not to exonerate Israel, deny the suffering in Gaza or refrain from criticising the Israeli government. But to acknowledge a fundamental truth: there can be no peace as long as, alongside any prospect of a Palestinian government, there continues to exist an armed organisation that regards war not as an exceptional means, but as a permanent mission. Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas spokesperson, stated this unequivocally yesterday. The group accepted the Gaza agreement out of necessity, but has not changed its ‘mindset’ or its objectives. And when asked about disarmament during an interview with the British journalist Piers Morgan, he did not reply and implied that they may change tactics and methods, but not the end goal.

For Hamas, the so-called resistance remains a ‘sacred mission’ and the struggle must continue. This is where the sincerity of pacifism is put to the test. To ask only Israel to stop is to confuse a truce with peace. A truce suspends hostilities; peace eliminates the political project that seeks to retain weapons in order to start again. Without the disarmament of Hamas, every ceasefire risks becoming a mere pause, every reconstruction an opportunity to rebuild arsenals, and every embryonic Palestinian state held hostage by a militia that does not recognise the right of politics to replace violence. The disarmament of Hamas is not a concession to Israel. It is a condition for the Palestinians’ freedom. It means wresting Gaza from those who have turned the population into a human shield, the national cause into a religious war, and the future into a replica of the past. The peace rallies – or perhaps even a flotilla – should find the courage to name its most obvious obstacle. ‘Ceasefire’ is a necessary demand. ‘Disarm Hamas’ is the demand that distinguishes those who truly want peace from those who merely wish to choose who to protest against.