As a modest contribution to a better understanding of the thinking and practices of the Israeli state, past and present, I recommend a very useful and short book that I read more than 40 years ago. It was written by Livia Rokach, the daughter of Israel Rokach who was the Israeli Interior Minister in the government of Moshe Sharett, the latter being the second prime minister of the new state (1953-1955). She translated and published her fathers diaries, as well as parts of Sharetts diaries, both of which give us insights into the private elite thinking, planning and actions of main actors in the Israeli state vis-a-vis its neighboring countries in the 1950s (and vis-s-vis the U.S. and European powers) (see https://ia804501.us.archive.org/17/items/sacred-terrorism/Sacred-Terrorism.pdf).
The resonance and parallels between Israeli leadership thinking and actions in the 1950s (as explained by Rokach) and in the 21st century with regard to the states and peoples of Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, Gaza and Egypt (and, by extension, Iraq, Yemen and Iran) are instructive. There are considerable continuities across time and space: aggressive and domineering (supremicist?) thinking and behavior; an expansionist impulse; a sociopathic and homicidal (genocidal?) animus towards Arabs, especially Palestinians. It was all there in the 1940s and 1950s, as Rokach tells us, and its all there now, as we witness on a daily basis.
Israel certainly didnt need Hamas to induce such thinking and behavior. In fact, the Hamas movement wasnt formally inaugurated until late 1987, almost two generations after the establishment of the state of Israel. Reading historical accounts of the conflict teaches us that only the bugaboo changes (e.g. Nasser, the PLO, Saddam Hussein, Hizballah, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran, etc.)—the Israeli modus operandi is more or less a constant--maximal violence and aggression with little to no regard for the sanctity of the lives of civilian non-combatants.
The Israeli state was ushered in and made possible by the intial displacement of the majority of Mandate Palestines Arab population during 1947-1949 (on these events, see Ilan Pappes book based in large part on official Israeli archival sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ethnic_Cleansing_of_Palestine). It behooves us to remember that about two-thirds of Gazas population are themselves refugees from Madate Palestine or the offspring of those refugees. No disconinuities there either.
Regards,
Salem
________________________________
From: Martin Wasserman
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 10:23 PM
To: Aram James
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Subject: Re: Famine Expert: Israels Starvation of Gaza Most Minutely Designed and Controlled Since WWII
The bias of the author is evident in the fact that the entire article mentions Hamas only once, in passing. Hamas could end the suffering tomorrow just by laying down their arms and releasing the hostages. But they care more about scoring propaganda points against Israel than about saving the lives of their own people.
Martin Wasserman
On Jul 22, 2025, at 3:08 PM, Aram James wrote:
Famine Expert: Israels Starvation of Gaza Most Minutely Designed and Controlled Since WWII
Famine Expert: Israels Starvation of Gaza Most Minutely Designed and Controlled Since WWII | Common Dreams https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.commondreams.org%2fnews%2ffamine-expert-israel-s-starvation-of-gaza-most-minutely-designed-and-controlled-since-wwii&c=E,1,xk3hrVSXbB8LIMnBNSCBe6czYdvigvVnkmGRnB-BF2fZ11mdujnScRMSRqC1urShceii3TuipRreJe35StNKW1UaMtc3CK8vUq4rox8aYQ,,&typo=1