Doling out blame for the Israel-Palestine conflict is complicated

It is an understatement to say the current situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip is horrifying. Let me be clear: the primary evil actor in this situation is Hamas, a terrorist organization that strives to murder civilians and hopes to spread its radical form of governance throughout Israel and beyond. I also want to make clear I do not see moral equivalency between Hamas and Israel. Both have wantonly killed civilians; however – and this is an important distinction – one organization targets civilians deliberately, and the other organization hits civilians as collateral damage. That is not to say individual Israelis have not murdered Palestinian civilians before, or that some Israeli officials have not advocated ethnic cleansing, but it is merely to show who I believe has the relative, and not-all-that-high, moral high ground. However, I believe the Israeli governing coalition may be well on its way to losing it, if it has not done so already
Take statements by current Prime Minister and head of the conservative Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu. As reported by Haaretz, a prominent Israeli newspaper, Netanyahu is on the record saying he hoped Hamas gained and maintained control over the Gaza Strip so it would keep Palestinians divided. This is because although Hamas may ostensibly be a Palestinian organization, its goals and methods are so extreme most Palestinians hold great distaste for the group; however, those in Gaza would be in danger if they offered any opposition. Netanyahu stood by when Hamas eliminated more moderate, responsible organizations that could have acted as capable governments.
Additionally, look at the words offered by former Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who suggested basic aid, assistance and utilities would be provided only when Hamas comes forth and surrenders. Marc Lamont Hill, the Al Jazeera host interviewing Ayalon, clarified the situation Ayalon described was a textbook form of collective punishment, since an entire ethnonational group were all being deprived of food, water and electricity due to the actions of a singular terrorist group most Gazans do not support. Collective punishment is a war crime per the Geneva Conventions.
Some may ask why the Gazans have not revolted against Hamas if that were the case. First, due to the Israeli blockade, many Gazans are left in abject poverty, struggling to feed their families, much less fight a war. Secondly, 53 percent of Gazans are 18 or under – not exactly of the age to revolt against anyone but one’s parents. Finally, Hamas is supported by Iran, without whose help they might have withered and died long ago.
Although the statements by some Israelis are alarming, I believe statements by certain American politicians are even worse. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said Israel can “bounce the rubble” (a reference to a Winston Churchill phrase for military overkill meaning that even after everything is leveled, to continue bombing to “bounce the rubble”) in Gaza. Cotton’s statement is eerily reminiscent of what Hamas wishes to do to Israel and the West. Furthermore, many presidential candidates have blamed Biden for “donating” $6 billion in “American taxpayer dollars” that were then used to assist Hamas in its attacks when  a) he unfroze (not donated) Iranian (not American) assets, b) this attack took months to organize, and c) Tehran has not even accessed the funds at the time I am writing this.
This is not to say the left has not made atrocious statements – I acknowledge many left-wing student organizations have effectively blamed the Hamas attack on the victims, which is despicable for obvious reasons. My point is this conflict is complicated, and I blame groups like Hamas, Netanyahu’s right-wing governing coalition and the decrepit Palestinian Authority to varying degrees. However, it is never acceptable to morally validate the shooting, bombing, starvation or impoverishment of civilians, be they Palestinian, Israeli, Muslim or Jewish.