Friday, April 25, 2025

The Lessons of October 7th 2023: The Dangers of Religious Extremism and Intolerance

The horrific attack by Hamas on October 7th, 2023  has produced a ripple effect few anticipated. Israel has long enjoyed the support from the West and most of the rest of the world. It’s chief exception was the Communist Bloc of the Cold War and their client states, mostly in the Middle East. Yet, for some reason the unprovoked attack by an organization known for its brutal Nazi-like treatment of its own people and for committing mass acts of terror again mostly innocent bystanders, has had a rather strange, counterintuitive response.

To briefly recap, on October 7th, 2023, about 7000 terrorist on motorcycles, powered paragliders, small boats, attacked Israel at 119 points along and near the Israeli-Gaza border. Among the attackers was “Nukhba”, which are specially trained commando units of the Hamas military along the lines of Iraq’s Republican Guards, noted for the ferociousness and absolute dedication.

The attack, code named “Al Aqsa Flood” began with a launch of approximately 5000 rockets over 20 minutes into and along Israel’s border with Gaza (and another 1000 rockets launched during the attack). The assault wasn’t directed at  Israeli military bases as you would expect from a legitimate military operation.  Instead, it centered on small civilian, mostly farming, communities or “Kubutzes”  which were either unarmed or very lightly armed.

About 1,195 men, women, and children were murdered. Many were brutally raped (including children), beaten, tortured, and burned alive. The lucky ones were simply killed outright. According to Israeli and international sources, among those dead were 736 Israeli citizens and 36 children, 79 foreign nationals, and 379 members of Israel’s security forces consisting primarily of off duty members of the military, medical teams, police, etc.

The focal point, however, seems to have been on individuals attending a family oriented  “Supernova Sukkot Music Festival”  or simply the “Nova Music Festival”. There was an additional 378 individuals murdered along with 44 hostages taken (all told, there was a total of 251 hostages, of which 30 were children). The perpetrators, armed mainly with  hand grenades, handheld rocket launchers (“RPG”), and AK type assault weapons, was lead by the Al-Qassam Brigade, and groups of Palestinian civilians who were being egged on by the terrorists.

Other groups believed to have participated in the October 7th attack included the National Resistance Brigades, which is military wing of the Maoist Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Marxist-Leninist organization, the secular Lion’s Den group, along with elements of other terrorist organizations including the Iranian backed Hezbollah, which operates mainly in southern Lebanon.

Following the attack, some 44 countries immediately condemned the attack (which some have referred to as blatant genocide against the Israelis) while many Arab and Muslim nations claimed that the attack was justified because of Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territory, which had taken following the 1967 “Six Day War” in which Israel defeated five Arab nations whose publicly stated intent was “pushing Israel into the sea”. The Arab forces were soundly defeated, and as a result, some 300,000 Palestinians and 100,000 Syrians were subsequently expelled from the occupied areas.

Hamas, however, claimed the attack was not just over occupied territory, but the continued blockage of the Gaza Strip (which Israel, along with Egypt, maintains in order to prevent further military material from entering the country), as well as the continued expansion of settlements into Palestinian owned land (which has often included personal property which has been in private hands for generations and blatant destruction of homes by the Israeli military with little or no warning as part of Israel’s “reoccupation” of the land).

Israel’s response to the massacre  was as swift as it was brutal. Approximately 50,810 Gaza Palestinians  have been killed while Hamas’s military strength has dropped from around 60,000 to just around 18,000 or less. Bear in mind too that Hamas, which is regarded internationally as an Iranian backed Sunni terrorist organization, typically uses civilians as shields. They often operate missile sites from schools, playgrounds, daycares, and hospitals. They regularly store weapons in private homes and businesses, while controlling nearly every aspect of life in Gaza.

 Although Israel regularly warns civilians in Gaza in advance of a pending response (unlike most countries), Hamas refuses to allow civilians to either vacate or to move their missiles and military hardware away from home, schools, or hospitals. The hits are recorded as “civilian targets”, making for good propaganda and public media events for the uninformed and an opportunity to discredit the IDF and Israeli government.

Foreign aid, which includes food, fresh water, medical supplies, as well as replacement parts for equipment, generators, heating/cooking oil, desalination pumps,  blankets, and so forth, are sold on the black market for weapons or cash, Sometimes they are rationed out to the populace in order to keep them in line (and staged photo ops for the foreign media). Meanwhile, Israel is blamed for so-called “Palestinian genocide” while their Hamas leaders enjoy luxury vacations throughout the region (Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt are favorite spots).

What’s most interesting about the attack on Israel by Hamas is the  backlash it produced which was totally unexpected. Instead of the usual support Israel has historically received, many nations, especially in Europe, and individuals, particularly among the college age youth, blamed Israel not just for the attack by Hamas, but also for intensity of their response and even accuse Israel of intentionally triggered a genocide of the Gazan people.  As an aside, this backlash hasn’t just been directed at Israel. It’s been aimed at the United States, which has traditionally supported Israel, Jews and anyone who supports Israel.  

In some ways it reminded me of the latter days of the Vietnam War when mainly young Leftwing anti-war protesters embraced Cuban revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara and “Uncle” Ho Chi Minh, with their images showing up nearly everywhere. North Vietnamese and Russian “ Sickle and Hammer” flags were almost commonplace at nearly every protest.

Many of the youth were openly promoting Communist ideals (I suspect much of it had to do with tweaking the noses of the Status Quo as it did anything) while burning their draft cards. Nowadays, its Palestinian flag alongside  (ironically) the LGBQT+ flag showing up at protests while they go about illegally trying to block traffic and screaming at anyone who disagrees with them.  I wonder if anyone ever told them that the only way you ultimately change the Status Quo is with ideas and action, not by throwing temper tantrums?

Nevertheless, despite all the meaningless political rhetoric, the empty headed talking heads, the faux militants with the multicolored hair and nose rings, and the wannabe revolutionaries, I wondered if anyone has bothered to ask the people of Gaza what they thought? They are the ones being most affected. They deserve to speak for themselves. Afterall, it’s their opinion alone that actually counts.

When asked about Hamas, most Gazans describe the terrorist organization as “oppressive” (especially for women) and typically placing the interest of Iran ahead of theirs.  They blame Hamas’s attack on Israel for the carnage which has befallen them, while criticizing Hamas for not apologizing for the civilian deaths.

They claim that while Israel “dehumanizes” them, so does Hamas, which sees them as a tool to be used against Israel and the West. They do not accept Hamas emphasis on martyrdom, saying that they value life more. To Hamas and other Islamists the Gazans claim, Palestinians must die so that they can justify their existence.  Gazans point out that Leftist Arab groups and Islamists don’t like for Gazans to speak independently, preferring to control their narrative for them, using their voices to promote their agendas.

Just over 80% said they wanted new elections when the war was over. When asked who they trust to lead Gaza after the war, 40% of Gazans said they’d support  Fatah, the secular based party which currently governs the West Bank while just 6% would back Hamas (no real surprise when you understand that Hamas hasn’t allowed any free and open elections in Gaza since 2006).  When asked if their was a new election after the war, who would they support, the results were pretty similar. 47% said they’d vote for Fatah while again, just 6% would back Hamas. It’s worth noting that 53% of Gazans didn’t believe Hamas would be willing to form a unified national Palestinian government with Fatah.

When asked about the war, 84% said that Hamas should release all hostages.74% wanted an international organization to manage the Rafah border with Israel.  62% wanted to see a two state solution with Israel similar to what was originally proposed in 1948 but rejected by the Arab League. 19% thought a single state solution was the best option. Among Israelis, just 26% think a two state solution was still possible.

It’s worth noting that 74% said they didn’t think Israel was serious about ending the war. Afterall, Israel is winning. However, 20% thought that Hamas wanted to keep the war going as well.  Recent intelligence reports seem to confirm this assumption.

According to these reports, while Hamas had lost half of its original strength since 2023, there’s strong evidence that their recruiting efforts have been successful in bringing them back to near their pre-October 7th strength. Most of the new recruits are from countries with poor economic opportunities.

This bodes poorly not just for the people of Gaza and Israel, but the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world. Groups like Hamas are interested in just one thing---the utter destruction of Israel at any cost (followed by the annihilation of all Kefirs (Non-Muslims). After that, they can murder each over which sect---Shiite or Sunni---is God’s chosen religion of peace and tolerance.   

Iran, perhaps Israel’s moral enemy, has continued with its own nuclear program, allegedly with the intent of launching nuclear tipped missiles at its archenemy with the understanding that such an attack would result in an immediate response and the total destruction of Iran and its people. When involved in a religious war, ordinary lives are inconsequential. They wallow in the gore of war like pigs in mud.

Groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, Al Qaeda, and dozens of others also understand this all too well. They  care little for the people they claim to govern. They are mere sacrifices intended for their alters of extremism, ignorance and unquestioned obedience. They bow their heads in prayer and profess to worship one thing when in truth what they worship is oblivion.

While the majority of Gazans no longer support Hamas, many fear that Hamas will retain control, and the killing will only continue. Helmed in on all sides, they’re trapped. ISIS and Al Qaeda are greedily building their own caliphates on the corpses of Syrian, Kurdish, and Yazidi dead.  In Iran, the ayatollahs are showing signs of loosening their grip on power but still remain strong enough and determined to lead the people to the apocalypse.  

There’s no question about their dedication to the cult of death, while we chose not to take them at their word. We like to pretend that somehow, they’re the victims. The Gazans and other Palestinians would disagree. So would the Iranian people and the Kurds, the Yazidis, and countless others of various religions, ethnic groups, gender, and sexual orientation.  You want to talk about intolerance and hatred? Well, here it is in one neat package with a noose for a bow.

 In 1948, just three years after the horrors of the Holocaust,  we thought they won’t come for a newly proclaimed Israel, yet they did. They refused the creation of a Palestinian nation too. Today, some 76 years later,  they still seek Israel’s destruction.  We thought they’d never come for Europe. They have. Europeans are increasingly minorities where they live. Many think they won’t come for Russia, India, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, or China, but they will just as they will eventually come for us unless we stop  religious and political extremism, intolerance, and authoritarianism in all its forms.

 

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

October 7 Hamas led attack in Israel


Al-Qassam Brigades


Nova music festival massacre


Six Day War


Casualties of the Gaza war


Gazans risk safety to share their criticisms of Hamas


What Gazans Really Think of the War, Who They Blame, and WhatThey Want to Happen Next


Has Palestinian’s perception of Hamas changed?


While Gazans Suffer, Leaders Live in Luxury


Hamas leaders worth $11bn revel in luxury---while Gaza’speople suffer


Analysis: Hamas has been hit hard by Israel, but is not outof Gaza


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