Former U.S. President Barack Obama argued that the war Israel is waging in Gaza cannot deliver lasting security. Obama said relying on military superiority will not end the cycle of violence and that refusing to make concessions to Palestinians has weakened Israel’s moral standing.
Obama shared his views on the Middle East conflict on Tuesday during a conversation with author and journalist Susan McKay in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Queen’s University Belfast also awarded Obama an honorary doctorate the same day.
On the cycle of violence
Addressing the war in Gaza, Obama said the violence “should trouble everyone.” He said historical grievances, hardened attitudes and deep divisions are fueling a destructive cycle of violence.
Acknowledging that Jews faced persecution in Europe for many years, Obama said Palestinians had suffered injustice through the loss of their land. He said Palestinians’ land had been taken from them and that their reaction to this was understandable.
More responsibility for the stronger side
Obama argued that relying solely on military and technological superiority cannot end the violence, and that the stronger side bears greater responsibility for breaking the cycle.
Saying Israel is the most powerful and technologically advanced party in the region, Obama said the belief that it can therefore do as it wishes may bring results in the short term but will lead to the loss of the moral high ground.
Obama said the current Israeli government appears to have adopted that approach, adding that millions of Palestinians will continue to live in the region. He stressed that imposing on Palestinians a condition no one would accept for themselves is not sustainable.
Obama also said the Palestinian side should not pursue a strategy aimed at defeating Israel. Describing the impact of irreconcilable divisions rooted in tribal identity and history as “a kind of madness,” he pointed to the 1998 Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement, as an example. He said the accord paved the way for ending the long conflict in Northern Ireland and showed what becomes possible when people leave old grievances behind and choose peace.
