The Israeli government is fighting a war that cannot be won this way. One of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s main goals, which is to destroy Hamas, will not be achieved. This is what Noemí Mestrum, director of the Israel Information and Documentation Center (Cidi), firmly believes.
Mestrum accuses Netanyahu of not having an “exit strategy” that would allow the hostages to return home and offer a solution to the dire situation in Gaza. “Although the key is with Hamas, it is time for Israel to push to end the war,” he says. “It seems that the tipping point has been reached; Little strategic progress is already being made. Gaza must be rebuilt.”
It is striking that Cidi openly criticizes the Israeli government, although Mestrum himself sees it differently. “We are wrongly considered an extension of the Netanyahu government. For many years, Cidi has been in favor of a two-state solution and opposed to the construction of settlements. There seems to be a perception that we justify everything Netanyahu does. “We are pro-Israel, not necessarily pro-Israeli government.”
Earlier this month, the Israeli army released four hostages. This resulted in many, perhaps even a few hundred, innocent Palestinian victims. Cidi stated that this action is ‘within limits’. Maybe that’s what creates that image?
“Israel has every right to release the hostages. Hamas keeps them in inhabited areas and therefore risks unnecessary casualties. But this action shows that freeing the hostages requires more and more and carries more risks. Destroying the last Hamas battalions without large numbers of civilian deaths also seems almost impossible. “It’s time to take a different approach.”
Why do you think it is necessary to make this public now?
“The war has been going on for many months. It is a war that Israel did not ask for. But at some point you have to look further into the future. And we can talk about that.”
What should that exit strategy look like?
“The end of the war, a new governance in Gaza and the release of the hostages”.
That sounds very simple.
“Yes, I know there is a lot involved. But stability must return, for both Gazans and Israelis. An endless war does not protect Israel from another horrific terrorist attack, like the one on October 7. Perhaps the time has come for Abbas’s Palestinian Authority to play a role in Gaza. Put it there. Get an international community behind you. The help from Egypt and the United States is important. Perhaps the United Nations can send a peacekeeping force that can provide temporary peace. “It is important that there is no place for Hamas in the new administration.”
But you also say: in reality, Hamas cannot be defeated.
“It’s an ideology, it’s in people’s heads. With every battalion you kill now, you create a breeding ground for two new ones. I imagine Hamas is attractive to some if they are surrounded by death and destruction. But as soon as you have the prospect of a stable and decent existence, you have less need for such a terrorist organization. “An average Gazan just wants to build a life with children, they are not born with the idea of supporting Hamas.”
Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren and Armed Forces Commander Onno Eichelsheim say Israel is using “disproportionate force” in Gaza. Do you think so too?
“I can’t answer that yet, research is needed. We see a lot of suffering, terrible images of victims pass through. “I can’t tell if something is proportional or not based on what I know and see.”
Is there famine in Gaza?
“I definitely think people aren’t getting enough food. The problem is also that at some point the food enters the area and falls into the hands of Hamas. So this is a terrorist organization that doesn’t always have the best interests of its own people in mind. The closer people get to Hamas, the more they eat. I think that’s how cynical the situation is. Gaza is a horrible place right now. “There are many reasons to break the current stalemate.”
They are asking Israel for an exit strategy. How close are you to the government there?
“Cidi is an independent organization, we live on private donations. In two weeks we will go there with journalists and then we will also visit the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. And we will certainly draw attention to our message there.”
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