Israel’s Netanyahu should look to the example of Harry Truman
Most of my writings have centered on domestic politics, reflecting my passion as a liberal Democrat. Accordingly, it should surprise no one that I have consistently championed America’s support of Israel, a stance I maintain. Hamas initiated the conflict, so Israel has the right to take the necessary measures to end it, even if it involves invading hospitals.
While I have not yet watched the film “Oppenheimer,” I understand it explores J. Robert Oppenheimer’s misgivings about his role in inventing the atomic bomb. That brings to mind the debate about the morality of President Harry Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima (140,000 casualties) and Nagasaki (74,000 casualties). By the way, those casualties included Japanese babies. Truman’s response was that a Normandy-type invasion of the Japanese mainland would cost an estimated one million American casualties and that prolonging the war was not an option.
Similar to Truman, Israel is now facing criticism for the collateral loss of civilian lives as it ferrets out Hamas combatants among Gaza’s civilian population. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reasoning resembles Truman’s matter-of-fact response.
While I staunchly defend Israel’s actions, I want to emphasize that I do not consider Netanyahu to be comparable to Truman. Netanyahu has made tough decisions for Israel’s security akin to Truman’s responses to the Soviet Union blocking access to Berlin and North Korea invading South Korea.
However, in domestic politics, Netanyahu must confront the right-wing religious zealots in his government, as Truman did with the racially motivated Southern Democrats in the 1948 election. Truman refused to appease those bigots, even when they supported a third-party candidate. His bold and righteous actions led to his surprise victory over the favored Republican candidate, Thomas Dewey.
Hamas has sealed its own fate and will eventually cease to be a threat to Israel. Unfortunately, however, Hamas appears to have achieved the goal of its Iranian sponsor, delaying normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and frustrating the benefits of the Abraham Accords. In addition, Israel must still grapple with West Bank encroachment and Palestine’s statehood.
Netanyahu and his allies continue to hinder solutions to these issues. By doing so, they stoke antisemitism not only in America, but worldwide.
This is a seminal time in Israel’s history. Netanyahu should follow Truman’s example, and confront the farright Jewish supremacists and ultra-orthodox factions and endorse sovereignty for Palestine to pave the way for permanent peace in the Middle East.