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The War of Narratives: Israel, Hamas, and the Global Response
What is the price of survival? And who gets to decide the moral calculus of war? These are the unspoken questions buried beneath the rubble of Gaza and the ongoing crisis between Israel and Hamas. While social media explodes with outrage and selective narratives, the truth—ugly, complex, and inconvenient—struggles to be heard.
Professor Yossi Shain, a veteran academic and former member of the Israeli parliament, offers a sobering perspective. “Israel is fighting for its life against sinister killers, against ISIS and Nazis,” he states bluntly. Is this hyperbole, or an accurate depiction of the forces at play?
Hamas: The Unseen Hand
Israel’s response in Gaza has been labeled genocide, indiscriminate slaughter, and a war crime. The images flooding social media are horrific, and the suffering of Palestinian civilians undeniable. But here’s the question too few are willing to ask: What choice does Israel have? Hamas, a group officially designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., EU, and other governments, embedded itself within Gaza’s civilian infrastructure long before this war began. Every school, every hospital, every humanitarian center—Shain argues—was a shield for Hamas’ war machine.
Yet, for all its self-proclaimed resistance, Hamas has done little for the Palestinian people. “They couldn’t give a damn about the Palestinians,” says Shain. “They take their money, hide in tunnels, and use them as human shields.” With this in mind, isn’t it Hamas, not Israel, that is perpetuating Palestinian suffering?
A Convenient Double Standard
Perhaps the most jarring element of this war has been the global response—or, more specifically, the West’s reaction. October 7th saw an unprecedented attack on Israel, one that, by all measures, should have united democratic nations in unequivocal condemnation. And yet, the silence from many Western activists and intellectuals was deafening. Even worse? Some celebrated the attacks.
“In the universities, on the streets of major cities, we saw people not condemning Hamas but justifying their atrocities,” says Shain. “Because in their minds, Israel has become the ‘colonial oppressor,’ and Hamas the ‘liberator.’” It’s a narrative built on a strange fusion of leftist intersectionality and Islamist extremism—one that ignores the grim reality of what Hamas stands for.
And the contradiction? The same activists who rally for LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and progressive values are aligning themselves with an organization that would execute them in the streets of Gaza. Shain doesn’t mince words: “Those gays and lesbians and queers on Western campuses? In Gaza, in Iran, they would be hanged. That’s the truth.”
Israel’s Own Failures
This is not to say that Israel’s leadership is without fault. Shain himself is deeply critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. “Netanyahu called himself ‘Mr. Security.’ He became ‘Mr. Insecurity.’” The intelligence failures leading up to October 7th, the underestimation of Hamas, and the lack of a coherent long-term strategy for Gaza have left many Israelis questioning their government’s competence.
And then there’s the issue of funding. “We, stupidly so, were sending money to Hamas via Qatar,” Shain admits. Israel, under the illusion that economic stability would pacify Hamas, allowed cash to flow into Gaza—only to see it used for terror tunnels, missile stockpiles, and the eventual massacre of Israeli citizens. This miscalculation has cost Israel dearly, and the next chapter of this war will demand not just military force, but a radical reassessment of Israeli policy.
The War That Must Be Won
So where does this leave Israel? With no easy choices. With no painless solutions. But with a stark reality: Hamas must be eliminated.
The world has seen this play out before. The United States didn’t negotiate with ISIS; it eradicated them. Why should Israel be held to a different standard? The international community cannot have it both ways—demanding Israel protect its civilians while simultaneously condemning it for taking the necessary actions to do so.
Israelis understand this all too well. “We cannot allow ourselves another October 7th,” says Shain. “We have to eliminate Hamas, and we will.”
The road ahead is brutal, uncertain, and fraught with peril. But if there is one undeniable truth, it is this: Israel did not start this war. And Israel cannot afford to lose it.
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