One year after the terrorist attacks on Israel: choosing the side of human rights

A year ago today, more than a thousand terrorists from Hamas attacked Israel in the early morning, with thousands of victims, mostly civilians, and 251 hostages. The largest-ever terrorist attack on Israeli soil.

This massacre destroyed what should have been scenes of joy: a music festival and families enjoying breakfast in their homes. Today we commemorate the victims of this terrible act and repeat the demand that the remaining hostages should be freed immediately. 

A cycle of trauma

This attack is part of a long cycle of trauma. And since then the suffering of innocent people has continued. Israel's counter attack on Hamas in Gaza and in the West Bank has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people, including many children, as retribution for a crime in which they played no part. So the cycle continues. 

Vengeance does not bring resolution, let alone peace. As the conflict spills into Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of more people are radicalised and taught to hate their neighbours. We now see this cycle not only repeating, but also enforcing itself again, as we are on the brink of further escalation between Iran and Israel. (See also our previous statement about how war is spreading in the Middle East.)

Trauma creates more trauma. It takes decades to heal intergenerational pain. There can only be safety, stability, and peace for everyone living in the region when the cycle of trauma is stopped, but that seems farther away than ever before. Breaking the cycle and finding the strength for slowly rebuilding trust is incredibly difficult.

Still, against all odds, we have seen people from all backgrounds standing together. We have seen Muslims and Jews stand together to protect aid convoys traveling to Gaza. We have seen them protest together against injustice. We see several powerful initiatives where people and politicians try to build bridges and show there is only one side to choose: human rights.

The role of the EU

Only when we truly enforce human rights without exception can we play a serious role. The EU should unite its voice and demand a permanent ceasefire, support the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, sanction those who break the law and protect all victims. (See also our previous statement.)

The EU can also help mediate to normalise relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours. We can train mediation professionals who help reconciling shared trauma in local communities through small but real steps. Always in collaboration with the local communities and depending on their needs, we can help build good governance, services and connections and support reconstruction, development and investment, in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon. 

Everyone deserves safety, but it can’t be provided by tolerating autocrats who thrive on fear and hatred, only by supporting those who courageously choose the side of human rights. That is a world where the Middle East and its diverse communities can thrive in safety and compassion. Never again should really be never again.

Reinier van Lanschot
Member of the European Parliament