Robert Besser is a news editor who has worked in television and newspapers in the United States, Asia and the Middle East.
How should Israel move forward with Hamas? Perhaps by taking a page out of American history and permanently ending all negotiations with the Hamas Arab terrorists.
When the German Nazis wanted to hold negotiations to reach an end to World War II, the American response was uncompromising: there is nothing to negotiate, immediately lay down your arms or we will kill you all.
By spring of 1945, following German massacres of American prisoners and the uncovering of death camps, the Americans and British viewed all Nazis as barbarians.
On May 6, 1945, General Alfred Jodl, representing the Nazi government, arrived at Allied military headquarters in Reims, France.
Jodl grandly announced that he came to negotiate an end of the war against the Americans and British in the west, along with an agreement allowing the Germans to continue to wage war against the Soviets in the east.
The Americans, however, told Jodl that Germany was already defeated, there was nothing to discuss, and if the Nazis would not accept an immediate unconditional surrender, then German soldiers and civilians would continue to be slaughtered in the next phase of the battle.
And within hours, on May 7 at 2:30 AM, Jodl accepted the Allies’ refusal to negotiate and signed the surrender document to end World War II in all of Europe.
Of note, General Dwight Eisenhower, the allies’ Supreme Commander, insisted that the Nazis negotiate only with his underlings, never himself. He only met with Jodl after the signing to ensure that the Nazis understood that the Germans had unconditionally surrendered.
Disgusted to be in the same room as a Nazi, Eisenhower refused to shake hands or return Jodl’s salute.
Taking a page from the American playbook of the 1940s, in 2025 Israel might immediately end all negotiations with Hamas. For talking makes no sense since the Gaza Arabs have already signed a ceasefire agreement and there is nothing more to discuss.
At a different level, why give Hamas the power to negotiate? They have behaved like Nazis and Israel’s only interactions with them should be to hunt down the Hamas barbarias and immediately send them to Allah and their 72 virgins. No lawyers, judges or courts, please.
Critically, Hamas’ refusal to honor the ceasefire agreement they signed on September 29 might present Israel with significant opportunities to advance our interests in Gaza without further endangering the lives of Israeli soldiers.
In truth, diplomacy is again proving to be the enemy of the Jewish people. Those countries signing the Gaza ceasefire knew full well that the agreement would never be honored by the Gaza Arabs. For what possible incentive was there for Hamas to disarm and put itself out of business?
Oh, we might ask the world community, what is Hamas’ business? According to their charter it is the eradication of Israel and the killing of every Jew to be found from the river to the sea.
To our government’s credit, since the signing of the ceasefire agreement Israel has avoided being dragged into a Hamas-inspired military entanglement, a quicksand, from which it would be difficult to extract Israel.
Instead, with Hamas violating the ceasefire, Israel is now being asked to step into a diplomatic swamp of endless negotiations which Hamas would drag on for years, while all the time rebuilding its armed forces.
Today, Israel could still boldly take back the initiative and firmly regain control of events on the ground and among slow-moving diplomats. For in spite of its apparent difficulties, Israel has more options than seems apparent.
Since there is no ceasefire that has been honored by the Arab enemy, Israel might make a simple declaration.
To protect the Jews of Israel, the following restrictions on the people of Gaza will be enforced:
1--No area of Gaza can be resettled if Hamas remains armed with any weaponry.
2--No building, street or water pipe will be rebuilt until every meter of underground tunnel has been removed.
3--No school will be reopened until non-Muslims permanently monitor the classrooms to ensure no Jew hatred is taught in text books or discussions.
Let’s keep this simple. Armed Arabs proved themselves to be a mortal danger to the Jews. The continued existence of the tunnels presents a mortal danger to the Jews. Also, Arab schools teaching Jew-hatred proved to be a mortal danger to the Jews.
And there is more.
No part of the ceasefire can be carried out until the last murdered Israeli is returned. In truth however, just as Hamas cannot disarm, so the Arab savages know that they must not lose their final bargaining chip by returning all of the dead Israelis.
And if we want to turn up the heat on the eternally Jew-hating Europeans, let us allow the Arabs in Gaza to declare where they would like to resettle outside of Gaza.
Surely, the justice-loving Europeans will give the two million Gazans the same opportunity they gave seven million Ukrainians who fled Russia’s war, as well as the armies of illegal migrants from Africa, all illiterate young men looking for wages of fifty cents more per hour.
A special benefit for the Europeans permitting the Gazans to settle in their multicultural paradise is for the Palestinian Arabs to share in the many gifts they offered mankind during the 1,000, 10,000 or 100,000 years "they ruled" ancient Israel. If you need a more definite answer about Palestinian Arab rule, just ask a Harvard professor.
In truth, just as the Americans held all the cards at the end of World War II and had no reason to negotiate with the Nazis, so today’s Israel is in a similar position with the Arabs of Gaza.
And in introducing new demands, we must remember that we owe the Gaza Arabs nothing. We also owe the Jew-hating Europeans nothing.
As a practical matter, what would happen if Israel made such demands on the Gaza Arabs? Of course, anything that benefits Israel would be opposed by the world community. Nothing new there.
But keep in mind that these demands give Israel the opportunity to regain the upper hand with both Hamas and the international community, and more importantly ensure the future safety of the people of Israel.
Israel and the Jewish people have gone from a people who were being exterminated only 80 years ago to a strong and growing nation whose talents in every field is resulting in our being sought out by countries throughout the world.
However, we suffered a grievous injury on October 7, 2023, which should remind us how fragile is the national life of the Jews, and that it can only be maintained through strength and the eternal belief in our purpose.
At the end of the day, high minded words will not keep Israel and the Jewish people safe. Rather, after October 7 we should have no doubt that Israel will only remain secure if all Arab rulers, along with the Persians and Turks, are constantly reminded that if they want to stay alive, if they want their children to stay alive, they must remain very, very afraid of Israel.