The first article by Prof Dennis can be found above, this is the real first time I encountered him. His take on history is sickening, I wonder how the students feel about him.
Oh well, here is the first article reputing his views.
Enjoy
In writing about the ongoing fight between Hamas and Israel, UofO history professor Matthew Dennis not only misses the mark on who is responsibile, he also manages to completely ignore the doctrine, theology and ideaology which drives this conflict and thus his conclusions don't reflect any real chance of success. Opening his screed with a moral comparison between Hamas and Israel, "The tactics and goals of Hamas....their actions are violations of international law and human rights. So are the actions of the Israeli government with its disproportional response, collective punishment and acceptance of civilian casualties." first sets Israel up as the bad guy and then slips into moral relativism. Lets see, it follows then that a "proportional response" from Israel would be for them to indiscriminately lob rockets into Gaza with no specific targets in mind, just mindless terror dropped on the heads of the innocents. I would also say that "collective punishment", in the mind of Mr Dennis applies only to Israel and is not to be put on the shoulders of Hamas. Selective punishment seems the more likely view from the writer.
I must challenge Mr Dennis claim that, "Some will object that Israels air strikes are a justified reaction to the hundreds of rocket attacks (3,000 since 2000) from Gaza....they miss the point. Military action repeatedly has failed to deliver comprehensive peace." The reason military action has not worked now or in the recent past (2000, 2006) is that loud, strident and consistent international condemnation of Israel has stunted Israels commitment to wage, and win an all-out war against Hamas. When you have the world, as it were telling you to be nice and stop upsetting those poor Palestinians, yet those same mouths refuse to condemn Hamas with the same level of emotion, the disconnect with truth becomes more acute. You cannot demand Israel stop defending themselves without demanding Hamas stop their incessant attacks. That is, unless the end of Israel and the destruction of the Jews is part of your thinking process.
When Mr Dennis quotes an Israeli member of parliament Dov Khenin as warning, "War is not the solution. ...There is another way, a real truce agreement. Not just a cease-fire..." he misses the one element which renders this quote not only specious but dangerous as well. Here is where Mr Dennis fails to grasp the doctrine of fundamental Islam which drives Hamas. Lets look at how the leaders of Islam(the Ulema), and in turn Hamas view and interpret a truce. Western thinking supposes a truce is but a means to work out areas of disagreement and come to an equitable solution for both sides. The four schools of Islamic jurisprudence however see it a bit different. From the Shafi'i school which is influential with Hamas and its leaders comes this, from the book 'Reliance of the Traveller', "Truces are permissible, not obligatory....Interests that justify making a truce are such things as Muslim weakness because of lack of numbers or materiel, or the hope of an enemy becoming Muslim...If the Muslims are weak, a truce may be made for ten years if necessary, for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) made a truce with the Quraysh for that long, as is related by Abu Dawud....The rulings of such a truce are inferable from those of the non-Muslim poll tax; namely, that when a valid truce has been effected, no harm may be done to non-Muslims until it expires. -- Umdat al-Salik, o9.16". As one can see, a truce is specifically to regroup for the continuing battle, not the gateway for compromise and bridge-building. If this doctrine is ignored, then the process of building a concensus for a truce becomes based on false assumptions on the part of Israel and the West. We have seen, time and time again how any truce/ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is not for the benefit of both sides. Hamas is the only party to come away with anything valuable, and that is the strength to continue the attack against Israel.
Mr Dennis remark that, "People around the world....should support the voices of reason and peace in Israel and bring pressure to bear on leaders addicted to violence..." should be aimed squarely at Hamas, not Israel. It is Hamas and its leaders who are addicted to violence, as the over 3,000 rocket attacks since 2000 attest to, not Israel who, even though they do not have to, are being almost anal in their targeting of Hamas leaders and locations, trying their best to not kill or injure innocents, even going so far as to drop leaflets and making phone calls to warn residents that an attack was imminent. I wonder when the last time was that Hamas warned the residents of Ashkelon or Sderot that rockets were on the way.
Mr Dennis is correct when he says that the United States bears some responsibility for this crisis, however by insinuating that Bush is to blame without providing context does no one any good. The US has only itself to blame, going too far in bending over backwards to accomodate Islamic obfuscation and not bothering to check to see if what was being told was even close to the truth. It doesn't matter if its Bush or Obama or whoever, we have blinders on and are, at this time unable to see the clear danger fundamental Islam poses.
Finally Mr Dennis finishes with that old, tired canard, "..pursuing honest engagement leading to a genuine, comprehensive and final peace" with no real thought as to how this might end up other than everyone gathering around to sing Kumbaya. The reality is there will be no final peace between Israel and Hamas as long as both sides are viable entities. To drive the point home, lets read exactly what Hamas charter says is in store for Israel and jews, "Israel will exist, and will continue to exist, until Islam abolishes it, as it abolished that which was before it." [From the words of] The martyr, Imam Hasan al-Banna', Allah's mercy be upon him." To put the last theological piece in place, here is how Hamas defines itself, "Allah is its goal, the Prophet its model to be followed, the Koran its constitution, Jihad its way, and death for the sake of Allah its loftiest desire." To defeat our enemies we must understand the ideaology driving them. Israel and the West will disappear unless the doctrine which motivates Islam today is taken to heart as the truth. Fundamental Islam has at its core the theological foundation needed to justify their continued advance toward a world-wide caliphate, while at the same time taking advantage of the Wests naivetay(sic) in the doctrine of warfare against Islam.
This is how Hamas views any attempt at diplomacy..."There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors." There should be no question now as to the goals of Hamas, and the reasons why peace cannot be achieved, even with a truce or cease-fire. The future of Israel is in the hands of those who understand her enemies. May God show them the way.
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