A New Way of War | New Episode | In-person lecture series

What if Hamas wins?

I’ve been thinking about Dracula and the new way of war he personified.

No, not the vampire of legend. I mean the actual Dracula, Prince Vlad Dracul III of Wallachia in modern-day Romania, back in the mid-1400s. “Dracul” means dragon, and was the surname of his father; “Dracula” means “son of the dragon.” I once stood in the underground lair of his palace. By myself. Now I sleep with a night light because the guy was terrifying.

Dracula’s other nickname was Vlad the Impaler, as he was known for impaling his enemies on sticks to ensure their slow and agonizing death. He wasn’t the first to make use of this tactic but he made it infamous and used it for effect: to inspire fear in his enemies and deter acts of treason against his rule. It thus became, according to some historians, a tool of securing Romanian independence. As my Romanian tour guide explained on a tour of Dracula’s hometown, escalating acts of brutality can be used as a form of war communications: “I am so much more powerful and ruthless than you are, don’t come close.”

Here’s why I’ve been thinking about this: If Hamas wins this war it will validate their own cruel form of warfare, in which armies don’t exist to protect civilians but to maximize their destruction. If Hamas’ strategy proves effective, this could be the future of 21st century warfare, defining a new era in a way that impalement defined Dracula’s.

You’re probably familiar with Hamas’ use of the Palestinians as human shields in order to discredit Israel. Hamas is underground, the IDF above, and in between are Gaza’s civilians. Hamas layers its war-making capabilities in private homes, schools, hospitals, mosques, humanitarian relief centers, and everywhere else. There’s no way to attack them without destroying those buildings and, in many cases, also killing civilians. They are not the first terrorist group to make use of this modern form of impalement, but they are exceptionally adept at it.

Hamas’ strategy is to force Israel to kill so many Palestinians that the world will compel Israel to stop fighting before it defeats Hamas. It’s an incredibly cynical strategy — yet effective. The world is demanding that Israel stop, with barely a nod to the fact that Hamas started this war and is best placed to end it by releasing the hostages and surrendering. Nor do these demands for an immediate cease-fire suggest any alternative approaches to defeating Hamas’ genocide threat, merely that Israel (but not Hamas) has to stop fighting altogether. This is emboldening Hamas. Hamas is betting that the ongoing images of destruction in Gaza will force Israel to quit unilaterally. So why should they give up anything in negotiations?

Hamas’ strategy doesn’t absolve Israel of the obligation to adhere to the laws of war: to refrain from targeting civilians and disproportionate operations that unintentionally kill innocent people; and to make every effort to separate civilians from fighters. The challenge is that Hamas purposefully makes this enormously difficult. It’s an army dedicated to destroying its own people in order to force its enemy to lose the war. No matter what Israel does (save for not fighting at all), it’s impossible to avoid civilian harm.

Vlad the Impaler’s birthplace and childhood home (yellow building) in Sighisoara, Romania. Photo: Jason Harris

Hamas wins if they remain in power in Gaza and are able to rebuild their army to carry out attacks against Israel. If their use of human shields proves effective in bringing this about, we can expect other bad actors to use this as a tool of warfare. If this is how wars are won, this is how wars will be fought: human shields weaponized as kamikaze drones to discredit the opposing army.

If democracies with professional armies are forced to lose wars for this new standard, imagine how someone like Vladimir Putin might apply this strategy. If he forces two million Russian citizens to embed with Russian forces attacking in Ukraine, planting them amongst logistics bases, naval ships, and forward firing positions, would the United States and Europe then demand Ukraine stop fighting and submit to Russian destruction, to avoid killing Russian civilians? What if Putin then does the same with an invasion of Lithuania? Would NATO not defend its own member?

Perhaps I’m assuming too much. Maybe this standard, like so many double-standards, only applies to Israel. I’m not talking about the debate over whether Israel’s campaign in Gaza is, in Joe Biden’s words, “over the top.” Seemingly every military expert I’ve read argues that Israel, operating amidst impossibly difficult circumstances, is doing more to protect civilians than any army ever has in a comparable situation — measures that have undoubtedly cost Israeli soldiers’ lives.

I’m talking instead about the bigger picture: that the use of human shields becomes the new universal standard because it’s proven to win wars. Is this the future of warfare that we want? Or should we instead fight Hamas to a complete defeat in order to demonstrate that human shields aren’t a get-out-of-war-free card?

If we are to discredit this strategy and refuse to accept its normalization in war, Hamas has to be proven wrong — proof that can only come with its elimination as a threat to both Israel and the Palestinians. Otherwise we’re adopting the 21st century equivalent of Dracula’s impalement, just this time not on enemy soldiers, but on the very citizens governments are responsible for protecting.

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This Week’s Episode: Getting to a Palestinian State, Part 2

Last episode we talked about what Israel needs to change to make Palestinian statehood possible. Today we’re looking at how the Palestinians need to end their rejectionism, delegitimization of Israel, and commitment to the right of return. To get an independent state, Palestinians will have to stop trying to eliminate the Jewish one.

Find the podcast episode here, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Find the written transcript below:

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Join me for Lunch & Learn at Congregation Kol Shofar, Tiburon, CA

Thursdays, April 4, 18, 25, and May 2

I’ll be teaching four Lunch & Learn sessions at Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon, Marin County, California. In-person only, 12:15–1:15pm. No registration necessary but be prepared to check-in with security.

Our topic is Headlines & History. We'll look at the historical roots and current context of four burning topics -- Religious Zionism, Netanyahu, humanitarian aid, and Palestinian statehood -- to understand key drivers, intersections, and dilemmas of the war situation today. 

See you there!

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Donate today

My Dracula night light needs replacing. You can help by donating to this educational project, which is funded solely by your contributions. Huge thanks to the wonderful donors! Donate today and find your name in lights on the Jew Oughta Know website. Please note that donations are not tax deductible.

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Picture of the Day

Happy Easter! A priest prays at an altar in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the 4th century CE, Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helena, came to Jerusalem in search of relics and sites associated with Jesus Christ. Today’s Church marks the place where Helena was told Jesus was crucified and then buried. An empty tomb said to be his is partially preserved inside. Six Christian denominations share (and argue over) control over the Church complex, a system known as the Status Quo.

Photo: Jason Harris

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