The Gaza ceasefire announced on 15 January offers a temporary cessation of hostilities, but beneath this moment of relief lies deep-seated trauma, shattered trust in any peace process, and unresolved hatred that spans decades.
Fifteen months of Israeli military action in Gaza followed the violence unleashed on the 7th of October 2023. This exchange of violence leaves enduring psychological scars on both sides, fuelling an atmosphere of fear, distrust and resentment that lingers far beyond the immediate conflict zones.
While the ceasefire provides a momentary break from the enormous suffering of the war, the mechanical peace process fails to account for social fractures that continue to drive this conflict.
Diplomacy As We Know It
Diplomatic mediation efforts do not factor in the role of religious and ethnic identities in shaping the narratives and beliefs around this conflict. There is a tendency to prioritise the conflict as a territorial dispute, despite clear indications that, at its core, it is a deeply spiritual and ideological struggle.
However, religion and ethnicity act as lenses through which many segments of Israelis and Palestinians, and their diasporic communities – along with their broader religious networks – interpret and engage with the conflict. Specifically, in this war, the religious dimension is more than just a backdrop.
It appears to be a driving force behind the action and rhetoric of ‘both sides’ making it necessary to understand how religion is wielded by both Hamas and some Israeli leaders to frame the conflict in existential, sacred terms.
Israel-Palestine: The Role of Religion
Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, is fundamentally a Palestinian Islamic national liberation movement, using Islam as a framework to achieve its goal of “liberating Palestine and confronting the Zionist project.” The 7 October attack on Israel, termed the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, invoked one of Islam’s holiest sites. In doing so, Hamas framed its actions as a broader Islamic religious mission than any territorial struggle. Correspondingly, this ties in with the rhethoric espoused by other Islamist groups: the Houthis or ‘Ansarullah‘, Hizbullah, and some Iranian-backed Iraqi militia.
On the Israeli side, Benjamin Netanyahu’s reference to the Amalekites in the Bible during the early onset of the war added the Judaic layer of religious significance to the war waged by Israel in Gaza. By invoking this ancient biblical narrative, Netanyahu frames Hamas, as well as Palestinians in general, as an existential threat with deep roots in a survivalist, religiously motivated struggle. This rhetoric provokes the idea of eliminating what is perceived as an age-old and divine enemy, in turn, evoking the religious and existential undertones of this conflict.
Walking in Jerusalem: A Echo Chamber
These religious narratives have become more than just rhetoric or frames; they have shaped the very direction of the war, influencing perceptions and actions on ground. In my experience of engaging with people from different religious communities, I have observed how these narratives play out on different levels. In May 2024, shortly after the direct clash between Iran and Israel, an Israeli taxi driver asked me “why Muslims want to kill his people”?
He did not know me, except that I am visibly Muslim, a woman with a headscarf wearing abaya. Later, Jewish Israeli friends I met, who found that offensive, explained that the perspective was probably shaped by limited exposure to the broader world and further strained relations with Arabs and Muslims after 7 October, 2023. His understanding of Islam and Muslims came primarily from the narrative about Hamas and Islamist extremism he is informed about within his echo chamber.
A Metaphor for Conflict: Jerusalem
As we moved between East and West Jerusalem, the driver and I managed to sort out some of our misunderstandings, shaped by our experiences as Muslim and Jewish. Neither of us wanted to see people suffering from bombings or living in fear of attacks. While this conversation was far from comfortable, it showed the potency of dialogue, the potential for faiths to connect and clarify.
It underscored that Palestinians and Israelis from different religious factions need to connect directly, work out how they can tolerate and live alongside each other. I saw some aspirations for these efforts in shadows, but they lack strength to endure beyond the aftermath of this war.
Barriers to Dialogue: Israeli and Palestinian Politics
It is naive to suggest that such dialogue is possible, especially when, in the recent days, prior to and after the ceasefire deal, statements like Itamar Ben-Gvir’s, claiming that they would, “make sure that the deaths of the hundreds of soldiers will not be in vain“, and Hamas acting chief Khalil Al-Hayya’s declaration, “we will not forget, and we will not forgive”, echo across social media. These are not just words of angst; such sentiments speak to vengeance towards the ceasefire deal. This undercurrent exists, and it must not be ignored.
Religion as a Compass:
Perhaps, religious leadership and interfaith diplomacy could step up to counter this thirst for revenge. In this context, religion acts as a compass. While not essential for navigating the political path for Israelis and Palestinians, it helps provide guidance, direction, and clarity in understanding the conflict as a battle over identity, legacy, and belief.
The rejection of the link between Jewish beliefs and Zionism, along with the Palestinian claim to indigeneity within the Muslim world, and the deep ties to the land through both ethnic and religious connections on both sides, goes beyond mere geography. This bond is ingrained in the religious consciousness and identity of Muslims, Jews, and Christians.
While disagreement over the diverse religious identities of these and other communities in Israel and Palestine is not a new phenomenon, this war has exacerbated these divisions, potentially nurturing a generation wanting to erase or undo the other.
Generational Legacy: Religious Divisions Widen
The emotional and spiritual wounds caused by this conflict demand an antidote, and that remedy possibly lies in religious principles that can heal and reconciliate.
What is urgently needed now is strategic religious diplomacy – a method to channel the intense emotions into constructive dialogue once the ceasefire comes into effect.
