Comparing October 7th to any other historical event doesn’t serve much purpose. It’s unlike events like the 1973 Six-Day War, which offered Arabs a sense of victory and laid the foundation for an Israel-centric status quo, or 9/11, or any other event. In the context of history, October 7th stands as a unique occurrence in the ongoing resistance against the occupation that Hamas has been waging for 75 years. This distinctiveness can be viewed from multiple angles, including the proactive nature of Palestinian resistance, the historical and political context in which this action took place, and, of course, the impact it has had and will continue to have.
Palestinians have predominantly maintained a defensive stance in their resistance efforts until October 7th. However, on that day, they took a proactive step by launching an attack against the oppressive occupying forces. Despite consistently reacting to attacks, they were unjustly labeled as terrorists. This time, being the proactive side in the conflict, such labels may lose their credibility. In essence, this might not change much; it might simply lead to Israel further dramatizing its role as a victim of terror, using every opportunity to justify its aggression. The more it plays the victim card, the more pretexts it believes it has for its atrocities.
At first glance, it may seem that nothing has changed. Israel has previously used Hamas rocket attacks as a pretext for its aggression, resulting in casualties in Gaza while the world watched. However, something different is unfolding this time. The increase in Israel’s aggressiveness hints at a loss of control in terms of strategy, power, and the use of that power. Uncontrolled power is not genuine power. Israel’s unrestrained use of force aligns with the timing that has left everyone puzzled.
In the broader context of international relations, October 7th has positioned Hamas, the leader of the Jerusalem, Gaza, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Palestinian cause, in a way that’s hard to deny. Many Arab nations had acquiesced to an international order where Israel took center stage. The normalization process, which effectively meant submission to this Israel-centric Middle East, had become normalized as a paradigm. This implied accepting Israel’s full annexation of Jerusalem under Israeli occupation as ‘normal.’ It meant acknowledging Israel’s right to violate Muslim sanctities by gradually undermining Al-Aqsa Mosque. After all, who claimed this mosque to be holy? Did they refer to the Qur’an? Are our theologians too quiet to prove otherwise?
There was no longer any protest against Israel’s 17-year-long blockade of Gaza. It wasn’t being discussed or raised in any forum. It was to be considered normal until the 2.5 million people in Gaza surrendered to Israel’s mercy. Why did the people of Gaza continue their seemingly futile resistance instead of surrendering and offering everyone a sense of relief?
Frankly, the Palestine issue had become tiresome to the world, and it seemed that everyone was leaning toward justifying Israel. Of course, the winds blowing in this direction were the ones Israel and its sponsors, the United States and Europe, had been trying to generate with their media, policies, and intrigues.
Through the October 7th operation, Hamas demonstrated that the Palestinian cause could not be reduced to a mere fait accompli. It showed that there was still a horrifying violation, an incremental genocide, a breach of Muslim sanctities, an intolerant, fanatical religious leadership, and most importantly, that Zionist occupation plans would never end in Palestine. Thus, the Palestinian cause serves as a warning not only to Palestine but also to the entire Middle East and, indeed, global peace. It has provided an opportunity to reveal the real face of Israel to the world, exposing the intentions, schemes, and realities of those who have so far glorified it in the most grotesque manner.
Today, the tolerance, even encouragement, Israel’s genocidal practices receive from the civilized world shakes the narrative of the humanist, progressive, democratic, and freedom-loving Western civilization that we have been told about.
For Westerners, human rights seem to apply only to their own kind. The rest are hardly considered humans. The Israeli Defense Minister’s characterization of Palestinians and the Western silence in response are confessions of this mindset.
Since October 7th, the seemingly forgotten Palestine, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, have become some of the world’s most crucial issues once again. Faced with this aggression and disregard, there is now pressure for solidarity, cooperation, and rapprochement in the Islamic world, even at the state level. People have long felt the reality of standing united against this aggression, but Western support for Israel has also ignited a desire for solidarity and unity in the Islamic world. It is impossible for all Islamic countries not to feel a sense of humiliation and exclusion due to the US’s Israel bias. This exclusion and humiliation are inevitably fueling new search for alignments.
Moreover, October 7th has resulted in an unforeseen sociological outcome: it has reversed the global trend toward secularism. Despite all claims of secularism, it becomes clear that the United States and Europe, who stand by Israel, are living by their radical interpretations of the Holy Scriptures in the world of the Bible.
They impose their interpretation on our world without the slightest historical intervention. Inevitably, a religious reaction is forming in the Muslim world against this. The Muslims, despite all their differences, turn to their own Scriptures, embracing a policy of friendship that ensures the rights and justice for all.
