A Response to the Capital Editorial from September 21, 2025 (“World Must End Silence”)
By Dr. Avraham Neguise
I was surprised to read the Capital’s one-sided editorial from September 21, 2025 (“World Must End Silence”), which blamed Israel for the current condition of the Palestinians and called for the global recognition of a non-existent Palestinian state as the proper path towards peace and justice in the Middle East.
In fact, as we have seen clearly even in recent days, the main thesis of the referenced editorial turns the truth on its head, putting all blame and responsibility on Israel while ignoring the destructive and suicidal influence of the Hamas terrorist organization and its allies, and treating the Palestinian people as perpetual victims devoid of any agency.
Recognition of a Palestinian State: A Prize to Hamas
Let’s make one thing clear: global recognition of a Palestinian state on Israel’s doorstep today is a prize to Hamas and a victory to terrorism. You shouldn’t take it from me, but rather listen to Hamas itself, which on September 21st released a statement praising the recognition of such a state by a number of Western leaders, calling it “a deserved outcome of our people’s struggle” following the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023. In early August, Qatar-based Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad also celebrated such efforts at recognition, calling them “one of the fruits of October 7”, and proof that “our weapons are a symbol of Palestinian dignity.”
We cannot forget that Israel did not start this war and did not want this war, but was rather forced into it by the genocidal October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on our citizens, carried out by Hamas and its allies from the Gaza Strip. On that day, whose second anniversary is quickly approaching, thousands of terrorists from Gaza invaded Israel by land, air, and sea, massacring 1,200 people, raping women and burning whole families alive. The terrorists also took 251 hostages into Gaza. This pogrom was the worst mass murder of Jews since the Nazi Holocaust, and Israel had an obligation to respond in order to return its missing people and eliminate the threat to its security.
Recognizing a Palestinian state following October 7 rewards terrorism and extinguishes the hopes for a true peace in our region. Following years of rejectionism (including Palestinian Arab opposition to offers of negotiated two-state solutions in 1936, 1947, 2000, and 2008), the Palestinians cannot expect to receive de-facto recognition on the heels of murderous terrorism and without any negotiations, no deradicalization process, and no true recognition of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state on its native land.
Hamas’ Use of Human Shields
I was also shocked to see the above editorial parroting a number of propaganda points pushed by pro-Hamas media campaigns and politicized international actors. These include accusations of deliberate Israeli targeting of civilian sites – something which is patently false.
The Hamas terrorist organization operates with a death cult mentality, using its civilians as human shields and turning civilian areas into terror bases. Throughout the Gaza Strip, Hamas has stockpiled weapons, built command centers, and carried out attacks from hospitals, schools, UN facilities, and religious institutions. When Israel strikes such Hamas military sites, it is hitting not at civilian targets, but at terrorist military installations. When Israel asks for civilians to leave areas that will soon turn into a battle zone, Hamas commands the people to stay put.
And of course, we must remember that in its 16 years of ruling Gaza, Hamas constructed approximately 700 km of terror tunnels underneath civilian neighborhoods throughout the Strip. Our troops are still working to dismantle the remainder of these tunnels, some of which are holding our hostages.
Hamas’ use of its own people as human shields is well documented. For Israel, the death of civilians is a tragedy; for Hamas, it is a strategy. A strategy to awaken global public opinion, to gain sympathy through enforced victimization, and to put increased pressure on Israel. I would hope that respected newspapers and educated readers would not fall into Hamas’ trap.
Israel’s Unprecedented Facilitation of Humanitarian Aid
Another anti-Israel campaign being repeated here relates to the issue of humanitarian aid. I will again emphasize what we have made clear time after time since the beginning of the war: Israel is not preventing or limiting the entry of aid into Gaza. Since the beginning of the war, more than 2.1 million tons of aid have entered Gaza via land, air, and sea.
In fact, in the week of September 21-28, right as the Capital editorial was published, 1,517 aid trucks entered Gaza, while 2,143 trucks were collected inside Gaza for distribution by international organizations. These trucks included food, shelter equipment, medical supplies, gas, and additional aid items meant for the civilians of Gaza. In recent weeks, food prices in Gaza have been dropping due to this massive inflow of aid.
In addition to the transfer of goods, there are four water pipelines functioning to supply water to Gaza – three of them from Israel and one from Egypt. Electricity from Israel has been powering two water desalination plants in Gaza that provide freshwater for civilian consumption, and additional groundwater pumps across the Strip are powered by fuel and gas supplied from Israel.
How to End This War
Now, let us get to what most rational people are really praying for: a true end to the war. Just days ago, US President Donald Trump unveiled a clear and detailed proposal to end this war. The plan was endorsed by Israel and a long list of influential Arab and Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, and Indonesia, as well as a number of Western leaders.
Israel accepted the US proposal in the hope that it will end the war in Gaza, release our remaining 48 hostages, and dismantle Hamas’ capabilities. The post-war rebuilding process will lead to a deradicalized, demilitarized Gaza Strip which will no longer pose a threat to Israel, and will open the door to a more secure and prosperous future for the people of our region.
As we awaited Hamas’ response to the US plan this past week, it was telling that those activists who were so vocal about “ceasefire now”, those who were hurling accusations demonizing Israel throughout this war, were now silent. Some have even backtracked, saying that even though the US proposal will end the war, it will do so while taking into account Israel’s security needs, which is a supposed affront to the Palestinian cause.
The hypocrisy being exhibited would be funny, if it weren’t so sad.
The Path Towards Peace in the Middle East
The true tragedy playing out is not a result of Israel’s actions, but rather that of Hamas and the Palestinian leadership’s continued reliance on terrorism and self-victimization, and their refusal to imagine and build a future of coexistence. When the international community and media reinforce this victimhood mentality instead of holding Hamas and Palestinian leaders accountable for their actions, it robs the Palestinians of agency, turning them into passive pawns being acted upon by so-called Israeli aggression. This narrative is wrong, and it must be countered with the truth.
Israel is a tiny country, making up just 0.17% of the area of the Arab League nations. We live on our ancestral land, and our greatest desire since we regained independence in 1948 has been to exist in peace and security alongside our neighbors. And yet, for too long we have been forced to fight, to defend our land and our citizens from attack by those who hope we will one day disappear.
A just peace will come when all of Israel’s neighbors recognize the permanence and legitimacy of the Jewish state’s existence in its homeland. When that day arrives, there will be nothing left to fight over, and the Middle East will see the dawn of a new day.
On September 21-23, we marked Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. May this year, 5786, see the speedy return of our remaining hostages, the end of war, and the beginning of a more peaceful and secure future for Israel and for our neighbors across the region.
Dr. Avraham Neguise is Ambassador of the State of Israel to Ethiopia
