GAZA Catastrophe... - Magical Book - About the Genocide

 

GAZA Catastrophe: The Genocide in World-Historical Perspective is a magical book about a most difficult subject.   Gilbert Achcar, its author is Professor Emeritus of Developmental Studies and International Relations at SOAS, University of London.

This book sets itself three objectives: a) A long-term analysis of the tragic history that predates the Gaza genocide, from Zionism’s origin’s to Hamas’s takeover of Gaza and the beginning of Israel’s repeated onslaughts on the strip; b) a close observation of the events that began on 7 October, 1923, placing them in historical context and perspective; and c) a reflection,  from a more detached and all-encompassing viewpoint, on various aspects of the tragedy, including a critique of Hamas and considerations on the far-right drift of Israel’s society and polity, as well as on the global context of a surging far right and the decadence of Western liberalism, against which the Gaza genocide constitutes a watershed in world history.. (p.2)

 

Achcar, concluding his writing in early 2025, as Donald Trump was beginning his second presidential administration takes on lofty goals.    The book is a set of separate writings, including parts he wrote since October 7th, that helped me learn a lot.   I’ve read and reviewed other books including two on Hamas.   This book adds a lot for me, and I believe it will for many readers.   It’s good whether one has read a lot, or nothing.

The author helps take its readers deeper and deeper into the muck!   His research and knowledge, and excellent writing allows for bluntness, and analysis that is deep with relatively few words.   Hamas is not “the devil”, as is commonly portrayed by mainstream media and politicians.   It is also (from his perspective) a problematic organization/entity.

Achcar believes that the October 7th attack seriously hurt the cause of the Palestinian People and that Hamas’s leadership should have understood that the massive genocide or something faintly close to it would be the Israeli response due both to United States leadership, and the right-wing Israeli leadership, particularly as lead by Benjamin Netanyahu.

While analyzing quite briefly (and deeply) he tears apart myths of “good will” and “positive intention” of Joe Biden (and later in the book) Donald Trump, in addition to The Israeli leadership.

When writing in 2024, he stated:

In May, ignoring Washington’s pleas he sent his troops into Rafah and the border region with Egypt, thereby eliminating the main appeal a ceasefire would have held for Hamas.   By then refusing to pull back from Rafah even temporarily as recommended by Israel’s military chiefs and defense minister Yoav Gallant (his foremost rival within Likud), Netanyahu sabotaged any serious chance of a deal with the Palestinians.   Egypt, meanwhile, was furious to have lost the upper hand it had previously had over the Rafah crossing.

This was Netanyahu clearly snubbing President Biden, to whom he had no intention of handing a tidy truce complete with freed hostages.


https://gilbert-achcar.net/

Gilbert Achcar was born in Senegal in 1951, grew up in Lebanon, lived in Paris (1983-2003) and Berlin (2003-2007), and has been based in London since 2007. … I am not the author of the Wikipedia pages about me. They include inaccuracies and reflect the particular interests of those who intervened in drafting them rather than objective criteria.

Achcar ends this excellent book writing in early 2025 of the insane (but certainly possible) proposal to forcibly move Gazan residents into a portion of the Negev Desert within the 1948 boundaries of Israel proximate to Egypt (where they could be surrounded by Israeli Security forces (of course).  The author talks both of the irrational and the realities of the situation.   He is clearly both a scholar and individual who cares deeply.   His concerns are not only about the Palestinian and Lebanese People, but also about a just, lasting peace for all (including the Jews) of the Middle East.

Below is sliver of a December 30, 2025 writing of his (I found it today, February 3, 2026).


Donald Trump Isn’t Santa Claus

… Last Monday’s meeting between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu—marking their sixth encounter in the past year alone, the first year of Trump’s second term—once again led commentators to voice their hopes that the US president will apply decisive pressure on the Israeli prime minister to move forward with the second phase of Trump’s “peace plan.” …

These commentators, even before the start of Trump’s second term, have been clinging to the belief that the US president is genuinely pursuing peace since he has been chasing the Nobel Peace Prize. In truth, however, Trump seeks peace agreements only when they benefit him, his family, and his allies, while simultaneously transforming into an aggressive warmonger in other circumstances, as seen in his stance toward Iran and, more recently, Venezuela.

https://gilbert-achcar.net/donald-trump-isnt-santa-claus     December 30, 2025

Note:  Gilbert Achcar, on his blog entry concludes it saying:

Feel free to republish or to publish in other languages, with mention of the source.

 

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