Ami Ayalon: ‘We are fighting in a war of ideas’
The former director of Israel’s Shin Bet security service says the ideology of Hamas cannot be defeated on the battlefield
The former director of the Israeli Security Agency, also known as Shin Bet, has told the BBC that the ideology of Hamas cannot be defeated on the battlefield and a two-state solution is the only way to secure lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Speaking to HARDtalk, Ami Ayalon said, ‘the only way to defeat the horror, the violence, and the concept, the ideology of Hamas… is to present a better political horizon for us and for the Palestinians.’
Mr Ayalon is a special forces veteran who was commander of the Israeli navy before taking charge of the Shin Bet security agency. In recent years, he has been a vocal critic of his country’s strategic approach to the long-running conflict with the Palestinians. ‘Hamas is an ideology with organisation,’ he said. ‘In order to defeat the ideology, we have to present a better ideology.’
Referring to the current war in Gaza, Mr Ayalon said the cycle of violence would continue even if Israel can claim victory on the ground. ‘It will not help us if we shall kill all the Hamas leaders, if we shall kill all the Hamas activists,’ he said. ‘On the day after, two Palestinian children will take knives and will do everything in order to kill an Israeli or a Jew.’
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after the Hamas attack on 7th October 2023, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage. The ensuing war and humanitarian crisis has killed 34,000 people, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
In recent decades there has been little progress towards a two-state solution. ‘We did many mistakes, and Palestinians did many mistakes,’ said Ami Ayalon. Despite this, he said it remained the ‘only living concept’ acceptable to the ‘worldwide community.’
