Gaza — the Palestinian state that could have been
Gaza's dystopia wasn't thrust upon Palestinians. It was chosen, freely, consciously and with open eyes
Figures like Mark Carney continue to speak of Palestinian statehood as if the Gaza catastrophe never happened. He recently stated that he supports such a state “if certain conditions are met.” But the most basic condition, demonstrated capacity for peaceful self-governance, has already been tested. And it failed. And it failed because the majority of Palestinians chose failure. This is not a policy failure. It is a moral one.
Once in power, Hamas executed its rivals, purged dissent, and transformed Gaza into a theocratic fortress. The ballot box vanished. Freedom of speech was extinguished. Billions in foreign aid were funnelled into terrorism, not infrastructure. Schools became indoctrination centres. Hospitals were used to store weapons. Civilians were turned into human shields in a perverse strategy of deterrence by child sacrifice.