When Hamas launched its assault into southern Israel on 7 October 2023, it quickly became evident that Netanyahu’s government was gearing up for all-out war. But what was also strikingly clear was the similarities between Israel’s response and the US rush to war after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as its subsequent abject failure to bring peace.
Indeed, twenty-two years earlier and a few days after 9/11, I wrote in openDemocracy that: “The group responsible for the [9/11] attacks has engaged in detailed planning over many months and has substantial numbers of supporters with total dedication to its aims. A core aspect of the current situation is that the group responsible for the attacks needs a strong US counter-reaction. Indeed this should be recognised as one of the prime motivations for the attacks.
Replace “US” in that quote with “Israel” and the fit is uncomfortably close. Netanyahu vowed to dismantle and destroy Hamas piece by piece in retaliation for what he deemed a barbaric attack by "human animals" – echoing the rhetoric used by the US following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
