One of the most controversial debates surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict is not about what happened after October 7th, but what happened in the years before it.

Frank Wright argues that elements within the Israeli political establishment tolerated—or even encouraged—the strengthening of Hamas because it divided Palestinian politics and weakened the prospects of a two-state solution.

Critics of Benjamin Netanyahu point to years of reporting in the Israeli press suggesting that allowing Qatari money into Gaza was seen as a means of keeping Hamas in power and preventing a unified Palestinian leadership.

Supporters of Netanyahu argue that the situation was far more complex and that policies were driven by security considerations rather than long-term political engineering.

Did short-term political calculations contribute to the long-term crisis we are witnessing today?

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