In his March 25 opinion column in The Globe and Mail, R. David Harden, the former assistant administrator of USAID’s bureau for democracy, conflict and humanitarian assistance, alleged that Israel is waging a war of territorial conquest against the Palestinians, glossing over details so fundamental that they ultimately defeat his entire argument.

Harden’s column entitled: “Israel is waging a war with no rules in Gaza,” came six months after a previous commentary of his in this same newspaper which depicted Israel as awash with religious extremists while noticeably ignoring the Islamic Republic of Iran and its theocratic mullahs, who have fueled war across the Middle East.

In his more recent column, Harden compared Israel’s war with Hamas, comparing it to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, writing that “the great powers will have cemented a legacy: the idea that stronger nations can simply seize the land of their weaker neighbours.”

According to Harden, Israel will “certainly pursue a maximalist strategy to push much of the Gazan population into Egypt and regain full long-term occupational control over the Mediterranean coastal enclave.” But even if this were true, it is in no way comparable to an unprovoked attack on a neighbour simply to gain territory.

Perhaps most importantly, Israel did not choose war with Hamas. For decades, it has pursued a number of strategies, from disengagement to ‘mowing the lawn,’ a strategy of localized fighting, in an effort to achieve peace and security. None of that worked. And as Harden noted in his column, even over the last 18 months of heavy fighting, Hamas remains – despite significant setbacks – in control of much of Gaza.

Hamas chose war with Israel on October 7, 2023, and every day since, by continuing to hold dozens of Israeli hostages, both alive and dead. Clearly, a new strategy is required to force Hamas to relinquish control, particularly given that Hamas has adamantly refused to free the hostages unless Israel surrenders, an obvious non-starter.

Israel cannot tolerate Gaza run by a fanatical Islamist terrorist group operating there, with the sworn goal of destroying Israel. And until Gazans rise up and topple Hamas – a scenario which, while possible, seems extremely unlikely – there appears to be little alternative than for Israel to maintain oversight of the coastal territory to ensure the safety of its citizens.

Harden’s commentary fundamentally missed the big picture. He wrote that: “Israel had to respond and defend itself” after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 massacres, but then robbed Israel of this right. What, exactly, does defending itself mean but to defeat Hamas, given that – by Hamas’ own admission – there is no negotiation, nor middle ground possible with the Jewish State, which it seeks to violently destroy and replace with an Islamic theocracy?

There is no easy answer for Israeli leaders, attempting to keep the deadly threats of Hamas at bay, but Harden attempted to provide exactly that. But an easy answer which misunderstands the threat posed by Hamas, and misrepresented the security considerations driving Israeli policy, is no answer at all, but merely empty rhetoric devoid of significance.

Harden is certainly entitled to his own views, but his analysis is not just superficial; it reflects a total misunderstanding of the Hamas-Israel conflict and is intellectually dishonest.