The Hindu Lit for Life 2025: Original Sin: Israel, Palestine and The Revenge of Old West Asia

Journalists discuss Israel-Gaza ceasefire, history of conflict, and international law's role in West Asia at Hindu Lit for Life.

In the session titled “Original Sin: Israel, Palestine, and the Revenge of West Asia”, journalist and author Stanly Johny and journalist Salil Tripathi discussed the immediate situation in West Asia, particularly Israel’s ceasefire with Gaza and its hostage release deal with the Hamas; and traced the history of the conflict.

Also see: The Hindu Lit for Life 2025 Day 1 LIVE

Though the world is celebrating the ceasefire, Dr. Johny does not think it is time for us to party yet. “It is a ceasefire with three phases,” he explained. “In the first stage, Hamas will release 33 hostages and the Israelis will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. They are focused on implementing the first phrase. But the second and third stages, which involve release of more hostages and detainees and the complete withdrawal of Israel from Gaza, among other conditions, will be a lot more challenging to implement. [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is hell-bent on not pulling out of Gaza,” he said.

Dr. Johny recalled how the ceasefire came into place after more than 14 months of intense fighting. He said that Israel rejected the same ceasefire deal months ago, but accepted it now largely due to three factors: “First, Israel believes that its position in West Asia is stronger after the fall of the Assad regime and also that Iran will be weakened further. Second, the return of Donald Trump in the United States may have helped push the deal through. Third, Mr. Netanhayu is confident that his political standing has improved and that his government will survive,” he explained. On being asked whether Mr. Netanyahu has secured his position, Dr. Johny argued that the Israeli Prime Minister, who was in a beleaguered state just a year ago, faces no immediate threat now. “He is a true politician and knows how to bounce back,” he said.

He also argued that Hamas is not a spent force. “Hamas has recruited as many fighters as it has lost over 13 months. It has reinvented itself as an insurgency. It is far from finished,” he said.

On the crucial question of who deserves credit for the ceasefire, Dr. Johny said former U.S. President Joe Biden had been pushing for peace, but had adopted a “flawed approach”. He said, “He continued to sell weapons and protected Israel in the United Nations. He was leading the diplomatic initiative without using his leverage with the Israelis.” On the other hand, President-elect Trump has managed to achieve in a short period what the Biden administration has been trying for months, he contended.

Mr. Tripathi complimented Dr. Johny for his book, which he said “did not read like it has been written by an Indian journalist, and I mean that as a compliment.” With deep scholarship, and by adopting a bottom-up approach to history, Dr. Johny provides a definitive history of West Asia, he said.