By Justine Hemmestad, with help from Major Itamar Ben David
Blanden Art Museum, located in the historic Oak Hill District of Fort Dodge, includes the Ann R. Smeltzer Modernist collection of European and American painting and sculpture (the Leader also has an article about a corn maze on Smeltzer Learning Farm this week). The museum itself is a neo-classical public building that sits on private grounds, financed by Charles Granger Blanden in memory of his wife, Elizabeth Blanden, and donated to Fort Dodge upon completion in 1932. The architect of the museum was Fort Dodge resident E.O. Damon, who had returned to Fort Dodge 20 years earlier to open his own practice in domestic architecture. In addition to the Blanden Art Museum building, which is as much a work of art as the art housed within, Damon also drew the plans for the Carver Building, the Corpus Christi Convent, several schools and churches in the area, and at the time of his death he was working on plans for Friendship Haven. The Blanden Art Museum’s counterpart in Israel may well be Israel’s first art museum, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, which was coincidentally also completed in 1932. But that’s not where the similarities stop. The museum was the former home of Tel Aviv’s first mayor, Meir Dizengoff, who donated the property for a museum in memory of his wife, Zina, after she died in 1930. Like the Blanden Art Museum, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art is an influential institution that preserves and displays modern and contemporary art. Of the Museum’s historical significance, it was where the Israeli Declaration of Independence took place in 1948. The Tel Aviv Museum of Art hosts works of art that survived WWII, such as works by Pablo Picasso and Gustav Klimt. However, in an effort to keep the most valuable art safe whilst Iran and its proxies threaten Israel with missile attacks, pieces are being stored in rows of large, metal “grills” in the “safe.” The custodians know they must preserve the art for the next generation. My friend Major Itamar Ben David also reminds me in light of the museum’s action, that “many rounds of violence and military operations with Gaza” have been taking place in the last 10-15 years. The custodians of this art have sheltered the works be- fore, but Ben David assures me that Hamas’ unending threat of periodic attacks must come to an end. Israelis are supposed to be able to live in safety without another group striving to wipe them off the face of the earth, ramping that endeavor up every few years. Most recently, “both Iran and Hezbollah have threatened to avenge the killings of Ismail Haniyeh and Fuad Shukr.” Now, the world waits to see if there will be the ceasefire deal that Iran stipulates in order not to attack Israel. But what are the chances of that? As Ben David points out, “Hamas didn’t bother to send a delegation to the summit in Doha.” He also suggests that the optimism of American politicians for a deal may be largely influenced by their politics, and the timeliness thereof. Israelis, though, have reason to dismiss the falsity of a ceasefire. Most importantly, the citizens of Israel won’t accept a ceasefire deal if Hamas “is left standing” and capable of mounting another attack geared to wipe them off the face of the earth. As an American, I couldn’t even begin to imagine know- ing that people in Nebraska, for example, had been plotting to kill my family for as long as Iowa has existed as a state - and because Iowa existed as a state. The closest resemblance we have in America would be the fight between the border states of Kansas and Missouri during the Civil War in the 1860s, and still the violence was accentu- ated by the raids of Centralia and Lawrence. Ben David also says that in order for a ceasefire, all the hostages would have to be back home. Israel would also have to demand full control of Rafah “in order to prevent any future smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip, as well as full Israeli control of the Gaza Strip itself.” Relentless attacks on Israel must be prevented. Additionally, Israelis know that the UN corroborates with Hamas and therefore the pres- ence of the UN in the Gaza Strip must be dismissed. Furthermore, the “indoctrination and incitement against Israel in Gaza” must stop. Israelis must be able to live in peace, without their neighbors plotting to kill them or take their land. Another stipulation of Hamas for a ceasefire deal is the re- lease of Marwan Barghouthi - the leader of the First and Sec- ond Intifadas. Such a release would leave everyone in Israel vulnerable, even though Israel was founded to be a safe place for Jews. If Netanyahu allows the release of Barghouthi, he willfully puts Israelis’ lives in danger the way he allowed Israelis lives to be in danger on October 7. No Israeli politician will survive if this were to happen, Ben David says, they would be overthrown in elections. Though “Israel has the ad- vantage,” Israelis want a Prime Minister who has the courage to use that advantage, rather than force Israel into “2-3 years of low key war.” Ben David has said before that Israel has no interest in lengthy wars of attrition, as Hamas has no reason to stop the fight. And with this point, any ceasefire deal gets tricky. Hamas sees room to negoti- ate. Hamas leadership noticed the crack in Israel-American relations when Biden halted the weapons delivery to Israel. This is important because Hamas also sees the appeasement of Iran. They see the obstacles that Washington has set before Israel, while “not pressuring Qatar and Iran to force Hamas to let go of the hostages.” Further, when countries like Norway, Spain, and Ireland recognize the Palestinian state, they follow suit with Iran, Russia, and China, “which are against America and therefore wish to undermine Israel.” Hamas also takes advantage of these cracks in the world, such as “the protests for them in England, the discontent of Israelis with their government and especially with Netanyahu, and the humanitarian aid in Gaza - over humanitarian aid in Sudan, Nigeria, or Bangladesh.” Hamas also sees that, “the UN considers issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials.” The world is upset with Israel because the population of Gaza, under Hamas’ rule, is suffering - which is the exact reaction Hamas wants from the world…but the world is being played like a fiddle. Hamas is taking advantage of the psychological aspect of the war, which may be even more impactful than the military aspect. They’re using the hostages as leverage, as was surely their intent upon taking them. Ben David says that Hamas is watching Israel’s hesitation to fight Iran, Lebanon, and Yemen, and “they see Israel’s economy suffer, and they’re encouraged.” They see cracks. He says that Hamas has no actual incentive to strike a ceasefire deal, not when they’re getting everything they want through their psychological warfare. “Hamas,” Ben David assures, “has no reason to have a deal that is short of an Israeli truce.” To reiterate, the only end to the war that Hamas wants, is to see the end of Israel. Hamas’ objective is, “to get their terrorists who are imprisoned in Israel released, and a weakened and demoralized Israel. They believe a white flag by Israel now will lead to the next step: using their popularity after such a victory to take over the West Bank and bring more war to the doorsteps of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.” Ben David is among those who believe that annexing at least half of Gaza and declaring it a sovereign part of Israel, as Israel has the legal right to do in a move called uti possidetis juris, would be the only way to stop the constant threat to Israel. “Israel is the only political entity that declared independence in 1948, in the hours be- fore the British mandate ended, which means that Israel inherits the borders of the British mandate.” “The Palestinians will be forced to abandon their genocidal plans for Israel and abandon jihad and their ideology that leaves no room for an Israeli Jewish state.” Ben David says, “No Israeli in the next 2-3 generations will agree to a two state solution after October 7.” I think of what would have happened if America had been asked to live beside Afghanistan right after 9-11. To that end, Ben David assures me that Israel won’t allow a terror state at their doorstep while they have the power to reject it.
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