How far do we need to go back to trace the origins of this conflict?

Hamas began life as a Palestinian branch of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood , an Islamist organisation seeking a return to the premodern patterns of Islamic imperialism, conquest, and plunder.

For Hamas , the conflict with Israel is situated within a longer historical narrative of Islamic domination and is a continuation of a campaign to assert Islamic rule and rebuild the theocratic Islamic empire that dominated the entire Middle East .

We must place the conflict between Israel and Hamas in its proper global context, writes Peter Bergen .

Bergen: We must be serious about being ready to stand up to Islamists seeking to revive Islamic imperialism.

The struggle against Islamism is not a struggle against Muslims , but it is a struggle alongside all the peaceful and moderate Muslims and Arabs who suffer most under Islamism .

Egypt , for instance, has cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood , recognising its potential to infiltrate governments and destabilise society.

The United Arab Emirates has invested in institutions dedicated to countering violent extremism.

We need to support moderate Islamic voices and implement programs that address the ideological roots of extremism rather than merely its symptoms.