Category: Middle East, World Affairs Topics: Conflicts And War, Gaza, Occupation, Palestine Views: 3736
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Why is Israel Back in Gaza?
The disparity between Israel's public narrative and its actual intents cannot possibly be any more palpable than in the current Gaza onslaught following the capture by Palestinians of an Israeli solider near Gaza in a daring June 25 raid on a military post.
"Anybody who calls this operation disproportionate has no clue about the facts on the ground. We have been attacked and bombarded for months and weeks," Yitzhak Herzog, the Israeli cabinet secretary, said, responding to what some media described as "an increasing international concern" over the Israeli reinvasion of parts of the Gaza Strip and the subsequent high death toll. Shortly after Herzog made his comments, the death toll among Palestinians as a result of the Israeli action rose to 52, mostly civilians.
However, numbers can hardly communicate the humanitarian crisis underway as a result of the Israeli siege and bombardment.
The Israeli official was reiterating a new mantra adopted by the Israeli government, aimed at silencing any serious criticism of the Israeli military and its deadly practices in Gaza. Such rebuttal however, seemed overly exaggerated, considering that no serious, or at least meaningful international criticism of the Israeli raids in Gaza, dubbed by the ever poetic Israeli army as "Summer Rain." The Israeli one-sided war was exasperated by the fact that Palestinians have been under a long economic siege which was tightened even further with the election of Hamas to power last January.
The Gaza Strip, a stretch of land that hardly exceeds a few kilometers in length and is much smaller in width has always been the home of the poorest of Palestinians, with living conditions that speak of utter misery, and can only be compared to the poorest countries in the world, despite Gaza's highly educated population.
Israel insists that its operation is not intended to harm the civilian population, but to root out and for good the so-called terrorist elements that use the civilian infrastructure to attack adjacent Israeli towns with rockets. It also says that it will not cease its 'military activities' in the area until its captured soldier is returned home safely and without conditions.
Israel's demands, without proper context - sound reasonable, to say the least. Israeli and US media commentators agree; their overall assessment is:
Israel doesn't want to set precedent by giving terrorists an incentive to carry on with their acts of terror, and Israel's favorite mantra, any democratic country would do precisely what Israel has done to secure its citizens.
Again, the historic role of the media, that of completely acknowledging and sympathizing with Israeli concerns, while regularly disregarding Palestinian concerns as unworthy, continues to perpetuate with equal force and tenacity.
Thus the only relevant context, as far as the Western media is concern, is that context instructed by Israel, who, in turn, wishes to convince everyone that the above demands are indeed the real reasons behind its bloody Gaza onslaught.
If the military's intentions are indeed to "root out terrorists" as Israel tirelessly asserts, then why insist on pursuing the same detrimental policies - those of siege, isolation and overt militarism - that deprive Palestinians of any sense of hope that Gaza could finally become an economically viable, truly independent polity? Why push desperate Palestinians - through endless assassinations and targeting of civilians in broad daylight to embrace vengeful notions and counter- violence?
I say, "notions" because the so-called Palestinians rockets, as ominous as they may appear on television, are yet to claim one Israeli casualty for over a year, while the Israeli military has killed over 150 Palestinians in the last two months alone.
But how about the captured soldier? Is that not a legitimate grievance? It would be if it was not Israel who insisted on creating utterly perilous circumstances under which it places not just its soldiers, but also its civilians. For example, Gilad Shalit - no matter how harmless the photos Israel deliberately provides of him to the media - was taking part in a murderous mission aimed at exactly that, murdering Palestinians. In the seven weeks prior to Shalit's capture, the number of Palestinians killed at the hands of the Israeli military - i.e. Shalit's equally innocent looking colleagues - approached the 100 mark.
Shalit however, was a soldier, trained to physically and mentally endure difficult moments. But how can one explain the transfer of nearly half a million Israeli civilians to the Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem - in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention? How could any responsible 'democracy' endanger its own population by placing them in a war zone, while providing Palestinians with every reason to seek revenge and retaliation for their heavy losses at the hands of the Israeli military?
It's rather odd that the Israeli government is painting this rosy media image for Israel, as a nation that would go to great lengths to save the life of one man, while it puts the life of hundreds of thousands of its people in great danger, notwithstanding the total disregard for the life of all Palestinians. If Israel's actions send any message, it's one filled with hypocrisy and racism.
But what does Israel exactly want? Is its bloody show in Gaza aimed exclusively at the toppling of the Hamas-led government? Or is it directed to at the international community to further demonstrate that Palestinians are no peace partner? Or perhaps it's a message to Israelis themselves, to those who were doubtful that a civilian government with little military history - particularly the records of the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his Defense Minister Amir Peretz - can prove equally ruthless?
It's not clear where this Israeli experiment is heading. But what is hardly unmistakable is that by maintaining low intensity warfare in Gaza, Israel is creating the perfect cover up to its army bulldozers to partition the rest of the West Bank and Jerusalem in accordance with the second phase of Olmert's Disengagement Plan: which intends to slice up the West Bank into various enclaves with no physical continuity, and place its population under an effective, long term, collective incarceration in Bantustan-like areas, to be allowed or denied movement at the behest of an Israeli solider. The plan is being actualized in record time, yet few seem to notice, a reality that Israel will strive to maintain.
Despite the tragic events unfolding in Gaza, the truth is Gaza never was and will unlikely to strategically relevant to Israel's expansionist objectives.
Gaza at best - as has been the case for generations - is simply grounds for Israeli military experimentations, and at worst, a mindless killing field, where Palestinians are forced to 'learn' the same lesson, time and again.
Indeed, the current Israeli military 'operation' in Gaza is keeping true to expectations.
American-Arab journalist Ramzy Baroud is the author of The Second Palestinian Intifada: A Chronicle of a People's Struggle (Pluto Press, London).
Category: Middle East, World Affairs
Topics: Conflicts And War, Gaza, Occupation, Palestine
Views: 3736
Topics: Conflicts And War, Gaza, Occupation, Palestine
Views: 3736
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Older Comments:
HOURI FROM MALAYSIA said:
The land is belong to the Palastenians so israel should not take it from them.They behave not like men but like animals.
2006-07-23
HUDD FROM CANADA said:
Dear Romesh Chander,you wrote:
"So, Islamists want martyrdom;Israel is providing that exactly. So,what is the complaint?.When should Israel stop the martyrdom?"
Islamists don't necessarily want martyrdom.All what I said was that they don't care to die,if they had to.In comparison, there is always great concern for Israeli or Wetern soldiers that are killed. Problem is not the war between Israel and Hezballah, but rather the human casualties that are not envolved in combat. I deplore the hundreds of innocent civilians killed on the Lebanese side including several Canadians as well as the innocent civilians on the Israeli side.Hezballah is a direct product of the unresolved conflict in the region. I personally blame Israel for all the crises in the region.In my opinion,Israel could have avoided all these years of violence and blood shed by arresting the Zionist agenda once the state of Israel was declared in 1948.It could have been achieved very simply.If Israel would have stick to the UN partition and concentrate on border defence more than on territorial expansion, the state of Israel would have been in its legal perimeter.Ghaza and West Bank would have fallen under both Egyptian and Jordanian occupation,as such Islamists would now be fighting those countries,Egypt and Jordan.As the situation today is, who stands on Israel's side other than the countries that facilitated her birth?If Israel would have stayed legit,then rest assure that the whole world including the Arab league would have warrented Israel's right to exist.The radicalized Islamists would have been without any support both material or moral.As Israel proved herself as a pirate entity all her credibility with the Muslim world fell.I understand,there's a fear factor on the side of the Israelis,namely:'the Arabs are going to push us into the sea.' as well as fear from the Muslims' side,'Israel is going to expand to the phantasmic encompassment of the Bible'Any agreement starts with mutual trust.
"So, Islamists want martyrdom;Israel is providing that exactly. So,what is the complaint?.When should Israel stop the martyrdom?"
Islamists don't necessarily want martyrdom.All what I said was that they don't care to die,if they had to.In comparison, there is always great concern for Israeli or Wetern soldiers that are killed. Problem is not the war between Israel and Hezballah, but rather the human casualties that are not envolved in combat. I deplore the hundreds of innocent civilians killed on the Lebanese side including several Canadians as well as the innocent civilians on the Israeli side.Hezballah is a direct product of the unresolved conflict in the region. I personally blame Israel for all the crises in the region.In my opinion,Israel could have avoided all these years of violence and blood shed by arresting the Zionist agenda once the state of Israel was declared in 1948.It could have been achieved very simply.If Israel would have stick to the UN partition and concentrate on border defence more than on territorial expansion, the state of Israel would have been in its legal perimeter.Ghaza and West Bank would have fallen under both Egyptian and Jordanian occupation,as such Islamists would now be fighting those countries,Egypt and Jordan.As the situation today is, who stands on Israel's side other than the countries that facilitated her birth?If Israel would have stayed legit,then rest assure that the whole world including the Arab league would have warrented Israel's right to exist.The radicalized Islamists would have been without any support both material or moral.As Israel proved herself as a pirate entity all her credibility with the Muslim world fell.I understand,there's a fear factor on the side of the Israelis,namely:'the Arabs are going to push us into the sea.' as well as fear from the Muslims' side,'Israel is going to expand to the phantasmic encompassment of the Bible'Any agreement starts with mutual trust.
2006-07-22
ALI FROM USA said:
Northern Cross,
Israel tries to make itself look good by giving the Palestinians a land surrounded by Israeli troops, with restriction of travel and completely cut off from their brethrens in the West Bank. Only a fool would think "Israel pulled out in order to give the Palestinians the chance to build a country without interference."
Israel tries to make itself look good by giving the Palestinians a land surrounded by Israeli troops, with restriction of travel and completely cut off from their brethrens in the West Bank. Only a fool would think "Israel pulled out in order to give the Palestinians the chance to build a country without interference."
2006-07-20
MALIK FROM USA said:
WCGault arguably doesn't remember the historical perspectives
of the conflict. For the past many half-moons, the UN
resolutions after resolutions, the Oslo's, Sharm El-Sheikh's have
set up the ground rules for a peaceful conclusion of this stupid
hostlity. Remember Arafat when he accepted to live side-by-side
with Israel, what happened to him, as well as to many others,
predominantly, civilians who have nothing to do with the military
resistance? Let Israel stop their imbecilic attitude and start to
realize that the Palestinians have the right to live on their lands
w/o fear of being slaughtered, robbed, abducted, and
humiliated. Hope I responded to your inquiry, satisfactorily!
of the conflict. For the past many half-moons, the UN
resolutions after resolutions, the Oslo's, Sharm El-Sheikh's have
set up the ground rules for a peaceful conclusion of this stupid
hostlity. Remember Arafat when he accepted to live side-by-side
with Israel, what happened to him, as well as to many others,
predominantly, civilians who have nothing to do with the military
resistance? Let Israel stop their imbecilic attitude and start to
realize that the Palestinians have the right to live on their lands
w/o fear of being slaughtered, robbed, abducted, and
humiliated. Hope I responded to your inquiry, satisfactorily!
2006-07-20
H.A. FROM YATHIB said:
Northerncross is suffering from "Bush syndrome". Bush is an embarrassment for the Americans so is Northerncross. The ONLY way to wake Northerncros up to the sitution is Palestine is to force him out of his home, then tie him up in a tree and bulldoze his house right in front of eyes and if he complains the needs to bombed with American F-16, which must be paid by American taxpayers.
2006-07-20
NORTHERN CROSS FROM USA said:
Hudd illustrates why radical Islamists are such a terrible enemy. Life is a precious gift from God, one that we human beings should be thankful for everyday. Radical Islamists don't value human life, not even their own. They spit on God's gift and call it "martyrdom", in the fraudulent belief that God rewards such open contempt for His blessings.
These are the kinds of people who commit atrocities in Beslan, Madrid, London, Bali and New York. And this the enemy that Israel has been dealing with ever since its inception. Israel is on the front line in humanity's battle against clear evil, and so it is absolutely vital that they do not surrender to those radical islamists, people who willingly strip themselves of their own humanity in the cause of evil.
These are the kinds of people who commit atrocities in Beslan, Madrid, London, Bali and New York. And this the enemy that Israel has been dealing with ever since its inception. Israel is on the front line in humanity's battle against clear evil, and so it is absolutely vital that they do not surrender to those radical islamists, people who willingly strip themselves of their own humanity in the cause of evil.
2006-07-20
ROMESH CHANDER FROM USA said:
To Hudd:
You write "The Islamists are not Europeans either,they have nothing to lose and by dying they just abtain martyrdom. How can you match that? Forget that USA or Israel are going to win through violence,never.".
So, Islamists want martyrdom; Israel is providing that exactly. So, what is the complaint?. When should Israel stop the martyrdom?
You write "The Islamists are not Europeans either,they have nothing to lose and by dying they just abtain martyrdom. How can you match that? Forget that USA or Israel are going to win through violence,never.".
So, Islamists want martyrdom; Israel is providing that exactly. So, what is the complaint?. When should Israel stop the martyrdom?
2006-07-20
HUDD FROM CANADA said:
NorthernCross, change your name in 'Magen David Tzafoni',you deserve it. You put the 'Z' in Zionism,therefore I don't understand why the publishers still choose to post your Zionist garbage on this site.
We know,Israel is not Beslan,Israel is Palestine,everybody knows this including the Jews. The Islamists are not Europeans either,they have nothing to lose and by dying they just abtain martyrdom. How can you match that? Forget that USA or Israel are going to win through violence,never. Rather,let them show some professional leadership instead of this mob philosophy they exhibit through decades!
We know,Israel is not Beslan,Israel is Palestine,everybody knows this including the Jews. The Islamists are not Europeans either,they have nothing to lose and by dying they just abtain martyrdom. How can you match that? Forget that USA or Israel are going to win through violence,never. Rather,let them show some professional leadership instead of this mob philosophy they exhibit through decades!
2006-07-20
WCGAULT FROM USA said:
I want some one from the Palestinian community of the Muslim community to out line a course of action that does not involve the surrender of Israel, but offers the hope of future peace. I am 50 plus and I have never heard anything like that from the Palestinians or their Muslim supporters.
Until something is offered that doesn't begin with the Jews accepting their own distruction, nothing will change. In fact things will only get worse because last night on the news I saw something that may lead to the distruction of Islam. In a national news cast they displayed a map of the world and identified all of violence associated with Islam. It covered all of the populated continents of the world, and all of the violence was done in the name of Allah. If the world focus' on that, Muslims all over the world could have a difficult time. It is time to offer the world, and Israel alternatives that don't included killing, death ,chaos or blaming everybody but other Muslims for the problems in the Middle East, and the rest of the world.
Until something is offered that doesn't begin with the Jews accepting their own distruction, nothing will change. In fact things will only get worse because last night on the news I saw something that may lead to the distruction of Islam. In a national news cast they displayed a map of the world and identified all of violence associated with Islam. It covered all of the populated continents of the world, and all of the violence was done in the name of Allah. If the world focus' on that, Muslims all over the world could have a difficult time. It is time to offer the world, and Israel alternatives that don't included killing, death ,chaos or blaming everybody but other Muslims for the problems in the Middle East, and the rest of the world.
2006-07-20
NORTHERN CROSS FROM USA said:
IDF must return to Gaza. Israel pulled out in order to give the Palestinians the chance to build a country without interference. Instead, Hamas used to pullout as an opportunity to strike terror in the soul of every Israeli child by using Gaza as a base of operations.
I say this time and again, Israel is not Beslan. And the Israelis won't back down like many Europeans do when radical Islamists foam at the mouth like rabid dogs over a few cartoons.
I say this time and again, Israel is not Beslan. And the Israelis won't back down like many Europeans do when radical Islamists foam at the mouth like rabid dogs over a few cartoons.
2006-07-19
