It’s eleventh day of the 2014 conflict. So far, more than 340 Palestinian dead,
and more than 2500 injured, not counting the destroyed lives of the thousands
of people who have lost their whole life belongings and became homeless…
We have seen such conflicts many times, every few months,
for close to 10 years now. Every
time several hundred (or sometimes far more than a thousand) casualties and
great number of injured…
We have heard all the ‘catchy’ names of these military
operations - like ‘Rainbow’ (2004), ‘Days of Penitence’ (2004), ’Summer Rains’
(2006), ‘Autumn Clouds’ (2006), ‘Hot winter’ (2008), ’Cast Lead’ (2008/2009),
‘Returning Echo’ (March 2012), ‘Pillar of Defense’ (October 2012), ‘Brother’s
Keeper’ (June 2014), and ‘Protective Edge’ (July 8, 2014 - ongoing) (1*). They are just names - behind them are
the very personal tragedies - hundreds of thousand of them…
After the decades of the failed attempts to sponsor the
lasting peace between these two adversaries, the world’s audience suffers from
the ‘Political ADD’ (Political Attention Deficit Disorder). The news coming from Gaza, bringing the
information about the number of casualties, and the destruction to the cities
and villages, make all of us, at first surprised and scared, than not understanding
and tired, and at the end just uncomfortable…
Almost 2 million people in Gaza Strip are subjected to a
blockade, in result of which they can’t catch fish, they can’t rebuild their
houses, they suffer the shortage of water, electricity, medicines, food…
And they do not know at all, if their children survive the
next day… And all that with a
total disregard to the humanitarian laws, and the UN resolutions.
Since the 2005, Gaza Strip is in the hands of the
Palestinian Authorities. Israel
withdrew their military from the Strip, and succeeded in making the Gaza Strip
residents, to ‘police’ themselves.
In the result of the Palestinian legislative elections held
on January 25, 2006 Hamas formed the new Government - the first National Unity
Government with Fatah. It didn’t
last long and both parties engaged in a violent conflict (lasting until the
reconciliation in 2014).
Hamas became the sole ruling faction in Gaza Strip after so
called Battle of Gaza - between June 10-15 2007(2*), when the Hamas militants
removed the Fatah officials and Fatah offices from the Gaza Strip. Hamas, after all, won the popular
elections(!), although the Fatah side insists on calling it a ‘military coup’.
After years of mismanagement and open conflict between Hamas and Fatah, on April 23, 2014, in Gaza City the Reconciliation Agreement was signed giving hopes to the Palestinians, that although split in two territories, the Palestinian people may have a single, unified political representation - National Unity Government. Although considered as a thread to the peace process, by many countries (including the USA), the agreement between Fatah and Hamas should produce more moderate Government, than the Hamas alone (by itself more extreme and stubborn).
After years of mismanagement and open conflict between Hamas and Fatah, on April 23, 2014, in Gaza City the Reconciliation Agreement was signed giving hopes to the Palestinians, that although split in two territories, the Palestinian people may have a single, unified political representation - National Unity Government. Although considered as a thread to the peace process, by many countries (including the USA), the agreement between Fatah and Hamas should produce more moderate Government, than the Hamas alone (by itself more extreme and stubborn).
Hamas is not an organization you would like on your
backyard. That’s for sure. It is a religious based Muslim
organization, who’s militant wing pledges the destruction of Israel, and is by
many countries in the world (including the USA) considered a terrorist
organization. But let’s understand
that its creation didn’t happen in a political vacuum.
It came into being in 1987 - during the First Intifada
(Unarmed Palestinian Uprising) - as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim
Brotherhood - to liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation and to establish an
Islamic state in the area that is now Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip
(3*).
They became extremely popular within Palestinians in the
Gaza Strip, because after so many disappointments related to the Fatah
collaboration with the Egyptians at first, and Israelis later. After decades of the siege, for a
common Palestinian from the Gaza, Hamas is the only force which stands for the
people of Gaza. Being used to hear
only the empty promises - suddenly there is a force which delivers on the
‘welfare front’. Hamas provides
the education, health coverage, helps financially the families who lost members
or their households in the effect of the actions by the Israeli Defense
Forces…
Hamas’ militants send on occasions thousands of crude, not
accurate and short distance missiles into Israel, threatening the lives of the
residents of the nearby cities and villages.
Every time it happens, after a few unsuccessful attempts to
negotiate the ‘cease fire’ the Israeli Army starts another of their Operations
with a ‘catchy’ name (as mentioned in the beginning of the article).
What happens next works like a good, Swiss watch. After the initial anger toward the
Hamas for starting the barrage of rockets, and causing the reaction of the IDF,
while the list of the casualties grow, the anger redirects itself toward the
IDF, and IDF only.
The popularity of Hamas rises as fast as the bamboo
shoots. Whenever the Israelis
launch their new operation which aims to disarm Hamas, and remove any thread of
the rocket assault on Israel, the Hamas becomes stronger and its support among
the population rises. Every time
the new operation brings even higher number of the casualties, the anger of the
World grows, the popularity of Hamas grows, and the Israel looses it’s moral
‘upper hand’.
The ironic paradox in this situation is that Israel can't afford destroying the Hamas completely. In the political climate where there are plenty Super-Extreme (extreme doesn't cover it) militarized organizations like Islamic State (former ISIL or ISIS), the alternative to Hamas is frightening.
The ironic paradox in this situation is that Israel can't afford destroying the Hamas completely. In the political climate where there are plenty Super-Extreme (extreme doesn't cover it) militarized organizations like Islamic State (former ISIL or ISIS), the alternative to Hamas is frightening.
A few days ago the Egypt produced a new initiative to
negotiate a ‘cease fire’. It was
accepted by the Israel… and Hamas rejected it. Why? Someone
forgot to include the Hamas into the negotiations…
How is it possible?
We may call it a ’terrorist organization’, but it is the legal
government of the Gaza - democratically elected, and it is a ‘player’ in this
conflict.
Every time Hamas starts its rocket barrages, they know that
the response will be heavy and un-proportional. But their goal is to bring the world’s attention to the
unresolved issues of the ‘illegal blockade of Gaza’, and to the conditions
which Gaza residents endure.
I do not agree with the means - I do not accept the
endangering the Israeli civilians in any way. But, their goal is negotiation some positive changes to the
existing Gaza conditions. Not a
’status quo’ - which was offered by the Egyptians.
A couple of days ago Hamas made public their list of ten
demands upon Israel in exchange for a proposed ten year truce with the Jewish
state (4*).
I will quote these conditions here, because I am not sure if
they are so unreasonable…
1. Return of IDF tank positions so that farmers can work
their lands
2. Freeing of all prisoners arrested since June 23 (when 3
Israeli teens were killed by Hamas operatives), and improving the conditions of
those currently in prison.
3. Lifting of Israel’s naval blockade around Gaza along with
the complete opening of the land border crossings.
4. Establishment of an international airport and seaport in
Gaza.
5. Expansion of Gaza fishing zone by six miles.
6. Open the Israel-Gaza Rafah border crossing permanently
under UN supervision, instead of under Israel’s watch.
7. 10 year truce with Israel along with the deployment of an
international observer force on the border.
8. Israel must never enter Gaza under any circumstances and
protect Palestinian Muslim worshippers at Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
9. Israel must refrain from interfering with the newly
created unity Palestinian
government between Fatah and Hamas.
10. Rehabilitation of Gaza Industrial Zones and allowance
for Gaza to create a border protection force.
Some of these demands do not make sense in the current
political climate, but others…
I am sure that in the process of the negotiations, some of
these demands may be easily, and simply crossed off, but many would stay. These are just demands to have the
’normal’ life in Gaza.
Instead, we see the escalation of the military incursion,
and increased number of victims.
Let’s remember just one of the recent operations:
In ‘Cast Lead’ in Dec. 2008 - Feb 2009 - about 1450 Palestinians
killed (Goldstone Report (5*)).
How many will suffer in the Operation ‘Protective Edge’?
____________________________________________
1* - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza–Israel_conflict
2* - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_Gaza_(2007)
3* - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas
4* - http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/07/16/Report-Hamas-Offers-10-Year-Truce-with-10-Demands
5* -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Fact_Finding_Mission_on_the_Gaza_Conflict
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