Gaza blues
The other week found us in Tel Aviv’s trendy Rabin Square sharing cheerful drinks with a local business friend we hadn’t seen for a while. Somewhere during the evening she suggested we might like to accompany her to work the following morning.
That was when the conversation got a little more serious. As scenic as the one-hour drive from Tel Aviv to Sderot might be, the almost daily barrage of missiles to which the area has been subjected over recent years would surely be disconcerting for a New Zealand visitor.
We’d already felt as much back in 2007 when we paid a jittery visit to the western Negev region in the interests of a bit of unrelated research, including a spur-of-the-moment swing along the flat fields next to Gaza City.
How disconcerting those strikes had become to everybody living near Gaza, of course, was dramatically shown this past week after Israel, goaded by more than 9400 documented rocket and mortar attacks in the past five years (a third of them in the past year alone), finally launched Operation Cast Lead.
While the military campaign by the Israelis is against the Hamas death-cultists who are sworn to Israel’s destruction, there is no denying it is also aimed at sending a severe message to the Islamist group’s Iranian sponsors, whose to-do list of countries to eliminate after they’re done with the Zionist entity even includes New Zealand.
The unfolding drama also puts some serious heat on those in the western media who for so long have reflexively decried any military action taken by the Jewish state.
Here, after all, is a nation exercising the right to defend itself from outside attack and restore the ability for hundreds of thousands of its citizens to go about their normal lives. International law explicitly allows as much and no honest observer, much less anyone committed to a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue, could reasonably object to it on this occasion at least.
As Barack Obama put it last July when he toured the same border towns of the country’s south: “If somebody was sending rockets into my house, where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing.”
Perhaps that’s why many media commentators who in the recent past might have expected to issue uniformly critical screeds have instead offered generally thoughtful, nuanced judgments apportioning a good measure of the blame where it properly belongs. Some of our favourites are here, here and, especially, here. (Hate to be snotty, but we can't find any local pieces worth linking to because nobody in New Zealand who writes regularly about the Middle East appears to have so much as even visited the region.)
Diplomatically, too, the response has been interesting to say the least, as Amotz Asa-El pointed out the other day the Jerusalem Post: “The silence of the Kremlin, the White House, the Elysee Palace and 10 Downing Street as well as China and even Egypt has once again demonstrated — as it did during the first days of the fighting in '06 — that Islamist fundamentalism is the international community's No. 1 scourge, even if its willingness to actively confront it remains inconsistent.”
At the same time, a number of critics whose harsher judgments in the past might have been wrapped in the soothing sounds of progressive thought now find themselves having to tone down just this once or else finally admit their more unlovely motivations.
Thus the relatively small number of incoherent rants about the Jewish peril or the paeans in support of a blatantly undemocratic regime whose last legislative act before the current blitz was to reintroduce the penalty of crucifixion for certain religious crimes.
It’s hard to see how any self-respecting media progressive could enthuse for Hamas. The group’s bloodcurdling covenant is not about achieving a democratic Palestinian state alongside Israel, but about pushing the Jews, homosexuals, feminists and others into the sea, and destroying any opportunity for developing a vibrant economy and better material life for their own citizens. That’s what its leaders say, and their actions have consistently borne this out.
Which is more or less where our conversation the other week in Israel ended up on the same subject. Having got a small sense of the place already, we figured it might be better to give the Gaza area a miss this time, enjoying what tranquility was left in the December night in Tel Aviv and leaving any future visits to the southern towns to people better equipped than us to deal with the nightmarish realities bequeathed to the area by the Hamas crowd.
And now they have arrived.
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Comments and questions32
I have been so upset to read several reports in the NZ press this week-end re. the situation in Israel/Gaza. Finally your article does mention the other side of this conflict, i.e. the Hamas hostile attitude towards Israel and the continuous missile attacks against Israel over the last two years. This side has been totally neglected in the press so far. Thanks for remembering it today.
Now I don't know much about documented evidence, but I do know that while you've got a good point here, you really ought to say that your souce for those 9400 rocket and mortar attacks is the IDF, or the Israeli Defense force. Taking that number at face value would be like ... oh, forget it... names the author of this quote and win a week in Fiji: “If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his suffrance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute; and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction.”
ken, are you saying there haven't been 1000s of rocket attacks on israel and that it's all idf hype? what possible evidence do you have?
As always, David - very lucid and very welcome.
If you read the link in full, you'd see that the data originates from a non-government agency. Nobody, not even Hamas, disputes the broad numbers.
well done David C. We had the embarresment of a catholic priest / brother linking Israel's self defence / attitude to hamas as being comparable to the Holocaust. It was a sickening letter to the NZ Hearald and we still wait for the local Bishop Pat to apologise for it.
Why should Bishop Pat apologise? That priest is entitled to his opinion. If anything, the Israel/Palestine conflict stems from the Holocaust as the Palestinian people were uprooted from their homes following the war. The sad fact of the matter is that the Palestinian people have been displaced for years and years as a result of World War II - when their land was handed over by people who weren't entitled to do so. Now Palestine is a tiny strip of land which is continuously shrinking as a result of Israeli settlements, and the Palestinian people are not even entitled to a passport - let alone peace. It is a real shame that this injustice has prevailed for so long.
Now I don't know much about non-governmental agencies, but I do know a little bit about every single one of the experts listed on the iste that links to and also about the board of advisors, the majority of whom seem to be senators. Now I don't know much about journalism but it would seem to make sense to link to a slightly less partisan site, for objectivities sake. You see, it's for you David... I'd prefer to read this and think "sweet, man!" instead of "Sweetman..." BTW... did you see the Mountain Goats review on his blog. Pure genius.
For an objective, military based analysis I recommend:
http://exiledonline.com/the-war-nerd-hamas-aint-no-hezbollah/
I read the HAMAS Covenant a couple of years ago and I am at a loss to understand how people could support HAMAS after reading what they stand for.
We either have a poorly informed lazy population who dont bother to find out exactly what it is they are standing up for or even scarier they have read it and believe in the message.
Dont get me started about the so called main stream media they SHOULD know.
David, It is interesting that you believe it is a worthy objective of the Israeli military operation to "restore the ability for hundreds of thousands of its citizens to go about their normal lives". The normal lives of the overcrowded residents of Gaza is abject poverty and imprisonment within its boundaries. Is it unreasonable to expect this will generate retaliation towards a dominant and oppressive neighbour? While I in no part share the extremist beliefs of the Hamas or support their actions, I can't help but think that the heavy-handedness of Cast Lead will do little more than cement this ideology even further. Regardless of the motive for the operation, the civilian death toll and that of those before it are undeniable and an international disgrace. The value of the life of a child from Gaza is worth no less than that of one from Israeli.
Ben:
No reasonable person could look at some of the footage coming out of Gaza and not flinch, just as no reasonable person—in our view at least—could not apportion the blame in this case squarely on the Hamas organisation, where it entirely belongs.
As for the normal lives of ordinary Gazans … the poverty you speak of has plainly got a lot worse since that same organisation took over the show. Nor is it just a matter of them devoting all their energies to lobbing thousands of missiles over the Green Line. To take one example: After Israel forcibly withdrew 9000 of its citizens from Gaza, in 2005, it left behind a flower export business, in Gush Katif, worth an annual US$120m and employing some 5000 Pals across its 1000-acre operation. The new administrators of the area proceeded to raze it. What kind of governance is that?
Heaven knows, the world is full of folk who think they know what’s best for both the Israelis and Pals, but here’s what we would expect a decent government do if it were running Gaza Strip:
(1) Declare a ceasefire for 30 years.
(2) Shelve the question of militarisation for at least a decade.
(3) Take the time to create the democratic conditions for a prosperous economy, in the fashion of the 6%-plus annual economic growth that the Territories enjoyed before the outbreak of the second intifadah in 2000.
(4) Take another look at the Israeli question in 2030 or some such.
Or do you have a better idea?
Bang on David.
Am I being cynical, or is it no coincidence that Arab countries want an emergency meeting of the Security Council anytime that Israel acts in self-defense (2006 Lebanon, 2008 Gaza), and yet 500,000 are killed in Darfur and no word from the SC?
Come to think of it, McCarten, Locke et al are also suspiciously quiet with regards to Darfur as well. Hmmm, I AM cynical.
You wont hear anything from McCarten, Locke, et al about Darfur as they are well aware that those in Darfur dont care about what the world thinks nor do they value life.
McCarten, Locke et al cannot bully those who have no regard for human life (no publicity in it, better to pretend it isnt happening) where as Israel does value life and can be swayed by the 'loss of life' arguement. In other words go after those with a value system that values life.
Locke is just doing what Locke does best support the terrorist remember Pot Pol. One could say that he made a mistake with that but when he keeps repeating and repeating it well..............
People you always seem to get lost in translation.
Instead of following what the States and Isreal say, Judge for your self.
Gazan people have been under siege for 60 Years... That's 60. More than 3 generations of oppression. Have some understanding of what goes on in the area.
Isreal is the oppresser and Yes they are worse than the Nazis, killings innocent children and women since the 40'.
Ofcourse Hammas isn't a terrorist org. they are civilians doing anything they can to defend their land. Please don't forget that this land belongs to the Palestenians first and foremost
Imagine if you lost all the freedoms that are given to us in a beautiful country like new zealand
Imagine more that your children don't know what these freedoms are.
Have some justice people
Remember Palastenians have the right to defend them selves. when you come and take my home and my life then hell yeah ill be angry.
Even Obama's Quote, siding with Isreal as expected, doesn't come as a surprise.
The people in Gaza that are dying needing someone to defend them and ofcouse the Israeli's will call Hammas terrorists because that's what oppressers and terrorists do
The don't want peace, they don't even know what it stands for
This article is a disgrace to New Zealand journalsim
So I take it then Louay that you support HAMAS as per their Covenant.
That you agree with the Articles as laid out in that Covenant?
Amanda check your facts you are so far off the mark it is embarrasing.
Well that's what I was taught where I grew up (Hamburg). Perhaps you might enlighten me? I still don't think the Bishop should apologise for something he didn't even say.
David - Can you provide numbers killed by rocket attacks versus the number of civilians and fighters killed? This constant dialogue about rocket attacks yet no word an any one killed.. As for the current operation what is the Israeli death toll? 1...... How many civilians did the IDF kill when they shelled a UN SCHOOL being used as a refugee shelter.. Even if there are fighters around the area, how is that conceivable?
Mike:
The issue you’re circling around here is obviously the question of “proportionate” force. It’s an issue that arises frequently in the case of Israel, but, oddly, not so much in terms of the various outfits it finds itself fighting. During the second intifadah, for instance, when Hamas and others were orchestrating weekly, sometimes daily, suicide attacks (ie, willfully “disproportionate” attacks on innocents) in Israeli population centres, few international voices asked if this, too, was perhaps a “disproportionate” response.
In any event, from a sheerly legal perspective, Israel's current actions in Gaza are on solid ground. According to UN law, any member-state acting in self-defence is not required to calibrate its use of force precisely according to the size and range of the weaponry used against it. Moreover, the evidence to date points to the strikes thus far having been carried out with no obvious intent to cause disproportionate civilian casualties.
On a more human level, one should also add that the responsibility for any innocent deaths in the current conflict lies squarely with its instigators.
All:
Thank you to everyone for your comments. We’ll be back overnight with another media-related thread to this important developing news story.
Your answer seems to support the school yard ethos of 'he started it'...
Also please as you seem to be in the know, are there any figures for the death toll from rocket attacks?
I am not justifying or apologizing for anything or anyone, just trying to learn more..
You use the words on a human level, yet your previous paragraph you claim; quote "any member-state acting in self-defense is not required to calibrate its use of force precisely according to the size and range of the weaponry used against it". I believe rationale human would respond with equal force. Not that but you claim self-defense.. Are Israels' borders under threat? Is Israel being invaded by a sovereign nation, with the amount of military hardware, and the amount of nuclear munitions, the self-defense argument is a little thin......
Also I only asked questions as I am interested in answers, and as you danced around all of them without providing anything meaningful, draws into question your objectivity, as is I guessed was the case when I noticed your last name was Cohen. (Please don't take offense, I mean no disrespect)
As part African, I can understand the self-dermination evident in Israels stance, but being oppressed does not give anyone the right to oppress others..
Apologies for grammar, trying to work at the same time.. :)
Now I don't know much about Africa (except for that Black Uhuru song: http://www.last.fm/music/Black+Uhuru/_/World+Is+Africa) but I do know, Mike, that when someone down at the pub or clubrooms says "Slugg...? Slugg? That's an old Nordic name... isn't it?" I take it to mean I need to make a little pre-emptive strike of my own to the bridge of their nose.
And whenever I think to add the phrase 'don't take offense' to anything, I think that if I really want to continue a conversation I will just not say the thing that was liable to cause offense.
Understandable, its just hard to convey tone over text, and probably would have left it out if it wasn't such an emotive issue.
Strange, how any voice of moderation on the Israeli-Palestinian issue triggers off a raucous debate of the “I am right and you are not” kind. Ironically, it often seems like people who are most unrelated to the conflict adopt the toughest stances.
It is futile to even try to untangle the history of that part of geography. Who has a right to be there and who hasn’t? History could help you go back about 10,000 years. Even before some self-appointed authority “gave” it to its favourites – the 12 tribes of the Old Testament, there were people living there. Among other known “takers” and “givers” there were Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians and Romans. Gentiles, pagans, Jews, Christians of every denomination, and Muslims of every hue; in recent times you have Arabs and Europeans. And the among the latest people deserving of guilt – the English, French and Americans – all manipulating the people living there, dividing and giving away land which they didn’t own; creating lasting problems and providing solutions, for others to implement. Bloody mess.
How silly we appear when we accuse Israelis or Palestinians of inhuman, cruel behaviour. Is ANY side in that conflict truly clean of the blood of innocents?
And of what use is the international community’s clamouring for peace….only to give a brief respite so that both sides can repair and rearm for the next round? This latest chapter of violence is not some unexpected natural calamity which deserves help and assistance. It is merely a repetition of previous similar behaviour, and it will continue till they learn their lessons.
Peacemakers and aid givers soon vanish and take their pound of flesh with them. The only real friends they have are each other. And Palestinians and Israelis will continue throwing death, destruction and mayhem at each other till they learn this. So just let them be. There actually are many other happenings around which will really affect life as we know it.
Hear hear.
I agree, very well said....
BRIEF FACTS ON THE ISRAELI CONFLICT TODAY.... ( It takes just 1.5 minutes to read!!!! )
It makes sense and it's not slanted. Jew and non-Jew -- it doesn't matter.
1. Nationhood and Jerusalem. Israel became a nation in 1312 BCE, Two thousand years before the rise of Islam.
2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel.
3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 BCE, the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years.
4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 CE lasted no more than 22 years.
5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.
6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran.
7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to Jerusalem.
8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem.
9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: in 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier.
10 The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms.
11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated to be the same.
12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the Arab la nds to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own people's lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey .
13. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: the Arabs are represented by eight separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won.
14. The PLO's Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them.
15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths.
16. The UN Record on Israel and the Arabs: of the 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel.
17. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel.
18. The UN was silent while 58 Jerusalem Synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians.
19. The UN was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.
20. The UN was silent while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like a policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.
I think you should check your dictionary for the word fact....
I understood that before Israel became a Nation, they asked all Palestians (Arabs) living in the land to stay and become part of that Nation. However the grand Mufti of Jerusalem preached that they would all be anihilated and they must leae at once. Which, being obedient Muslims, most did.
The other Arab states, their Muslim brothers, did not take them in. They were however prepared to back any refugee camps with arms to fight.
I also understood that those who did stay were assimilated without problems.
Am I wrong?
Dunno , ask the Arabs in Israel if they feel assimilated without any problems?
... enjoy the best living standards of any arabs in the Middle East. Most say they would never wish to live elsewhere, much less in any Palestinian state, despite the problems they face in Israel.
Israel never asked all Palestinians living in the land to stay and become part of that nation. Quote “We must expel Arabs and take their places,” Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion. The mass expulsion of Palestinians by the Jewish paramilitary (note Haganah later became the core of the Israel Defence Forces, and their terrorist acts continue as we are seeing today in Gaza) and militant gangs were accompanied by massacres, rapes and other atrocities. Palestinians were forced from their homes, never to return. Today Palestinian refugees and their descendants are estimated to number more than 4million, one third of whom live in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians are squeezed into 22% of pre-1948 Palestine. In Gaza 1.5m people are squeezed into an area of 360 squ kilometers. Israel is committing murder and crimes against humanity in its acts in Gaza when it knows civilian deaths are unavoidable.
Last words from a Jew working for peace not for nations:
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=FIr4lEIqTkM
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