Why Gaza Matters

With the death toll steadily rising in Gaza, the number of Israeli strikes shows no sign of slowing. In fact, earlier today, Israel rejected International calls for a 48-hour ‘humanitarian ceasefire’ saying such a prospect was ‘unrealistic’. Capturing the ‘lead story’ in most international media broadcasts (BBC, CNN, Fox News, Al Jazeera) since the crisis began on Saturday, during the past 24 hours we have seen that prized media position slip to second or third billing - in one case trailing such important news flashes as the fate of a rowdy England footballer or the rundown of the top ten music albums of 2008.

Perhaps for that reason, Gaza matters a little more.

Rather than wade into the readily available raft of facts and figures on the number of bombs dropped, casualties predicted, or estimated shortages in medicines and supplies (the mainstay of traditional reporting), it is critical to recognize just ‘why’ the situation in Gaza is important. As the media tires of what is sure to be a long and protracted story with fewer truly ‘unique’ angles, let us drop the trivial rhetoric of who fired what object at whom first, who refuses to recognize the other’s rights, or even who is morally correct in their belligerence.

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?”  - Mahatma Gandhi

The situation in Gaza matters not for what it empirically describes - conflict, devastation, passion and outrage - but functions as a microcosm of the most basic of human dramas enacted daily by nations, movements, groups and even individuals: the desire for freedom, control, and self-determination.

In the ongoing struggle to realize this human right - a situation wholly taken for granted by most of us in the West - the Palestinian people of Gaza have appealed repeatedly to the international community, their leaders, and eventually to hardline movements to embody and carry on this struggle. Regardless of the paths, the betrayals, and the ongoing disappointment, the 1.5 million Gazans living in the largest ‘open air’ prison in the world have chosen to endure; they have made the ‘choice’ to survive. Perhaps for that reason, Gaza matters a little more.

Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist, Holocaust survivor and founder of Logotherapy discovered freedom existed even in the darkest corners of the concentration and extermination camps of Nazi Germany during the Second World War. As he wrote in his defining work, Man’s Search for Meaning:

“Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

For Frankl, the existential choice of freedom lies beyond prisons, boundaries, and even the limits of the human body. In his eyes, this ‘ability to choose one’s attitude’ no matter how limited the choice appears, is the true path to freedom. Through it all, we in the West who regard ourselves as ‘free’ perhaps have a great deal to learn from the Palestinians - who at this moment are suffering and fighting and dying and surviving.

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”  - Albert Camus

Perhaps for that reason, Gaza matters a little more.

Deja Vu All Over Again

As the third day of extensive military operations continues in Gaza (and with the death toll now officially climbing well above 300) it is time to ask ourselves some tough questions as key witnesses to the media and information frenzy swirling around Gaza and Israel. This site attempted to answer a few of these obvious questions yesterday - the ‘how’, the ‘when’, and the ‘why’ of the Israeli offensive.

As we sit on the sidelines of this current Middle Eastern debacle, we should be asking ourselves another central question - have we not seen this before? And if so, how is it possible to remain silent when - in hindsight - many of us recoil at having been misled in the past?

Since the theme this weekend has been ‘war games’, bruised earth has put together the following matching game, with the objective of naming the conflict the following facts describe (no peeking until the end):

1. After years of Western-induced blockade, the inhabitants of ‘Country A’ experienced shortages in food, medicine, sanitation and basic subsistence on a massive scale - having been called a ‘humanitarian disaster’ by the United Nations and resulting in the slow death of thousands.
2. Ignoring calls from the International community to relieve the ‘blockade’ inflicted above, the beleaguered nation (barely able to feed its own citizens) was then accused of possessing massive stockpiles of offensive weapons making them a menace to their ‘peace loving’ neighbors.
3. Nuclear and technologically superior Western states (most notably the United States and Israel) refused to recognize the current dominant political structure of the besieged, isolated, and starving population - publicly denouncing them as criminals, thugs - and claiming the populace would certainly be thankful for a decisive and sudden ‘regime change’.
4. A lopsided, totally illegal action (denounced by the U.N. and major NGOs around the world including Human Rights Watch and the International Red Cross) then ensued costing a disproportionate number of civilian deaths and casualties, with the invading forces performing advanced ’surgical strikes’ designed to hit and isolate only ‘military targets’.
5. In time, the action was unmasked for the political and commercial endeavor for which it was designed - causing the Western media and its consumers to re-think their position on freedom, responsibility, and democracy.

Have we not lived through before - and just 5 years ago?

And by only slightly refocusing the lens of the media and the carefully stage managed information we are now receiving about Hamas, Gaza, and the threats to Israel is the same scene - the same perverse script - not being replayed but with different actors?

In no way condoning the actions of Hamas in its (rather pathetic) attempts to strike back at Israel with homemade rockets , it is important to realize the difference between ’small-arms’ mortars designed to travel a few kilometers and whose damage to date has been extremely minor - and a cold, calculated, methodical campaign by a technologically superior force using F-16’s, Black Hawk Helicopters and Cruise Missiles whose ’surgical’ targets thusfar have now included devastating a university in a major city centre.

How does this keep Israel safe? How does a population who has been starved, deprived, caged and demoralized for years react to being bombed consecutively for over 72 hours without a break? The ‘invented threat’ of Saddam Hussein was no different than that of Hamas - a fiction for which anyone even partly hypnotized, will certainly regret when they awake.

When that occurs, we can all look back and enjoy the intelligence of hindsight. Or we can refocus that lens now before the final similarity becomes our reward:

6. Growing anger and disgust by Arab and Muslim peoples throughout the world will intensify the calls by hardline religious groups  to resist the West using increasingly destructive and desperate measures - making us all unsafe, fearful of each other, and ultimately less human.

Totally Predictable War Crimes

As the official death toll in Gaza from Israel raids has now passed 280 dead and over 700 injured, the U.N. has at last made a statement asking for “an immediate halt to all violence”, while Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour stormed into a U.N. Security Council meeting Saturday, demanding U.N. increase their condemnation of Israel for the unprecendented attacks, stating: “There is no justification for punishing 1.5 million in the Gaza Strip because of the actions of a few.”

In response, Hamas has launched over 110 rockets into Israel since Saturday - an act that can in no way surprise Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who is using that fact to further commit further strike forces into Gaza. With tanks poised on the border of Gaza (and building in number overnight), there is no doubt a full scale ground invasion is only hours away.

Instead of pounding through the grim stats, let’s instead take a look at the timing of this attack.

Keeping in mind the (harmless and pathetic) rocket attacks have been emanating from Gaza for almost 8 years, why does Israel now - during the last week of December - feel actions are now necessary? And why on so ghastly a scale? Let us look at both the strategic political and tactical military reasons.

From a political standpoint, as Israel is only 2 months away from an election, and with the sagging prospects of withering Kadima party and specifically Tzipi Livni who has been steadily losing ground to the hawkish contender, Benyamin Netanyahu - the attacks can clearly be seen in their in their strategic context - a method of enhancing Livni’s ‘credentials’ prior to the election in a country where heavy-handed treatment of the Palestinians is a near ‘requirement’ of assuming the gravitas of Israeli high office.

Strategically justified - check.

From a tactical military standpoint, Israel is playing out a very transparent game of cause and effect - a ‘war game’ where all moves have been predicted, measured, and decided before they are made. With Hamas (again, predictably) firing more rockets, Israel will claim the ‘moral justification’ for further strikes - leading to the ground war and devastation Israel desires. Is anyone unclear what it means to ‘design’ a moral war. I thought we had removed the blinders from the international media following the Bush administration’s hapless search for WMD’s in Iraq following the invasion in 2003?

Tactically justified - check.

The only loser in this ‘war game’ (aside from the almost 1,000 Palestinian casualties of course) is perhaps Likud Leader Binyamin Netanyahu whose ‘call to action’ has now been sounded by his opponent Tzipi Livni - though I’m sure he’ll find a way to denounce the ‘restraint’ the current adminstration is showing in its actions to date.

And so the game continues.

Appeal For News From Gaza

As the holidays have come to a close, Israel has wasted no time in beginning their military devastation of Gaza. Early reports have over 200 Palestinians dead as a result of early morning air strikes by Israeli F-16s on both military and civilian targets. Without a doubt this is one of the bloodiest dates of the conflict to date and all but ensures continued hostilities in the region for a long time to come.

Over 100 tons of bombs and explosives have already been dropped by the Israeli Air Force on Saturday alone and reports continue to hint toward a massive ground operation set to commence in coming hours.

Rather than repeat the news stories now flooding the Web, bruisedearth is appealing to those on the ground in Gaza and Israel. Please send ANY information, stories, or updates you can and we will post them immediately.

Please either reply below or on our ‘Contact‘ section on the nav bar above.

Finally, please read the excellent piece on ei by Ali Abunimah calling for organised action in the face of the ongoing devastation yet to come in Gaza.

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18:57 GMT

“Israel is not targeting Hamas alone. Israel is targeting the whole Palestinian population, which has left 200 families with dead sons, husbands and fathers.

“Gaza is left today with nothing, no bread, no oil, electricity and medication even to treat the injured people.

“This criminal attack is directed at the will of the Palestinian people. It’s an effort to break the Palestinian demand for freedom, independence and justice.

“Israel is responsible for this escalation. There was a ceasefire that everybody respected, including Hamas, and it was Israel that violated that ceasefire … to prepare the ground for this bloodshed which Israeli politicians are using as their form of competition in the Israeli elections.

“This is a criminal act, unprecedented, unacceptable and Israel would not have dared to go this far if it were not for the silence of the international community at these inhuman crimes.

“It’s impossible to equate Hamas with Israel. All the rockets Hamas have shot have not killed a single Israeli till today.

“During the same year of the so-called Annapolis peace process, Israel killed 546 Palestinians, including 76 children, more than half of them in the West Bank.

“The aggression is from one side. Israel has probably the fourth-largest military in the world, it is the fourth-largest military-exporter in the world, it has nuclear heads.

“Today, it used 60 sophisticated jet fighters in Gaza who have nothing to defend themselves with.

“Israel wants this escalation to break the backbone of the Palestinian people, but they won’t break us.”

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15:20 GMT

“Such hypocrisy!! Rockets continue to fall into Israel even now and the world still says, “stop!” What do they want?? Do they want Israel to burn to the ground? Do they want Tel Aviv to quake under the rain of rockets like southern Israel has for the past year?? The world wants peace only when a hard line Islamic party that is known for brutally murdering any one who stands in its way is in control.

“I say take out the cowards firing rockets from the houses of civilians in Gaza!!

A Democratic State Silencing the UN

Not coming as a surprise given Israel’s traditional handling of the media, United Nations Envoy Richard Falk was promptly denied entry to Israel on Sunday night following his recent comments characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank as  ‘crimes against humanity’.

On Monday the International Herald Tribune reported that Falk was held at gunpoint late on Sunday by Israeli immigration services when attempting to enter Israel via Ben Gurion airport and was promptly loaded on the next available flight to Geneva. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has described Falk as ‘unwelcome’ in the State of Israel.

A significant statement that has gone grossly under-reported throughout the media was issued on Tuesday by United Nations Human Rights chief Navi Pillay who accused Israel of “unprecedented and deeply regrettable” treatment of a UN investigator.

Accoring to Pillay, “[Falk's] UN mobile phone was confiscated, making further contact between the UN and Professor Falk impossible until after his subsequent deportation to the United States on Monday. ”

She went on to state that “special rapporteurs do not require a formal invitation by the Israeli authorities in order to carry out official missions to the occupied Palestinian territories. It is the responsibility of states to cooperate with the independent UN experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. That is an important principle.”

What kind of ‘democracy‘ can Israel claim to be if it openly silences United Nations Representatives by denying them access to the country?

As a key member of the UN’s Human Right’s Council, Falk’s treatment on Sunday should not only serve as a clear indication of the punishment Israel metes out to uncooperative International Aid Organisations and Journalists who do not play ball ; but should raise alarm with both the UN  Security Council and Western Leaderships as a further sign of Israel’s increasing evolution into a media-controlled, and undenialably fascist rogue state.

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UPDATE (12:07 GMT)

Count on Al Jazeera to bring immediate news on the situation, with an excellent interview with Falk. Please watch below:

Crimes Against Humanity

This has been quite a week in Israel. On Tuesday, The United Nations’ Human Rights Rapporteur claimed Israel’s current policies toward the Palestinians are tantamount to ‘crimes against humanity’. Citing specifically the deteriorating situation in Gaza, and the ongoing human rights violations of a State army over its own people, UN Envoy Richard Falk claimed the UN must ‘implement the agreed norm of a responsibility to protect a civilian population being collectively punished by policies that amount to a crime against humanity.’

Falk went on to challenge the international courts to ‘determine whether the Israeli civilian leaders and military commanders responsible for the Gaza siege should be indicted and prosecuted for violations of international criminal law.’

While the words and appeal are indeed encouraging, they will do little to slow the inevitable slide into chaos that Gaza will likely become in coming weeks. Earlier today, exiled Hamas Leader Khaled Mashaal stated the existing 6-month truce between Hamas and Israel is unlikely to be extended - meaning an almost certain return to hostilities - bringing with it an increased chance of a full IDF invasion of the area.

It is clear that Defense Minsiter Ehud Barak is preparing for large-scale military action (either in Gaza) or perhaps on a much larger scale. As captured by the InfoTV earlier this week, Barak attended IDF exercises in the Golan Heights before rushing off to Jerusalem to attend a military planning session for a potential invasion of the Gaza Strip.

With Israeli Cabinet Ministers meeting this week to decide the fate of Gaza, the sabre-rattling is reaching its inevitable climax, and I fear in the next few weeks (if not sooner) the UN will be issuing further ’statements’ - and perhaps we will see even more evidence of collective punishment and ‘crimes against humanity’ on a scale much larger than we have witnessed in Gaza for some time.

A Jewish Intifada?

It goes without saying that the hardline Jewish settlers of the West Bank (and specifically Hebron) are a continuing menace toward any prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

This blog has exhausted tireless posts highlighting the the ongoing actions by the Hebron settler community against their Palestinian neighbors. Visiting Hebron in early October, the following video gives you a feeling of the iron-fisted control and intimidation wrought by the settlers and their IDF counterparts on the Palestinian community:

http://www.vimeo.com/vimeo.com/1910175

The latest news overnight is even more bleak. Following the illegal occupation of hardline settlers in a Palestinian home in Hebron - and subsequent eviction by the IDF this week (as decided in a long and protracted court battle), the West Bank settler community have unleashed nothing short of their own Initifada - against both the Palestinians and the authority of the State of Israel.

The West Bank is now on high alert, with further violence expected as settlers continue to abuse and antagonize any Palestinians standing in their way.  Reports are already amassing of shootings, rock throwing, and house burning in and around Hebron by small bands of (armed) settlers. Over the next few days, the violence is expected to spread throughout the North of the West Bank and perhaps beyond (with Israeli authorities even fearing attempts by the settlers to infiltrate the Temple Mount in Jerusalem).

What is this ‘Jewish Intifada’ and why is the Israeli government powerless to unify their own people? The answer lies in the closely guarded truth behind the ‘myth’ of a unified Jewish Israel. With such a diaspora of differing cultures and ideologies (many peaceful, some extreme) the Jewish ‘community’ in Israel is nothing more than a forced collection of religious and political factions.

Many people have posited (and perhaps correctly) that the ongoing brutalization and subsequent demonization of the Palestinians as the ‘other’ is perhaps the only unifying feature of Israeli society. That without this ‘common enemy’ Israel itself would fall victim to a kind of religious civil war - with multiple factions vying for the ‘true heart’ of Israel.

As we watch the violence unfold in the West Bank over the weekend - it is important to keep this viewpoint in mind.

Israel is far from a unified, religious, cohesive collection of diaspora Jews from multiple countries throughout the world. The actions of the extremist settlers threaten to not only inflame the violence between Jews and Palestinians - but also threatens the very fabric of Israeli society.

From this vantage point, we can once again see how the Palestinians are merely pawns in the greater struggle for perhaps the impossible - a peaceful, democratic, and viable State of Israel.

I encourage you to follow the news from the West Bank closely this weekend - it speaks much more than the ‘obvious’ about what is really happening in Israel.

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Finding ‘Real News’ on Palestine & Beyond

If you find yourself having a hard time escaping the spit & polish of the major news networks (BBC, CNN, etc.), help is available. Beyond some excellent major news sources (Al Jazeera, ei, etc.), the Real News Network is an excellent antidote to the constant barrage of mediated, sanitized, and edited breaking news on the Middle East and beyond.

With high quality video dispatches, excellent journalists, and fair and even handling of contentious issues, the Real News Network represents one of the few organizations retaining true journalistic integrity in today’s increasingly censored/news bite-focused information marketplace. For a taste of some of Real News’ most recent work on Gaza, please check out the excellent summary of the situation below: