"ISRAEL’s war in Gaza is an act of political insanity. It is the product
of a deeply disturbed society, able neither to curb its military
arrogance nor calm its profound paranoia. The consequences are likely
to be painful for Israel’s long-term prospects." --Patrick Seale
Not only is the Israeli assault on Gaza "insane", it likely ends any prospect of peace with the Palestinians, at least for the foreseeable future. In fact, according to Seale, whose analysis (it ran in yesterday's Oregonian --the only place I could find it online was the Saudi Gazette) is a welcome departure* from the echo chamber of the pro-Israeli American press, destroying the peace process may have been the intention of the Israeli government in launching the criminal bombardment of Gaza:
"The war has, in fact, confirmed what had long been apparent, namely
that Israel has no interest in a negotiated peace. Peace means
retraction, it means ceding territory, whereas Israel is still bent on
expansion."...
"It may be that the war was launched precisely because Hamas has
recently shown signs of moderation. Its key spokesmen ... have expressed their
readiness to accept a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. To
Israel’s dismay, they have begun to distance themselves from the
movement’s 1987 charter, which calls for Israel’s destruction."
"Expansion" refers to Jewish settlements which continue to encroach on Palestinian territory in the West Bank, protected by the "security wall", check points, and roads built for the exclusive use of the settlers. Subsidies for the settlements, where ultra-orthodox Jews especially feel entitled, even obligated (Eretz Israel), to live, has long been government policy.
Until that policy changes, there can be no peace in Palestine.
Make no mistake. American foreign policy** enables the continued oppression of the Palestinian people and the military occupation of the West Bank. The new Obama presidency promises no change in that pro-Israel stance.
In Israel itself, in stark contrast to this country, there is a far more vigorous and public debate about government actions vis-a-vis Palestine. Perhaps the most dramatic is the protest of organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace, which condemns the Gaza assault and also publicizes the plight of young Jewish conscientious objectors --the Shministim-- who have been imprisoned for their principled stand against serving in an army which abrogates the human rights of their neighbors, the Palestinians.
One such is Tamar Katz, age 19:
"I am not willing to become one of those holding the gun pointed
indiscriminately at Palestinian civilians, and I do not believe that
such actions could bring any change except ever more antagonism and
violence in our region.”
Young Israelis like Katz keep the flickering flame of peace alive in Israel/Palestine.
*(Bob Geary agrees. On his My Oregon blog post, he writes: "It is truly a rare thing when the public is given an objective report
such as the op-ed by Patrick Seale, an author of reports on the Middle
East. Mr. Seale concerns himself with facts. Unfortunately, we are not
used to such an approach."
**("As for the outgoing Bush administration, the blatant lies of
Condoleezza Rice, who blamed the war solely on Hamas, must serve as the
damning political epitaph of the most ineffectual US Secretary of State
of modern times." --Patrick Seale)
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