Gaza And Hamas: A One-Way Street
By Timothy V. Gatto
02 January,
2009
Countercurrents.org
Those of us in the United States that have divorced themselves from network news or print news such as weekly news magazines and newspapers because of the problem with “censorship”, knew that Gaza would be attacked by Israel weeks before it happened. Weeks before the missile launches into Israel by Hamas militants and weeks before the first tank of the invasion force gathered on the outskirts of Gaza, we all knew that Israel had intentions to attack the Gaza Strip.
The question is how did we know? We saw the siege of Gaza since September and all the news on the internet pointed towards an attack by Israel against the Palestinians in that besieged area. Those of us who have been following this event understand that the Israeli government doesn’t care about civilian casualties that they have inflicted upon the people of Gaza. Hospitals have been operating without supplies and the entire Gaza strip faces shortages of food and fuel. While the rest of the country seems to be totally clueless about what has transpired in regard to Gaza, a greater number of Americans have been getting their news from sources that don’t practice self-censorship (if that is what it is). More Americans than ever before are realizing that Israel is practicing genocide against the Palestinians. This siege of Gaza is no less a crime against humanity as the siege against the Jews in Warsaw during WWII.
Occasionally Hamas takes potshots at Israel with their rockets and mortars. To date, more people in Israel have died as a result of auto accidents than those attacks caused. The Israelis however have used these attacks to carry out a form of ethnic cleansing. They justify their barbarous attacks upon Gaza because of the rocket attacks against Israel that are realistically ineffective except for propaganda value, and it works.
Just before Hamas launched their rocket attacks in earnest against Israel, there were many in America that were coming to the conclusion that Israel was being much too harsh with Hamas and the Palestinian people. Hamas shot themselves in the foot by launching the rocket and mortar attacks, and here’s why;
The actions
of Hamas in launching missile and mortar attacks against Israel are
turning world opinion against Hamas and towards Israel. The facts
are that using violence in the struggle to create a Palestinian State
is a sign of weakness, not strength. The struggle against apartheid
in South Africa was only won when Mandela used the principles of Mahatma
Gandhi. Had the struggle continued as a violent struggle, there may
not be a free South Africa today. The same actions occurred in the
Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Had not Martin Luther
King decried violence, we might not have a Black man ready to take
the office of the president next month. We might still be mired in
violence and bigotry.
To get public opinion to side with the Palestinians, violence must
be eschewed as a tool towards independence. The Israeli’s use
every act of violence against the State of Israel as an excuse to
kill their enemies. It is much harder not to give in to rage when
Israeli tanks and helicopters strike innocent civilians in Gaza. Let
the Israeli’s make the mistake of using violence toward the
luckless Palestinians. World opinion will eventually side with the
cause of the Palestinian people if they don’t strike back. The
truth is that Hamas is no match militarily for Israel anyway; the
Palestinian cause would be that much stronger if they didn’t
react to the Israeli provocations.
Put the
facts before the people of the world. Make a case for not acknologing
Israel’s right to exist. Tell the people of the world that the
Israeli demands are that for recognizing Israel’s right to exist
to happen, the Palestinian people must also give back the right of
return and give up the right for reparations of seized land and property.
These are just a few reasons why Hamas should give up their military operations against Israel. Hamas must realize that public opinion in the United States and much of the world is predicated on what their reaction is towards Israeli violence. I can understand the angst that Palestinians’ feel when innocents are killed by an enemy that doesn’t care. Let that be the message that comes out of Gaza. Try a winning strategy of non-violence. That takes more courage than to give into anger and present the Israelis with an excuse to commit genocide.
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