Punishing
Gaza
By Stephen Lendman
06 November, 2007
Countercurrents.org
On
September 20, Haaretz reported: "The security cabinet voted unanimously
yesterday to increase sanctions against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip (and
declare) the region a 'hostile entity.' " A further statement read:
"We will reduce the amount of megawattage we provide to the Strip,
and Hamas will have to decide whether to provide electricity to hospitals
or weapons lathes." Israeli officials also decided to punish Gazans
by restricting:
-- fuel as well as electricity
from Israel to Gaza;
-- the passage of goods and
people through border crossings that are already severely restricted;
and
-- visits to prisoners even
further than how limited they are already.
An increased monitoring of
funds was also announced as well as stating border crossings would be
closed for up to 48 hours in response to (crude small homemade) Qassam
rocket fire, and that Israel would supply nothing further to Gaza residents
"except for (whatever Israel considers) humanitarian needs."
Hamas' response was swift and sharp. Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called
the cabinet's decision and sanctions a "declaration of war"
and said "we must unite the ranks to come together in the conflict
with the cruel enemy....This is another attempt to force us to surrender
(our sovereignty)."
At first, the world community
hardly blinked with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon acting as irresponsibly
as his predecessor. He urged Israel to reconsider its decision but denounced
Hamas for its "continued indiscriminate rocket fire....into Israel
(and that he) understand(s) Israel's security concerns over this matter."
Nothing in his statement mentioned Israel's daily attacks and killings
of Palestinians or the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza after Israel
closed its borders last June, isolated the Territory from the outside
world, and cut off most essential supplies and services to its people.
Karen Koning-Abu Zayd is
the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Commissioner-General for Palestine
Refugees. On October 30, she showed more concern than her boss by saying
Israel's decision to cut fuel and electricity to Gaza violates international
law. She noted Israel's concern, but stressed "how can you want
to punish people, all of them in Gaza (as) most of them....are not behind
these activities....if you don't have electricity, you don't have water,
you probably don't have food." This action will have a "very
serious" effect on the population.
Two other UN officials also
went public with their criticisms. UN Special Rapporteur on the Right
to Food, Jean Ziegler was one of them. He called on the European Commission
to suspend commercial relations with Israel until it stops preventing
Palestinians from receiving food without restrictions. He reported to
the General Assembly that 22% of Palestinian children already suffer
from malnutrition because they lack access to food.
UN Special Rapporteur on
the Occupied Palestinian Territories, John Dugard, also weighed in.
He called on State Members in their capacity as High Contracting Parties
to the Fourth Geneva Convention. He asked them to ensure Israel complies
with its provisions regarding the protection of civilians in times of
war. One of them under article 54 states: "Starvation of civilians
as a method of warfare is prohibited," as well as "attack(ing),
remov(ing), or render(ing) useless objects indispensable to the survival
of the civilian population such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas (for
their production), crops, livestock, drinking water installations and
supplies and irrigation works.... " Article 55 then obligates an
occupying power to ensure "the food and medical supplies of the
population."
Swiss Agency for Development
and Cooperation (SDC) chief Walter Fust also expressed alarm after a
recent Gaza visit. He called conditions "untenable" and "shocking"
with 30% of children (in his judgment) malnourished and hospitals and
health centers in a precarious state.
Things then changed on October
30. Haaretz reported Israel's "High Court of Justice ordered the
state to respond within five days to a petition submitted by dozens
of human rights groups (10 of them according to other reports) to halt
its (Gaza fuel and electricity) cutoff," but it stopped short of
banning the action. Justices may have been concerned after the European
Union (EU) criticized Israel's move on October 29 calling it an act
of "collective punishment." EU commissioner for external relations,
Benita Ferraro-Waldner, said she was "very concerned" about
the decision, that it's not a solution, and that the EU doesn't "want
the population to suffer."
It's hard knowing if this
signals change or whether to take the commissioner's concern seriously.
The European community, along with Israel and the US, denounced Hamas'
democratic election in January, 2006 as the legitimate Palestinian government.
It's response ever since was to end all outside aid and impose crushing
sanctions and an economic embargo on the Territories as well as politically
isolate the new Hamas government.
The results were devastating.
Even before the latest crisis, Gaza's industrial production had fallen
90% and its agricultural output was half its pre-2007 level. In addition,
nearly all construction had stopped, unemployment is around 80%, and
the level of poverty is shocking based on World Bank data showing over
80% of Gazans live on less than $2.40 a day. Further, the Palestinian
Al Huq association of jurists called Israel's summer, 2005 Gaza disengagement
fraudulent as "Israel retains full control of the Gaza Strip's
land borders, population registry, airspace and territorial sea,"
and the IDF invades the Territory at will.
The EU was silent about this
and Israel's overall repressive rule, land expropriations, daily incursions,
and regular attacks and killings in the Territories. It was unconcerned
about the internal violence on Gaza streets last spring and gave tacit
support to anti-Hamas US and Israeli-armed Fatah (Protective Security
Force) paramilitary death squads led by warlord Mohammed Dahlan. It
ignored Hamas' months-long unilateral cease-fire, its ending all suicide
bombings, its call for peace, and its willingness to recognize the Jewish
state if Israel accepts and recognizes a Palestinian one.
Its founder, Sheikh Ahmed
Yassin said at the time Hamas would end its struggle "if the Zionists
ended its occupation of Palestinian territories and stopped killing
Palestinian women, children and innocent civilians." Israel and
the West rejected the offer and all good faith efforts. They opted instead
to punish Palestinians collectively and deny them their legitimate rights.
After Hamas defeated Fatah
paramilitaries, the EU backed Mahmoud Abbas' quisling West Bank government.
It ignored Gaza's punishing isolation and Oxfam Great Britain's grim
warning of the "increasing desperation of Gazans as shortages of
fuel, water and food are reported." It failed to denounce Israel
and the US for creating the crisis affecting 1.5 million people. It
stood allied instead with Washington and the Olmert government and did
so ever since. The same is true of the UN. It's hard thinking that's
changed, and it'll take more than occasional high-sounding comments
from a few officials to prove it.
In the meantime, Israel began
reducing fuel supplies on October 28, and Gaza's deputy Petroleum Authority
director, Ahmed Ali, said diesel fuel and gasoline deliveries were 30%
lower than usual. He then added: "This is a serious warning (and)
the people of Gaza....are now in danger. The hospitals, water pumping
station and sewage will be affected by the lack of fuel." Israel's
Dor Alon energy company confirmed the reduction, and the Defense Ministry
said the Sufa crossing used for transporting fuel to Gaza was closed.
On October 25, Defense Minister
Ehud Barak ordered the phased cutoff, and his deputy, Matan Vilnai,
said "We will dramatically reduce the flow of electricity (by about
two-thirds) from Israel over several weeks" to let Gaza supply
its own electricity that's impossible as Israel knows. He added this
measure is part of Israel's "deeper, broader disengagement."
He neglected to say it's an illegal act of collective punishment as
Gaza relies on Israel for all its fuel (that includes diesel, gasoline
and natural gas) and most of its electricity.
The Palestinian Center for
Human Rights reported Gaza needs over 220 megawatts of electricity and
consumes about 200 megawatts, 60% of which is bought from Israel. The
Gaza Electricity Generation Plant supplies 65 megawatts and another
17 megawatts are bought from Egypt. When Israel directly controlled
the Strip, it let Gazans establish enough electrical capacity for only
38% of their needs. Then during "Operation Summer Rain" in
June, 2006, the IDF assaulted the Territory, bombed its only electrical
power plant, and destroyed its main transformers with missiles. Months
of rebuilding restored less than two-thirds of its original 100 megawatt
capacity and made the area mostly dependent on Israel for supply.
After declaring Gaza a "hostile
entity" on September 19, that's now in jeopardy unless Israel reverses
its stance and reconsiders other collective punishment measures as well.
Currently, its authority allows only nine basic materials to enter the
Territory. That hit local markets hard, and most ran out of many items
causing sharp price rises up to 500% in some cases. Items banned include
some medicines, furniture, electrical appliances, cows and cigarettes
while others restricted are fruits, milk and other dairy products.
Then there's the energy plan.
It's to begin cutting electricity for 15 minutes, then a half hour with
daily increases as long as the punitive measure remains in effect that
doesn't apply to hospitals and other "vital installations,"
Vilnai said. Things are now on hold, however, after Attorney General
Menachem Mazuz temporarily halted the electricity cutoff following a
"debate" in his office on October 29. He was apparently acting
on UN and EU comments as well as his own High Court's order to respond
to a petition by 10 human rights organizations in five days to stop
this punitive action. Mazuz said Israel had a right to sever economic
and commercial ties with Gaza, but its government is responsible for
the Territory and more "research" was needed before cutting
off electricity. What he meant, of course, is he'll await a High Court
ruling and then act.
Haaretz reported on November
3 that "State Prosecution on (November 2) defended the government's
decision (to cut fuel and electricity in a letter to the High Court)
claiming it is not a form of collective punishment." It said that
the decision was appropriate and gave the same tired reasons it often
uses to justify its harshest actions. Defense Minister Ehud Barak agreed.
In a November 4 Jerusalem meeting with Condoleezza Rice, he assured
the Secretary that "The sanctions (won't) cause a humanitarian
crisis" without further elaboration.
Israel's infrastructure minister,
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, agrees as well and feels these measures are needed
and are a final attempt to avoid a military action some observers see
coming. Israel's Gaza commander, General Moshe Tamir, already admits
to almost nightly incursions into the Territory and practically signaled
a planned assault.
Haaretz also reported on
October 30 that Israel's Defense Forces (IDF) conducted their largest
military drill in the north Galilee region since the 2006 Lebanon war.
It ran four days and involved ground, air and naval forces as well as
intelligence and S4 units. The paper noted a similar exercise preceded
the Lebanon war so it happening now is ominous.
The Jerusalem Post echoed
that sentiment on October 31. It quoted Defense Minister Ehud Barak
saying a large-scale IDF operation against "Palestinian rocket
squads" was drawing near, and "the time is approaching when
we'll have to undertake a broad operation in Gaza." The report
mentioned Gaza commander Tamir saying Hamas was "building an army"
and had smuggled in unprecedented capabilities. Israeli Shin Bet Security
Agency chief Yuval Diskin claimed Hamas had accumulated over 112 tons
of explosives, and Tamir signaled Israel is prepared to act as a result.
The Jerusalem Post earlier quoted IDF Southern Command chief General
Yoav Galant saying he's been "pushing for a massive operation for
the past year" and now may be close to getting one.
Hamas responded to this growing
threat on November 1. It called on all Palestinian resistance factions
to declare a high state of alert in anticipation of a large-scale Israeli
incursion into the Territory. It issued a statement saying: "Hamas
is well-prepared to engage in a battle with the Israeli army, once (Gaza)
is invaded, as Hamas is confident of victory, given its strong trust
in God."
A major IDF assault may be
imminent as Israel continues attacking civilians in Gaza and the West
Bank daily. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights report for the last
week of October said 15 Palestinians were killed, 29 others wounded,
and 78 more arrested. In addition, during the seven day period, IDF
forces made 49 hostile incursions into the Territories, and for the
past 16 months maintained a devastating siege on the population.
Washington's Upcoming Annapolis
Peace Offensive
Middle East observers know
what most honest ones will admit. The intermittent, now revived "peace
process" is merely pretense head fake. It's more theater than substance
or a serious effort to resolve this long-running conflict, and look
at the proof:
-- daily IDF incursions,
attacks and killings in the Territories;
-- continued land expropriations;
-- crop destruction and agricultural
restrictions;
-- home demolitions;
-- restricted movement through
hundreds of checkpoints as well as curfews and border and other closures
any time for any reason;
-- building permit restrictions
and construction prohibitions;
-- denial of essential services;
and
-- other politically motivated
daily repression and "matrix of control" harassment.
This all continues without
letup with the full acquiescence and support of the West plus billions
in annual aid from Washington.
Furthermore, Hamas is barred
from the peace process, and without its participation there can be none.
Its exclusion and the desperate conditions in the Territories expose
the glaring hypocrisy overhanging the staged affair. Just like the fraudulent
"road map," this latest incarnation is going nowhere with
more proof on November 4 from Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
She told Secretary Rice Israel's security comes first, and "only
then (can there be) a Palestinian state."
Electronic Intifada editor
Ali Abunimah compares the process to "one of those big budget Broadway
extravaganzas; they go on for years (and) with each revival the cast
changes," but the outcome is always the same as intended.
Abunimah notes the "latest
revival" has Condoleezza Rice in a lead role play-acting to end
the long-running conflict. George Bush is on stage as well trying to
cast off his image as a warmonger and enabler of "Israeli colonization"
and now pretends to want peace "with an eye on his legacy."
And so it goes with the other
key actors in this melodrama pretending the process is real - quisling
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas who agreed to let Washington act
as a "neutral arbitrator," Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert
who jumped on the idea, and "special guest star" and reinvented
war criminal Tony Blair in his new role as Middle East peace envoy.
Last June he ended a failed 10 year run as UK prime minister when his
audience booed him off the stage. He's been practically invisible since
but will resurface in Annapolis later in November once a firm date is
announced.
Abunimah notes how reality
at times intervenes. It did in mid-October after Abbas' representatives
met with Israeli counterparts to arrange a "declaration of principles"
for the Annapolis meeting that are still unresolved. The IDF expropriated
300 more acres of Palestinian land near "occupied East Jerusalem
(to expand the huge) Jewish-only settlements (bisecting) the West Bank
(that) render a contiguous Palestinian state impossible."
Land seizures have been continuous
since the 1993 Oslo Accords. For the past 14 years, Israel expropriated
an area the size of Washington, DC for Jewish-only development knowing
none of the "peace process" participants would object. It's
been so extreme that noted Israeli historian Ilan Pappe believes the
settlements, army bases, roads and separation wall will let Israel annex
almost half the West Bank by 2010 and dispossess Palestinians now living
there.
And now Abunimah explains
"Rice feigns (gallingly hypocritical) frustration saying: "Frankly
it is time for the establishment of a Palestinian state." She knows
Israel won't allow one nor will Palestinians accept it under the current
bantustan configuration and the condition Pappe describes.
Nor is one possible given
the power of extremist elements in the Israeli government led by proto-fascist
Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Haaretz reported he insists
any Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution "include Israel's Arab
citizens (on) the basis (of) a land swap and population transfer."
He means no peace is possible unless 1.4 million Israeli Arab citizens
are ethnically cleansed from the country. Nor will he allow core Palestinian
issues to be discussed in Annapolis (or elsewhere) like "borders,
settlements and the (right of return for) Palestinian refugees expelled
by Israel."
And the beat goes on. Life
in occupied Palestine is intolerable and worsening as the latest sham
peace extravaganza is heading to Annapolis once its "opening night"
is announced with fanfare and phoniness.
A different sort of event
will take place in London November 17 and 18 hosted by the London Middle
East Institute and organized by the London One State Group and SOAS
Palestine Society at London University. It's called "Challenging
the Boundaries: A Single State in Palestine/Israel." It will include
panel discussions and individual speakers featuring noted participants
like author and Middle East expert Gilbert Achcar, Electronic Intifada
editor Ali Abunimah, noted author Nur Masalha, and Israeli historian
and expert on Israel and Zionism Ilan Pappe who's now teaching at the
UK University of
Exeter. The conference is about alternatives to a two-state paradigm
and will advance ideas of a one-state vision that can become a workable
political agenda for what seems to be the only credible way forward.
In another development, Al-Ahram
Weekly reports Hamas will air its views at a "national conference"
in Damascus that will coincide with Annapolis. Other Palestinian factions
will also attend including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(PFLP) in a significant break with Fatah. Participating as well are
the Damascas-based PFLP-General Command, the Islamic Jihad organization
and senior Fatah members Farouk Al-Qaddumi and Hani Al-Hassan in a show
of protest against "Abbas' line" and "his subservience
to America and Israel." In addition to organized groups, hundreds
of Palestinian and Arab intellectuals may attend that will add credibility
to the event.
Conference organizers state
they wish to reassert their opposition to "the attempted liquidation
of the Palestinian cause" with special emphasis on "the right
of return of five million (or more) Palestinian refugees." They
also intend "not to give political cover to US-Israeli schemes
to terminate the Palestinian cause in Annapolis (that is) hypocritical
(and) insincere." And they further state: "The PLO leadership
in Ramallah no longer represents the Palestinian people (because) it
is a prisoner of the Israeli occupation and has lost whatever semblance
of independence and free will it may once have had." In addition,
"the PLO leadership (lacks legitimacy as it's) unelected, undemocratic
and anachronistic."
Hamas also revealed plans
to follow Damascus with meetings in Gaza and the West Bank to further
highlight what Hamas and others call "this mockery" of a US-Israeli-Abbas
effort to compromise or scrap issues vital to the Palestinian people
like the right of return and status of Jerusalem. Ideas to be discussed
include selecting "alternative and parallel national bodies"
to counter Fatah's disregard for "the Palestinian national consensus."
Under consideration is a new National Council and Executive Committee
in direct opposition to Abbas who (along with Secretary Rice) tried
unsuccessfully to abort Hamas' initiative. Little is expected from Annapolis,
and some believe that may trigger a third Intifada and swing momentum
to Hamas.
Shin Bet's Yuval Diskin thinks
not but others disagree. Oslo came out of the first Intifada, and Israel's
Gaza disengagement followed the second one. Nothing is off the table
this time. Stay closely tuned.
Stephen Lendman
lives in Chicago and can be reached at [email protected].
Also visit his blog site
at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to The Steve Lendman News and Information
Hour on TheMicroEffect.com Mondays at noon US central time.
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