Since the vast majority of Internet population is tl;dr, I am obliged to add this foreword and disclaimer.
I am a staunch supporter of nonviolence, and this diary does not endorse violence in any shape or form. However, when the entire world is complicit of imprisoning millions of people in a narrow strip of land from the moment they are born, for decades on end — and repeatedly abdicates its duty to find a nonviolent end to this travesty, including massive indifference to nonviolent initiatives embraced by the imprisoned themselves — the result will be a turn towards violence, and that violence will end up being rewarded one way or another. Just like the world has been silently, hypocritically rewarding the violence represented by their imprisonment and dispossession itself.
The hypocrisy and cynicism with which Israel and the Western world treat Gazans has been on full display in 2018.
Months of massive nonviolent marches, events, sit-ins by residents of Gaza (which sometimes descended into rock-throwing after Israeli soldiers shot at the protestors) — were met with a campaign of disinformation and demonization, and lethal fire with no genuine military justification whatsoever. Hundreds dead, thousands injured or maimed. And the world, which loves issuing declarative statements in support of Palestinian rights, statements which provide cannon fodder for Israeli paranoia and propaganda but move nothing on the ground — the world did nothing. In the US media and political system, there was near wall-to-wall support for these massacres.
Fast-forward to this week. Hamas and allied militia in the Gaza strip launched massive missile strikes at Israeli targets both military and civilian, in response to an Israeli military provocation deep inside Gaza territory. Israel of course retaliated with even more massive bombing of Gaza, and yet even more massive saber-rattling by its government and generals.
Suddenly, the world cares. Suddenly, the world’s diplomats can act swiftly.
Within a day there’s a ceasefire, before Israel had a chance to exact the typical casualty ratio of 100:1 or more, the only ratio that would satisfy the thirst for vengeance so expertly cultivated by its politicians and media. Israeli residents of the south, frustrated yet thoroughly deluded by decades of nonstop right-wing brainwash, blocked junctions and burned tired, outraged by the quick ceasefire and calling for more military escalation. The Israeli media used the demonstrated to incite even further. The small minority of southern residents who call for peace and for stopping the inhumane policy of indefinite imprisonment of their 2 million Palestinian neighbors, were ignored. Meanwhile, Gaza residents celebrated the ceasefire.
Israel’s far-right security minister just resigned, triggering a coalition crisis that is likely to pull the upcoming elections a few months earlier than planned. It’s a calculated move, to give his party the upper hand in the campaign. But it demonstrates the basic unsustainability of trying to “contain” Gaza by depriving its citizens of a life. It’s unsustainable even politically, within a domestic mindset that would support any and all military action, that fully supports the ongoing imprisonment of two million civilians.
A word to the inevitable minority of reality-denying readers: no, this unforgivable robbery of Palestinian life did not start as a “security measure” when Hamas took over Gaza’s internal politics in 2007. It has been going on in various shapes and pretexts for generations. I know, because I was right there with a uniform and an automatic weapon, personally enforcing an inhumane oppression regime — in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, and 1997. I have relatives, friends, acquaintances, who did the same before and after me, and continue to do so now.
Back then we were told it was “temporary”. As the saying goes, nothing is more permanent than the temporary. Especially when it is mostly at someone else’s expense.
The only thing sustaining this atrocious policy, a policy that causes completely, 100% needless suffering on both sides of the border (although far more suffering inside Gaza, of course) — is the West’s political cowardice and implicit racism.
For all practical purposes, Gazan lives don’t count as much and are not worth acting upon. Until some Hell breaks loose.
Of course, I am glad the fire was stopped so quickly. But nothing is stopping the very same actors, from acting with similar determination to end this festering travesty once and for all.