By KATE HUNTER
For The Beachcomber
In the ongoing siege and bombardment of Gaza, Israel has prevented outside journalists into the territory, ensuring that the media slant paints Hamas as the villain and itself as victim. This is what has prompted me to write — to balance the information Islanders may have received.
On Jan. 3, Israeli tanks and 30,000 infantry entered Gaza in an all-out ground offensive after a year of bombing. “Operation Cast Lead” had been planned for more than six months, “even as Israel was beginning to negotiate a ceasefire agreement with Hamas,” according to the Israeli newspaper Ha’eretz. Gaza territory is the size of Vashon, but with 1.5 million residents compared to 11,000 here.
During Operation Cast Lead, the U. S. Congress decided Israel needed its support. Voting by acclamation, the Senate applauded Israel. I requested comments from our delegation. Their responses (in part):
“Israel has a fundamental responsibility to protect its people. Hamas must end its attacks on innocent civilians and close the smuggling tunnels that have served as the gateway for arms.” (Sen. Marie Cantwell)
“I believe the U.S. must work actively to support a durable, enforceable and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible … structured to prevent Hamas from regenerating its capacity to fire rockets at Israel, … that Hamas must renounce violence, that the lives of innocent civilians must be protected, and that all sides should continue to work to address humanitarian needs in Gaza.” (Sen. Patty Murray)
Congressman Jim McDermott on the House version: “I did not vote for House Resolution 34 because I did not believe that simply affirming Israel’s right to self-defense without addressing the difficult situation facing the Palestinians in Gaza would help to bring about a ceasefire nor would it help to advance the arduous process of creating a lasting peace.”
Surprisingly, the Washington State Senate also decided to act, and on Jan. 26 unanimously approved Senate Resolution 8602, recognizing the 60th anniversary of the elections that created Israel’s national legislative body. The resolution reads in part:
“The United States and Israel have remained strong allies because of their shared interest in democracy and basic human rights, and … from standing together at the forefront of … the war against terror; … Israel represents the strongest democracy in the Middle East, and as such is deserving of continued and unwavering support from the United States.”
I asked Sen. Joe McDermott for a comment. He replied: “I voted in favor of a resolution honoring the first national election in Israel and would invite anyone concerned about foreign policy implications beyond simply acknowledging this anniversary to read the text of the resolution.”
Rep. Sharon Nelson, by contrast, responded: “If the House adopted a similar resolution, I would not support it. As tension increases in Gaza between Israel and Palestine, it is important to support and empower long-term peacekeeping efforts — not to take sides. This is also a federal issue and one that our state does not have jurisdiction over.”
How can one give a balanced account of an unequal conflict? Let’s review some less well-known facts.
Islamic Hamas came into existence with support and funding from Israel and Saudi Arabia, providing education, health care, food and other social services to Palestinians. Israel’s intention was to undermine support for the secular Al Fatah and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Over the years, as the PLO became increasingly corrupt and Palestinians saw no hope for their own state, support for Hamas grew. In 2006 they elected the Hamas government, giving it political legitimacy as voice of the Palestinian people.
Though the election was a model of democracy, the United States and Israel denounced it, refusing to negotiate with Hamas, withholding money and aid and establishing a blockade of its borders. Intending to bring down Hamas, Israel’s blockade at times allows no food, water, fuel or medicine, and cuts off electricity from Israel. Israel bombed the Gaza sewer system, resulting in all sewage flowing directly into the sea, killing fish to six miles from shore. Fishing boats sailing in the legitimate Gazan waters are fired on by Israeli military.
During the siege, militants fabricate homemade rockets and fire them into Israel, terrorizing nearby villages. Thousands of rockets randomly fired, have the intention of demonstrating defiance and keeping Israelis on edge, though few (11) have been killed.
Israel’s bombs, unlike those homemade rockets, have a formidable accuracy. Their targets have been Gaza’s sole power plant, hospitals, the university, a girls’ school, the United Nations compound and food storage center, mosques and apartment buildings. In Gaza, according to the United Nations, Israeli bombs killed 1,366 (mostly civilians), including 430 children and 111 women through 2008. Four thousand homes were destroyed and 17,000 damaged.
A negotiated ceasefire lasted six months until it was broken, each side claiming the other culpable. To get food, water and medicine, Gazans are digging tunnels into Egypt, setting up lifelines Israel is trying to prevent. Israel claims that weapons are also being transported through the tunnels, so it continues bombing while militants still fire rockets. There is no peace in sight.
The destruction of Hamas leadership and the bombing of helpless civilians using weapons paid for by our tax dollars amount to the destruction of a people and of democracy. Together we fuel the resentment, anger and feelings of betrayal and isolation that increase acts of terrorism.
“It’s difficult to see how starving and freezing the civilians of Gaza could protect the people on the Israeli side of the border. But even if it did, it would still be immoral, a form of collective punishment that is strictly forbidden by international humanitarian law,” Avi Shlaim, an Israeli citizen and Oxford Professor of International Relations told The Guardian last month.
— Kate Hunter is a Quaker and an Island activist.
