Israel and Gaza: who should we demonize?
A friend of mine emailed me about my comments regarding the Israeli offensive in Gaza. He suggested that I had the wrong end of the stick, and pointed me to several articles that supported Israel, and demonised Hamas.
I wrote this long response, and post it here for further comment.
Thanks Antony for the article
However, I think the writer has got the wrong end of the stick. It saddens me to think that anyone can support the use of force by either side as a way to achieving peace. And it saddens me even more when Christians do it.
To comment on the article. Israel withdrew from Gaza, which was occupied territory, because it was difficult to continue to protect the settlers, and because it meant they could say they are withdrawing their settlers in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions, while leaving the major settlements on the West Bank. (Those settlements mean that there will never be a free Palestinian State on the West Bank, but isolated cities surrounded by Israel, and at the mercy of Israel in terms of who and what can come and go) What the writer fails to point out is that Israel continues to control nearly all access to Gaza, and has held the border closed for the least two years at least, and Egypt has followed suit. Before that the UN already estimated that least 80% of those who live in Gaza live under the poverty line, with no hope of ever doing anything about that. The basic infrastructure (what there was) has been destroyed by Israel over many years. It remains one of the mostly occupied pieces of land on this earth. As one writer suggested, this is an open air prison, where the those who live there are treated worse than many prisons in the west. And so I wonder, what would I do in that situation? What would you do in this situation, if you lived in poverty, with no hope, held there by a military power that continue to show no mercy or compassion. Would you sit quietly? Or would you try to find a way to fight back.
I am not sure what I would do. I would hope that I did not support violence. It is not the answer here for either side. But I understand why Palestinians have resorted to it.
The article suggests that this bombardment was an effective way to stop the rocket fire. You really think that is the case. That killing 1300 people will stop Hamas? While break the resolve of Palestinians. They have not hope. Why not die fighting the people who cause their misery. This assault will not stop the rocket fire. Worse, it will make the cause of the moderate Palestinian much more difficult. Gaza is a hot bed for freedom fighters/terrorists, (when I was in Israel 3 years ago doing a tour with Jewish tour guides, I was surprised when the Jewish terrorists of the 1940’s who set of bombs and killed British soldiers and innocent civilians were called freedom fighters, and the tour guide complained that some of them had been executed. It all depends on which side you are and often who is winning as to what name you are called) because of Israel’s ongoing persecution and destruction. Interestingly the article makes no mention of Israel’s ongoing campaign of targeting and executing Hamas leaders in Gaza, even when they happen to be in with family, or in residential areas, where of course they live., The civilians who die in these attacks are seen as collateral damage. I wonder over the last two years how many Israelis have died in rocket attacks, and how many Palestinians in execution attacks by Israel, and then I have to wonder who really lives in terror? Maybe both sides do?
It is easy to label Hamas as a terrorist group, and ignore the social service they provide in Gaza and across the West Bank. That is why they won the election, and why politicians from all sorts of backgrounds stood fro them and supported them, including Christian. Some of the Palestinians I talked to while in Israel, while not supporting Hamas, were impressed with the social services they did provide, and could see why they had such a following. They are much more than a fighting group.
Sadly, this all sounds like and either or attitude. And that will get us nowhere. What I long for, what I pray for nearly every day, what am I seeking and what I would hope you seek is a safe place for Israelis and Palestinians to live, side by side. But that will not happen while Israel maintains its stranglehold on Gaza, and across the West Bank. Nor will it happen while Palestinians are treated as less that human by Israel and the Arab world. It will not happen while Palestinians have no hope of ever having their own state, while Israel continues to confiscate their land and while they have no economic base on which to build lives of hope. It will not happen while the current policies of conflict and military action hold sway. The only possible result is more deaths, and most of those will be Palestinian. How can we possibly support that?
I mourn for the Israelis who have to live with the threat of rocket attacks, but I also mourn for the people of Gaza who cannot get adequate food, water or power, who have no hope, and live in terror of the next Israeli raid.
If you want to read more about this then Robert Frisk’s “the Great War for Civilization” has some excellent chapters. He would find you comment about the left wing press laughable. As someone who has lived and reported on the Middle East for 30 years his experience is that the press is very pro Israeli, and very inaccurate in its reporting.
Finally, I wonder how our Christian brothers and sisters in Gaza, Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters are feeling when once again Western churches applaud their killing. And I wonder how we as Christians can support either side in the use of force to achieve its goals. where does that fit with the gospel, or with Jesus own ministry. Killing is not the answer for either side. To suggest that is to have the wrong end of the stick.
Antony, I have been there, I have talked to Anglican Palestinians who are trying to find another way, but who are not supporters of current Israeli polices. I also spent a week with a Jewish tour, and heard their side of the argument. I have read several books. This si not something I came to without some experience and research. And I pray for a just way forward every day. So, no, I do not think I have the wrong end of the stick.
Peace and all good
John
I wrote this long response, and post it here for further comment.
Thanks Antony for the article
However, I think the writer has got the wrong end of the stick. It saddens me to think that anyone can support the use of force by either side as a way to achieving peace. And it saddens me even more when Christians do it.
To comment on the article. Israel withdrew from Gaza, which was occupied territory, because it was difficult to continue to protect the settlers, and because it meant they could say they are withdrawing their settlers in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions, while leaving the major settlements on the West Bank. (Those settlements mean that there will never be a free Palestinian State on the West Bank, but isolated cities surrounded by Israel, and at the mercy of Israel in terms of who and what can come and go) What the writer fails to point out is that Israel continues to control nearly all access to Gaza, and has held the border closed for the least two years at least, and Egypt has followed suit. Before that the UN already estimated that least 80% of those who live in Gaza live under the poverty line, with no hope of ever doing anything about that. The basic infrastructure (what there was) has been destroyed by Israel over many years. It remains one of the mostly occupied pieces of land on this earth. As one writer suggested, this is an open air prison, where the those who live there are treated worse than many prisons in the west. And so I wonder, what would I do in that situation? What would you do in this situation, if you lived in poverty, with no hope, held there by a military power that continue to show no mercy or compassion. Would you sit quietly? Or would you try to find a way to fight back.
I am not sure what I would do. I would hope that I did not support violence. It is not the answer here for either side. But I understand why Palestinians have resorted to it.
The article suggests that this bombardment was an effective way to stop the rocket fire. You really think that is the case. That killing 1300 people will stop Hamas? While break the resolve of Palestinians. They have not hope. Why not die fighting the people who cause their misery. This assault will not stop the rocket fire. Worse, it will make the cause of the moderate Palestinian much more difficult. Gaza is a hot bed for freedom fighters/terrorists, (when I was in Israel 3 years ago doing a tour with Jewish tour guides, I was surprised when the Jewish terrorists of the 1940’s who set of bombs and killed British soldiers and innocent civilians were called freedom fighters, and the tour guide complained that some of them had been executed. It all depends on which side you are and often who is winning as to what name you are called) because of Israel’s ongoing persecution and destruction. Interestingly the article makes no mention of Israel’s ongoing campaign of targeting and executing Hamas leaders in Gaza, even when they happen to be in with family, or in residential areas, where of course they live., The civilians who die in these attacks are seen as collateral damage. I wonder over the last two years how many Israelis have died in rocket attacks, and how many Palestinians in execution attacks by Israel, and then I have to wonder who really lives in terror? Maybe both sides do?
It is easy to label Hamas as a terrorist group, and ignore the social service they provide in Gaza and across the West Bank. That is why they won the election, and why politicians from all sorts of backgrounds stood fro them and supported them, including Christian. Some of the Palestinians I talked to while in Israel, while not supporting Hamas, were impressed with the social services they did provide, and could see why they had such a following. They are much more than a fighting group.
Sadly, this all sounds like and either or attitude. And that will get us nowhere. What I long for, what I pray for nearly every day, what am I seeking and what I would hope you seek is a safe place for Israelis and Palestinians to live, side by side. But that will not happen while Israel maintains its stranglehold on Gaza, and across the West Bank. Nor will it happen while Palestinians are treated as less that human by Israel and the Arab world. It will not happen while Palestinians have no hope of ever having their own state, while Israel continues to confiscate their land and while they have no economic base on which to build lives of hope. It will not happen while the current policies of conflict and military action hold sway. The only possible result is more deaths, and most of those will be Palestinian. How can we possibly support that?
I mourn for the Israelis who have to live with the threat of rocket attacks, but I also mourn for the people of Gaza who cannot get adequate food, water or power, who have no hope, and live in terror of the next Israeli raid.
If you want to read more about this then Robert Frisk’s “the Great War for Civilization” has some excellent chapters. He would find you comment about the left wing press laughable. As someone who has lived and reported on the Middle East for 30 years his experience is that the press is very pro Israeli, and very inaccurate in its reporting.
Finally, I wonder how our Christian brothers and sisters in Gaza, Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters are feeling when once again Western churches applaud their killing. And I wonder how we as Christians can support either side in the use of force to achieve its goals. where does that fit with the gospel, or with Jesus own ministry. Killing is not the answer for either side. To suggest that is to have the wrong end of the stick.
Antony, I have been there, I have talked to Anglican Palestinians who are trying to find another way, but who are not supporters of current Israeli polices. I also spent a week with a Jewish tour, and heard their side of the argument. I have read several books. This si not something I came to without some experience and research. And I pray for a just way forward every day. So, no, I do not think I have the wrong end of the stick.
Peace and all good
John
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