Zooming into the Gaza Strip for a little pompous pontification
January 6th 2009 03:42
Zooming into the Gaza Strip for a little pompous pontification
It is probably a bit of a problem for some people to avoid taking a side in the current campaign in the Middle East. Israeli ground forces are entering the city with the expressed objective of ensuring that the rockets being fired into their territory are stopped. Hamas also claims to be on a similar noble crusade to defend their statehood from invasion. Unfortunately neither side is telling the whole truth. Instead we have a succession of sound bites and catch phrases that do little more than echo party lines.
We could take simplistic approach and claim one side is the aggressor and the other the victim but such a simplistic view is as unhelpful as churning over propaganda.
We can look at this conflict in terms of the aggrieved party in such a way that it justifies every action that they do.
500 people killed in the Gaza of which about 100 are civilians. 4 Killed in Israel. In simplistic terms those 4 do not matter. In personal terms those would certainly matter to their loved ones. Yet the proportional response has created a tragic if not insane situation.
Was necessary to invade the Gaza to stop the rocket attacks? Did the rockets need to be fired randomly into Israel? Was Israel using these small scale attacks as justification for invasion so that they can wipe out Hamas once and for all? Or was Hamas counting upon Israel’s heavy handed response so that they can hide behind the skirt tails of the Palestinians and cry victimhood? Are they as deaf to the suffering of those on the Gaza Strip as the Israeli’s are?
It seems that rhetoric has won the day when the real enemy of violence is being ignored in favor of a jingoism and special pleading.
George Bush speaks in terms of a ceasefire on terms that cannot be guaranteed: a permanent end to the flow of weapons to the Gaza Strip. Obama is deafening us all with his conspicuous silence over this humanitarian crisis.
The UN Security Council met and failed to even agree on a call for a ceasefire. War it seems, can have a free run so long as one voice has the power of veto.
It is a tragedy unfolding to watch the two sides acting like bald men fighting over a comb. Yet neither side, David not Goliath, have any intention of backing down. Instead they will slog it out in a power struggle as the bodies mount up. Eventually the financial budget for this campaign will expire and the Israel army will once again return home. What happens after that is anyone’s guess.
It is very unlikely that Hamas will admit that randomly firing rockets in to Israel is a crime against humanity. Nor is it likely that Israel will show any sympathy for innocent bystanders killed in the line of fire. Instead both sides are quick to wrap themselves in the cloak of martyrdom and blame the other for a disaster that they both created. ‘Collateral Damage’ may be the term but it does not make it more palatable to the victims. It is a shame that everything may soon be phrased in terms of winners and losers of the campaign.
The conflict will end and each side will claim victory. Images of the carnage will fill the internet and television airwaves. Soon another generation will be inspired and the whole mess will start again. The extremists on both sides with sound ever more rational as they point the blood soak images and frightened faces. That is the tragic result of mayhem: the concept of ‘might is right’ will have won the day and that concept will be passed onto the next generation.
Perhaps we need a little less propaganda.
It is probably a bit of a problem for some people to avoid taking a side in the current campaign in the Middle East. Israeli ground forces are entering the city with the expressed objective of ensuring that the rockets being fired into their territory are stopped. Hamas also claims to be on a similar noble crusade to defend their statehood from invasion. Unfortunately neither side is telling the whole truth. Instead we have a succession of sound bites and catch phrases that do little more than echo party lines.
We could take simplistic approach and claim one side is the aggressor and the other the victim but such a simplistic view is as unhelpful as churning over propaganda.
We can look at this conflict in terms of the aggrieved party in such a way that it justifies every action that they do.
500 people killed in the Gaza of which about 100 are civilians. 4 Killed in Israel. In simplistic terms those 4 do not matter. In personal terms those would certainly matter to their loved ones. Yet the proportional response has created a tragic if not insane situation.
Was necessary to invade the Gaza to stop the rocket attacks? Did the rockets need to be fired randomly into Israel? Was Israel using these small scale attacks as justification for invasion so that they can wipe out Hamas once and for all? Or was Hamas counting upon Israel’s heavy handed response so that they can hide behind the skirt tails of the Palestinians and cry victimhood? Are they as deaf to the suffering of those on the Gaza Strip as the Israeli’s are?
It seems that rhetoric has won the day when the real enemy of violence is being ignored in favor of a jingoism and special pleading.
George Bush speaks in terms of a ceasefire on terms that cannot be guaranteed: a permanent end to the flow of weapons to the Gaza Strip. Obama is deafening us all with his conspicuous silence over this humanitarian crisis.
The UN Security Council met and failed to even agree on a call for a ceasefire. War it seems, can have a free run so long as one voice has the power of veto.
It is a tragedy unfolding to watch the two sides acting like bald men fighting over a comb. Yet neither side, David not Goliath, have any intention of backing down. Instead they will slog it out in a power struggle as the bodies mount up. Eventually the financial budget for this campaign will expire and the Israel army will once again return home. What happens after that is anyone’s guess.
It is very unlikely that Hamas will admit that randomly firing rockets in to Israel is a crime against humanity. Nor is it likely that Israel will show any sympathy for innocent bystanders killed in the line of fire. Instead both sides are quick to wrap themselves in the cloak of martyrdom and blame the other for a disaster that they both created. ‘Collateral Damage’ may be the term but it does not make it more palatable to the victims. It is a shame that everything may soon be phrased in terms of winners and losers of the campaign.
The conflict will end and each side will claim victory. Images of the carnage will fill the internet and television airwaves. Soon another generation will be inspired and the whole mess will start again. The extremists on both sides with sound ever more rational as they point the blood soak images and frightened faces. That is the tragic result of mayhem: the concept of ‘might is right’ will have won the day and that concept will be passed onto the next generation.
Perhaps we need a little less propaganda.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Consider this for a moment, if we had fought World War 2 in the "equal" fashion that some people are suggesting that Israel should fight Hamas, we would still be counting the deaths and making sure nobody extra got hurt or killed. The purpose of fighting back is to disable the enemy and end the war, not to drag it out longer and longer, costing more lives.
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Thanks for your comments.
In term of Hamas verses Israel I do not think there is any question that they cannot stand each other.
However I am of the opinion that there is a responsibility to avoid casualties where ever possible.
In the normal practice of war you do not blow up a village to get one person. What did the other villagers do.
I do see an escalation in this conflict that I am powerless to stop. Israel will come in pumble the place. Hamas will take photos and start recruiting.
I cannot help but suspect that both sides are benefiting from this carnage and would like it to continue.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
It is interesting to note that whenever both sides are drawn close to a detente, some maniac tosses a bomb, murders a PM, shoots a rocket...etc etc
It is also of note that, with the changing of the guard at the White House, and the bizarre financial meltdown the world, and particualrly America, is spiralling into, that the need for such a huge military budget should find, once again, a new justification for continuance.
As for SL's comments, Israel did not 'give up' any land they owned, but land they seized, besides, they took away at gunpoint much more land than that and have kept it, including taking over more of Jerusalem, dividing the Palestinians by a wall, some are completely encircled by it, however, it is the forced removal of the local population since the end of WW2 which is historically at the base of this continuing nightmare, and to ignore it, is to excuse facts from history. As for Israel prewarning citizens (therefore enemy as well) they are to be attacked....well...I'll leave that one to everyone's imagination...but let us just say, it would happen every now and then, while international news is filming, as pR exercise, doing it at any other time would be totally counterproductive, in warning the enemy, and absolutely not what the Israeli forces would want.
cheers and maybe "god" is the alien word for war afterall?
fog
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Thanks for your comments.
If only we could find out what or who is causing it all.
If only it was that simple.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
it is a multi -decker sandwich, the closer one looks, the more slices of baloney you can find... I do not understnad the stupidity of Hamas frankly, as all they get is death and mayhem in return, for little disruption of Israeli life, however, those that lead are not elected because of their grasp on reality and/or sanity, but by popularism, and this accounts, as far as I can see, for all elections everywhere.
Will the chant, "peace at last", only be heard by the one person left standing? That is the question...
cheers
fog
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
I am probably in agreement with you about the stupidity of Hamas. Keep sending missiles over to Israel in the middle of a cease fire. They would have known for sure that Israel would react as they do. Sending a cannon to blow away an ant.
Yet both sides seem to be milking this for all that it worth.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
It is an old tactic that is by no means unique to the Middle East, as some major powers around the world have used this tactic, and their various agencies, for various reasons, such as, for justifying a budget increase when it is scheduled to decrease the particular entities' budget...
However, I think the basic problem is, there is no 'third party', that is a UN force deployed and in operation to engage militarily any side that tries to foil the detente, this has been repeatedly put forward but it gets nowhere, vetoed at the Security Council........
I do believe the Palestinian people deserve at least that, and then a proper programme of control and containment would be possible against Hamas, the locals having something to back them up, so they are not threatened by Hamas, and not by Israel on a daily basis, they get the necessities of life and can build a future.
Then Hamas would lose its support base, and Israel would be forced to accept Palestinians having basic human rights, and sovereignty, which is more than questionable as far as their political, social and military attitude is towards Palestinians.
If one says one supports human rights, then there can be no argument against this being put into motion, just like East Timor and even Boznia etc
cheers
fog
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
I think this whole problem has been ignored for about 8 years and now it is exploding.
The reality is that Israel is here to stay and the Palestinians are not going anywhere either. The USA will support Israel because they had such a huge role in its formation. They have become so culturally attached to Israel that they see them almost like little Americans.
When a situation festers then unscrupulous people take advantage. In steps Hamas and we have a clear cycle of violence. I predict that winner in this will be radicalism.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
I fear that Israel will be emboldened to take even greater and widespread military action, which never works unless the people believe that after the dust settles, you can be friends and live and prosper...
I cannot se that happening, as I said, th only chance is with a UN presence, but, as you say, the US will always veto in faovur of Israel.
What I find annoying is, neither side can see the actual benefit of being constructive to each other, instead of destructive. This cannot be until the hawks on both sides are sidelined by their own people.
Meanwhile...more death..
cheers
fog