the war crime state declares peace
TRANSCRIPT
8/12/2019 The War Crime State Declares Peace
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The war crime state declares "peace"
The urgency of the protests and outrage
against Israel's war of terror on Gaza must be maintained and mobilized to expand the
movement in solidarity with Palestine.
August 7, 2014THE LATEST onslaught in srael!s war o
annihilation against #a$a appears to ha%e
come to a close i the cease&ire and
withdrawal o sraeli troops in eect as this
article was 'eing written continue()ut the ruins o #a$a are still smoldering(
The human toll has 'een enormous* +ore
than 1,00 dead, including 1,-00 ci%ilians(
Some 10,000 in.ured( The homes o /0,000
people reduced to ru''le( earl a uarter
o #a$a!s 1( million residents on the mo%e in search o somewhere sae to shelter rom
srael!s rampage(
+eanwhile, 'urning uestions are 'eing as3ed around the world* hat was srael!s
month&long oensi%e all a'out5 And i we!%e seen the horrors o war or the past
wee3s, what will "peace" mean or the people o #a$a5
sraeli 6rime +inister )en.amin etanahu insists that srael!s massacre was
".ustiied" and that e%er ci%ilian casualt was the ault o Hamas or using ci%ilians as"human shields("
e%er mind that e%en the New York Times ac3nowledged that "t8here is no e%idence
that Hamas and other militants orce ci%ilians to sta in areas that are under attac3&&
the legal deinition o a human shield under international law(" The ))9 reached the
A Palestinian man reacts to the demolition ofhis home in Gaza !ohammed Al "aba#
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same conclusion(
And ne%er mind that as recentl as last ear, the :nited ations condemned sraeli
soldiers or repeatedl using 6alestinian children as&&ou guessed it&&human shields(
"srael!s8 soldiers ha%e used 6alestinian children to enter potentiall dangerous
'uildings ahead o them and to stand in ront o militar %ehicles in order to stop the
throwing o stones against those %ehicles," a : report concluded(
& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &
EA9H ;< srael!s rationali$ations or its rampage through #a$a ma3e ar more sense
when le%eled against srael itsel( =emem'er the 3idnapping o three settler outh in
>une( Hamas! alleged responsi'ilit or this crime ser%ed as the prete?t or war5 ow,
howe%er, we 3now that sraeli police concluded that the 3idnappers were part o a lone
cell operating independentl o Hamas(
And then there!s the larger truth* t!s srael that sstematicall detains, tortures and
a'uses children, pro%ided the!re 6alestinian( +ore than 400 6alestinian children
were 3illed during the course o ;peration 6rotecti%e Shield(
Stopping the roc3ets rom #a$a5 etanahu sas Hamas ired nearl -,000 roc3ets at
srael and asserts, "o countr would tolerate this(" )ut it!s srael that or ears has
routinel carried out assassinations in #a$a, ' drone, sniper and air stri3e( n recent
wee3s, it ired some 3,000 tons o high&powered missiles at #a$a(
=oc3et ire rom #a$a too3 the li%es o three sraeli ci%ilians, and Hamas ighters 3illed
/@ soldiers during ground operations( ; the more than 1,00 6alestinians 3illed '
srael, less than 2@ percent were actual ighters ' contrast, B/ percent o those 3illed
' #a$a!s resistance ighters were sraeli soldiers(
9losing down the "terror tunnels"5 Egpt sealed the tunnels 'etween its territor and
#a$a last ear&&without destroing a single neigh'orhood in #a$a(
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n an case, the %er term "terror tunnel" 'etras how e%er utterance ' srael is
designed to demoni$e the idea that the oppressed can and should resist their
oppressors( This is an old smear, aced ' the resistance o South Arica!s )lac3
ma.orit against apartheid, Arican Americans ighting >im 9row laws in the South and
countless other mo%ements&&the oppressor in%aria'l portras the resistance o the
oppressed as "e?tremist," "a threat to law and order" and "terrorist("
srael hasn!t accomplished on the 'attleield an o the %arious war aims it has gi%en
pu'licl&&and or good reason( The war was itself the aim&&with the purpose o
ad%ancing srael!s long&term goal o the ethnic cleansing o 6alestine( n etanahu!s
own words* "There cannot 'e a situation, under an agreement, in which we relinuish
securit control o the territor west o the =i%er >ordan("
Cespite some words o criticism, the :(S( go%ernment!s support or srael!s 'ar'arism
can 'e counted on to continue( Stopping srael rom succeeding in its goal o
eliminating 6alestinian societ in #a$a and the est )an3 will reuire the ongoing
resistance o 6alestinians&&and the mo'ili$ation o concrete solidarit ' ordinar
people rom 9openhagen to 9airo to 9olum'us, ;hio(
& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &
THE 6;LA=DAT; o opinion a'out srael!s ;peration 6rotecti%e Edge has 'een
star3( srael!s >ewish population, the :(S( political class and the American and sraeli
media stand read to .usti e%er last atrocit committed ' srael during the last
month(
<ull B@ percent o sraeli >ews 'elie%e that srael!s war on #a$a was .ustiied, and less
than 4 percent thin3 that srael Ceense <orces used "e?cessi%e orce," according to a
poll conducted in >ul ( A solid ma.orit 'elie%es there will 'e more conrontations with
Hamas to come(
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n the midst o the relentless 'om'ing, the :(S( Senate %oted 100&0 to stand with
srael&&a unanimous %ote that not e%en the :SA 6atriot Act managed to inspire(
+ainstream media igures across the political spectrum&&rom <o? ews! Sean
Hannit to 9)S ews! 9harlie =ose&&critici$ed Ara' and 6alestinian spo3espeople or
their "anti&srael" %iews( the ren$ied media deense o srael was less than
completel unanimous, it was 'ecause o the inluence o independent .ournalists and
social media commentators, which occasionall orced the mainstream media
to ac3nowledge their shortcomings( )ut generall, the media simpl reported srael!s
decepti%e and sel&ser%ing statements as act(
As part o the truce negotiations 'eing 'ro3ered ' the Egptian regime, srael is
demanding that #a$a 'e "demilitari$ed," while Hamas is calling or an end to the
se%en&ear siege that has plunged #a$a into a hellscape o unemploment,
malnutrition and crum'ling inrastructure( )ut inali$ing the truce ma well e?pose
e%en more the e?tent to which %arious currents in the sraeli esta'lishment 'elie%e the
main pro'lem was that etanahu!s prosecution o the war didn't go far enough(
Hamas has signaled that it is willing to concede to monitoring o #a$a!s 'order
crossing with Egpt ' the ri%al <atah&led 6alestinian Authorit 6AF, as part o an
easing o the siege( )ut it has so ar reused to gi%e up its right to sel&deense( this
ends up unra%eling the cease&ire, the open calls or concentration camps and genocide
that ha%e echoed around sraeli societ&&and not .ust in its right&wing and militaristic
margins&&will no dou't intensi(
<or e?ample, +oshe <eiglin, the deput spea3er o the Gnesset, srael!s
parliament,recentl descri'ed on <ace'oo3 his %ision or the "inal solution"*
There are no two states, and there are no two peoples( There is onl one state
or one people(((The C< sraeli arm8 shall designate certain open areas on
the Sinai 'order, ad.acent to the sea, in which the ci%ilian population will 'e
concentrated, ar rom the 'uilt&up areas that are used or launches and
tunneling( n these areas, tent encampments will 'e esta'lished, until
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rele%ant emigration destinations are determined(((The suppl o electricit
and water to the ormerl populated areas will 'e disconnected(((
The ormerl populated areas will 'e shelled with ma?imum irepower( The
entire ci%ilian and militar inrastructure o Hamas, its means o
communication and o logistics, will 'e destroed entirel, down to their
oundations(((The C< will di%ide the #a$a Strip laterall and crosswise,
signiicantl e?pand the corridors, occup commanding positions, and
e?terminate nests o resistance, in the e%ent that an should remain(
& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &
THE :(S( go%ernment&&long the world!s most ardent and powerul supporter o srael&&
shoc3ed man with a condemnation o srael!s >ul -0 'om'ing o a : school&turned&shelter, 3illing at least 1B people and wounding man more( "The shelling o a
: acilit that is housing innocent ci%ilians who are leeing %iolence is totall
unaccepta'le and totall indeensi'le," said hite House 6ress Secretar >osh
Earnest(
Strong words o re'u3e or srael coming rom the :(S( are highl unusual, 'ut the
circumstances show how long a leash srael can still count on when it comes tocommitting atrocities against 6alestinians( Ater all, Earnest!s criticism ollowed
the sixthsraeli 'om'ing o a : shelter( Apparentl, attac3ing i%e shelters was
tolera'le, 'ut a si?th was "unaccepta'le("
hen )arac3 ;'ama commented on the current truce negotiations, he tal3ed a'out
the need or "trust&'uilding" and "gi%ing hope"&&the 3ind o empt rhetoric tpicall
used at the end o an election campaign, not a merciless assault on ci%ilian lie(
; course, whate%er rhetorical censures that ;'ama and mem'ers o his
administration %oiced, no one threatened to withhold e%en one dollar o the - 'illion
in annual aid to srael, let alone call or an end to the siege that has turned #a$a into
an open&air prison(
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:(S( oicials made mild criticisms, the Ara' states were shameull uiet( Ciana
)uttu, a 6alestinian lawer and analst, called the reaction*
remar3a'le( n all the other in%asions and assaults on #a$a, there was at
least some go%ernment that would come out and tal3 a'out how what srael
was doing was illegal and show some support( This time around, there!s 'een
nothing( The silence is deaening(
The silence was not onl deaening, 'ut it represented a shit in regional politics, as
the New York Times e?plained*
Ater the militar ouster o the slamist go%ernment in 9airo last ear, Egpt
has led a new coalition o Ara' states&&including >ordan, Saudi Ara'ia and
the :nited Ara' Emirates&&that has eecti%el lined up with srael in its ight
against Hamas, the slamist mo%ement that controls the #a$a Strip(
Iet the 6alestinian cause continues to 'e em'raced ' the popular classes throughout
the +iddle East&&e%en i those who rule o%er them do not( And to this steadast
regional support is now added the worldwide outrage, e?pressed in large #a$a
solidarit protests around the world(
The protests are themsel%es an e?pression o shiting tides o pu'ic opinion( A #allup
poll in >ul ound that while a ma.orit o Americans o%er /@ 'elie%ed srael!s actions
were ".ustiied" ' a @@&to&-1 percent margin, the percentages were re%ersed or 1 to
2B ear olds, who 'elie%ed ' a @1&to&2@ percent margin that srael!s actions were
"un.ustiied("
& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &
THE 6E;6LE o #a$a ma en.o greater support in world pu'lic opinion, 'ut the act
remains that Hamas is politicall isolated(
Last ear!s ouster o Egptian 6resident and +uslim )rotherhood leader +ohamed
+orsi, com'ined with Hamas! estrangement rom ran, lea%es the slamist leadership
in #a$a without an o the 'ac3ing rom regional elites it en.oed .ust a couple ears
ago( And Jatar, which has lirted with oering inancial support to Hamas, has largel
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ca%ed to regional pressures not to do so(
This has re%ealed the dead end o Hamas! strateg o attempting to all itsel with one
or another Ara' regime&&.ust as the 6alestine Li'eration ;rgani$ation tried in past
decades(
#i%en srael!s o%erwhelming militar superiorit, the hard uestion remains* How can
6alestinian li'eration 'e achie%ed i a direct militar conrontation with srael is
unwinna'le5
srael has 'eneited rom the set'ac3s or the "Ara' Spring" upsurges that 'egan in
2011 with the o%erthrow o Tunisian dictator Dine El A'idine )en Ali and Egpt!s
Hosni +u'ara3( This ga%e srael the political space it needed to carr out ;peration
6rotecti%e Edge( )ut the 'itter grie%ances that underla the Ara' Spring ha%e not 'een
resol%ed and are 'ound to uel uture struggles( hen the arise, the will again
inspire 'road solidarit with the 6alestinian cause(
)eond the +iddle East, the growing 'ocott, di%estment and sanctions )CSF
mo%ement represents another ront in the long&term eort to e?pose sraeli apartheid
and its sstematic %iolations o international law and 'asic rights or 6alestinians(
These campaigns&&targeting e%erthing rom sraeli&produced hummus on college
campuses, to artists perorming in apartheid srael, to international conglomerates
engaged in inrastructure pro.ects that e?tend srael!s settlement&'uilding enterprise&&
are an essential component o raising the political price srael must pa, 'oth or its
recent string o war crimes in #a$a and its ongoing oppression o 6alestinians(
& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &
<;= A intensiied )CS campaign to 'e eecti%e in opening up another ront against
srael, those who support .ustice must conront the political arguments used to delect
their initiati%es( Curing the sraeli onslaught, li'eral pu'lications such as The
Nationmaga$ine, or e?ample, maintained a stead drum'eat o criticism o Hamas as
at least partl responsi'le or "pro%o3ing" sraeli %iolence or its ighters! decision to
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resist occupation, as is their right under international law(
Li'eral criticisms will come as no surprise to anone who has participated in the
6alestine solidarit mo%ement( )ut man acti%ists ma ha%e 'een ta3en a'ac3 '
similar statements that ha%e come rom sections o the socialist let(
<or e?ample, Gshama Sawant o Socialist Alternati%e, newl elected to the Seattle 9it
9ouncil, included in her statement denouncing the sraeli war a condemnation o
Hamas or iring roc3ets, and a call to "stand in solidarit with the ordinar people o
srael and their desire or securit(" The Militant newspaper pu'lished ' the Socialist
or3ers 6art&:(S( went urther, denouncing Hamas or the "targeting o citi$ens in
srael," which has "set 'ac3 prospects or united action ' Ara' and >ewish wor3ing
people("
Such statements are especiall stunning in the ace o the racist war ren$ that
gripped sraeli societ almost unanimousl&&leading to the opinion poll results alread
cited that showed B@ percent o >ewish sraelis agreeing that ;peration 6rotecti%e
Edge was .ustiied(
These attitudes are not merel the result o 'rainwashing( The are ine%ita'le in an
apartheid sstem in which >ewish citi$ens, rich and poor, en.o e?clusi%e rights and
material inancial 'eneits in a militari$ed societ 'uilt around the logic o e?pulsion
and ethnic cleansing(
A mo%ement that see3s to achie%e .ustice in 6alestine and the 'roader +iddle East
must champion the demands o 6alestinians or sel&determination and em'race the
6alestinian call to organi$e a 'ocott, di%estment and sanctions campaign that can
undermine international support or sraeli apartheid(
there was an sign o hope amid nightmare inlicted on #a$a in the past wee3s, it
was the sense o urgenc and determination that animated the protests against srael!s
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war and e?pressions o support or 6alestine( )ecause o the hard wor3 o organi$ing,
especiall around )CS, in the past se%eral ears, the international mo%ement in
solidarit with 6alestine is in a position to connect to this 'roader outrage at srael!s
war&&and continue to mo'ili$e it or the struggles to come(
e will do so with the horrors o srael!s war resh in mind to remem'er the 'ar'arism
we are ighting against&&and with the determination o the 6alestinian people to resist
trann and %iolence to teach us what we are struggling or(
6osted ' Tha%am