Gaza … again.
So it goes.
Back and forth, back and forth. Who’s to blame? Who started it? Which side has more responsibility for whatever is happening now?
In 2005, under intense pressure from many in Israel not to, Ariel Sharon, at the time the Prime Minister of Israel, disengaged from Gaza and removed every single Israeli Jew, vacated every single settlement and village that Israel built in Gaza. Over 8,000 Israeli Jews left (some forcibly) over 21 settlements, leaving behind an infrastructure that was earning tens of millions of dollars (greenhouses that produced exportable fruits, vegetables and flowers). At the time, the hope was that the Palestinians would take this on and build on the existing infrastructure that would help them build a nation. On August 22, 2005, the last Israeli Jew left Gaza.
On September 23, 2005, just a month after the disengagement, missiles were fired from Gaza into Israel. It was determined that the missiles originated from a school in Gaza City - the roof of the school building had been converted into a rocket launch pad.
The hope for the future of the Palestinians, the greenhouses, were looted and destroyed; metal parts taken to build rockets.
For the next thirteen years, to today, Gaza has been the source of violent expressions of terror aimed at Israel. Tunnels that went under the border fence (a border fence that predated the 1967 war, a border established in 1947) were dug to ferry terrorists into Israel with the aim to kill and kidnap Jews.
Gaza fell into the hands of Hamas, an internationally described terrorist organization, with the clearly stated aim of killing all the Jews in Israel and wiping Israel off the map. This became the ‘government’ of Gaza. Hamas accused Israel of war crimes, of keeping the residents of Gaza in poverty, oppressing the residents of Gaza with hardships, ignoring the humanity needs of the million plus people living there. Photos of the hardship were published, ruined buildings, destroyed schools and hospitals, little working infrastructure.
Other images also surfaced; those of modern malls, with Beverly Hills type stores and restaurants, large private homes with fancy cars. Israel claimed, as did many European countries, that millions of dollars were being funneled into Gaza to help the population but instead ended up with the Hamas leadership, not with the people. Hundreds of trucks, every day, arrive at the border control checkpoints into Gaza with medical supplies, building supplies, food, and other goods, transferring these goods to trucks belonging to Hamas; goods that disappeared from the people. Tunnels were discovered under the border to Israel. In those tunnels, Israel discovered much of the building supplies were used to support the tunnel construction. Medicine and medical supplies never made it to the hospitals in the refugee camps (yes, Gaza maintains refugee camps; that’s another story) but the clinics next to the fancy malls and homes were well stocked.
Back and forth. Back and forth.
In 1995, the US Congress authorized the US Government to move the United States Embassy from its current location in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Act, passed by the US Congress, affirms that every sovereign nation has the right to designate its capital. Israel did so in declaring Jerusalem its capital back in 1948.
Every President since 1995 has signed a waiver, delaying the move on National Security grounds. In February, 2018, the current President of the US declared that the US would open its embassy in Jerusalem by May 14, 2018.
For several months, there was little response from anywhere. Some began, in February and March, to voice opposition to the move, arguing that the move would not move peace negotiations forward between the Palestinian Authority (the Palestinian government in the West Bank) and Israel.
On March 30, the Hamas leadership began what they described as the great march of return, which is meant to demonstrate and force Israel to acknowledge and accept returning Palestinians to return to their former homes, homes they either left or were displaced from in 1947 and/or in 1967. On March 30, large demonstrations were held near the Gaza border fence. Thousands gathered in tents and marched toward the border. Tires were burned by the thousands, creating thick smoke which hid terrorists who fired into Israel at soldiers on the other side of the fence. Others attempted to breach the area near the fence, throwing explosive devices toward the fence, attempting to blow holes in the fence. Others began rushing toward the fence. Violence continued. Every day since the end of April, violence erupted from the camps set up near various locations along the border fences.
Hamas displays daily the names of those killed as innocent protestors. Israel publishes names of terrorists killed attempting to break through the border fence. Hamas claims indiscriminate shooting from Israelis result in dozens of innocent protestors killed or wounded. Israel publishes video accounts showing terrorists shooting from behind groups of people standing near the fence. Independent investigations have established that Hamas members regularly force citizens into buses they arrange, bring them to the border area and walk behind them toward the fence. Many children, according to these sources, are brought to the border area and told to run toward the fence area.
Israel counters the arguments against deadly use with the argument that it has no choice but to defend its sovereignty, as would any nation facing thousands of people attempting to forcibly break through an established border fence; especially a group (Hamas) whose literal mission is to kill Israelis and drive Israel into the sea.
Is the new violence a reaction to the US embassy being moved to Jerusalem? Is Hamas trying a new strategy, using massive numbers of people, burning tires, and daily demonstrations to mask their efforts to breach the border in order to gain access to Israel to once again, carry out their mission to kill Jews? The response by Israel will be to protect its borders, its people, from a terrorist organization, regardless of whether that organization is the recognized ‘government’ in place.
There’s an old saying that “the Arab nations can lose many wars against Israel but Israel cannot lose even one war against the Arab world.” Another one goes something like this; if the Arab countries put down their weapons and recognize Israel, there will be peace. If Israel puts down its weapons, there will no longer be Israel.
Back and forth. Who’s right? Who owns the problem? We all do.
Until and unless both sides recognize that Israel exists and Israel welcomes a Palestinian nation next door, with secure and peaceful borders, we will live blaming each other for the continued violence. Can Israel survive like this? It has no choice. Hamas gives Israel no choice but to defend its borders, its citizens, from an invasion meant to kill Israelis and destroy the nation.
So it goes.
Back and forth, back and forth. Who’s to blame? Who started it? Which side has more responsibility for whatever is happening now?
In 2005, under intense pressure from many in Israel not to, Ariel Sharon, at the time the Prime Minister of Israel, disengaged from Gaza and removed every single Israeli Jew, vacated every single settlement and village that Israel built in Gaza. Over 8,000 Israeli Jews left (some forcibly) over 21 settlements, leaving behind an infrastructure that was earning tens of millions of dollars (greenhouses that produced exportable fruits, vegetables and flowers). At the time, the hope was that the Palestinians would take this on and build on the existing infrastructure that would help them build a nation. On August 22, 2005, the last Israeli Jew left Gaza.
On September 23, 2005, just a month after the disengagement, missiles were fired from Gaza into Israel. It was determined that the missiles originated from a school in Gaza City - the roof of the school building had been converted into a rocket launch pad.
The hope for the future of the Palestinians, the greenhouses, were looted and destroyed; metal parts taken to build rockets.
For the next thirteen years, to today, Gaza has been the source of violent expressions of terror aimed at Israel. Tunnels that went under the border fence (a border fence that predated the 1967 war, a border established in 1947) were dug to ferry terrorists into Israel with the aim to kill and kidnap Jews.
Gaza fell into the hands of Hamas, an internationally described terrorist organization, with the clearly stated aim of killing all the Jews in Israel and wiping Israel off the map. This became the ‘government’ of Gaza. Hamas accused Israel of war crimes, of keeping the residents of Gaza in poverty, oppressing the residents of Gaza with hardships, ignoring the humanity needs of the million plus people living there. Photos of the hardship were published, ruined buildings, destroyed schools and hospitals, little working infrastructure.
Other images also surfaced; those of modern malls, with Beverly Hills type stores and restaurants, large private homes with fancy cars. Israel claimed, as did many European countries, that millions of dollars were being funneled into Gaza to help the population but instead ended up with the Hamas leadership, not with the people. Hundreds of trucks, every day, arrive at the border control checkpoints into Gaza with medical supplies, building supplies, food, and other goods, transferring these goods to trucks belonging to Hamas; goods that disappeared from the people. Tunnels were discovered under the border to Israel. In those tunnels, Israel discovered much of the building supplies were used to support the tunnel construction. Medicine and medical supplies never made it to the hospitals in the refugee camps (yes, Gaza maintains refugee camps; that’s another story) but the clinics next to the fancy malls and homes were well stocked.
Back and forth. Back and forth.
In 1995, the US Congress authorized the US Government to move the United States Embassy from its current location in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Act, passed by the US Congress, affirms that every sovereign nation has the right to designate its capital. Israel did so in declaring Jerusalem its capital back in 1948.
Every President since 1995 has signed a waiver, delaying the move on National Security grounds. In February, 2018, the current President of the US declared that the US would open its embassy in Jerusalem by May 14, 2018.
For several months, there was little response from anywhere. Some began, in February and March, to voice opposition to the move, arguing that the move would not move peace negotiations forward between the Palestinian Authority (the Palestinian government in the West Bank) and Israel.
On March 30, the Hamas leadership began what they described as the great march of return, which is meant to demonstrate and force Israel to acknowledge and accept returning Palestinians to return to their former homes, homes they either left or were displaced from in 1947 and/or in 1967. On March 30, large demonstrations were held near the Gaza border fence. Thousands gathered in tents and marched toward the border. Tires were burned by the thousands, creating thick smoke which hid terrorists who fired into Israel at soldiers on the other side of the fence. Others attempted to breach the area near the fence, throwing explosive devices toward the fence, attempting to blow holes in the fence. Others began rushing toward the fence. Violence continued. Every day since the end of April, violence erupted from the camps set up near various locations along the border fences.
Hamas displays daily the names of those killed as innocent protestors. Israel publishes names of terrorists killed attempting to break through the border fence. Hamas claims indiscriminate shooting from Israelis result in dozens of innocent protestors killed or wounded. Israel publishes video accounts showing terrorists shooting from behind groups of people standing near the fence. Independent investigations have established that Hamas members regularly force citizens into buses they arrange, bring them to the border area and walk behind them toward the fence. Many children, according to these sources, are brought to the border area and told to run toward the fence area.
Israel counters the arguments against deadly use with the argument that it has no choice but to defend its sovereignty, as would any nation facing thousands of people attempting to forcibly break through an established border fence; especially a group (Hamas) whose literal mission is to kill Israelis and drive Israel into the sea.
Is the new violence a reaction to the US embassy being moved to Jerusalem? Is Hamas trying a new strategy, using massive numbers of people, burning tires, and daily demonstrations to mask their efforts to breach the border in order to gain access to Israel to once again, carry out their mission to kill Jews? The response by Israel will be to protect its borders, its people, from a terrorist organization, regardless of whether that organization is the recognized ‘government’ in place.
There’s an old saying that “the Arab nations can lose many wars against Israel but Israel cannot lose even one war against the Arab world.” Another one goes something like this; if the Arab countries put down their weapons and recognize Israel, there will be peace. If Israel puts down its weapons, there will no longer be Israel.
Back and forth. Who’s right? Who owns the problem? We all do.
Until and unless both sides recognize that Israel exists and Israel welcomes a Palestinian nation next door, with secure and peaceful borders, we will live blaming each other for the continued violence. Can Israel survive like this? It has no choice. Hamas gives Israel no choice but to defend its borders, its citizens, from an invasion meant to kill Israelis and destroy the nation.
