Gaza

A couple of folks have asked what I think about what is going on in Gaza. So, this is my opinion coming as it does, from the middle of a cornfield.

Gaza is the small strip of land towards the southern end of Israel. It is home to approximately 1.5 million Palestinians. From what I read in news accounts, access to Gaza is controlled primarily by Israel though there is one border crossing under Egyptian control. Israel controls the electricity, gas and many of the other items considered to be essential by most people. I have heard the area described as a large prison though perhaps "reservation" might be a more appropriate term. In the past year I have met Palestinians in Iowa City who cannot return home to visit their families in Gaza because they are certain one of two things would happen. Either Israel would not let them enter Gaza and they might be detained, or they would be allowed into Gaza, but would never receive permission to leave to return to Iowa City to continue their studies.

The area has been controlled by Hamas since they won elections held in 2006. Hamas is generally described by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization. When I visited the West Bank, we learned that Hamas has also worked to provide basic social services to Palestinians, one of the reasons they have been able to create and maintain political support. We were also told many times that most Palestinians did not want to hold elections in 2006, but did so at the insistence of the Bush administration. When Hamas won, seemingly surprising Bush and Condeleeza Rice, the U.S. government refused to recognize Hamas, making the U.S. look like hypocrites in the eyes of many Palestinians. "You force us to have elections, then refuse to accept who we choose and you call this democracy?" ( I didn't have the heart to explain the 2000 election, the electoral college, or the supreme courts intervention)

So you have a situation where 1.5 million Palestinians are kept as virtual prisoners and where according to Time magazine unemployment in Gaza is 49%. Is it any wonder there is frustration, bitterness, and the desire to strike at those who keep you oppressed? Since 2004 Hamas has chosen to launch homemade rockets into nearby Israeli settlements, killing 23 Israeli citizens. Just in case any one might be confused, I do not condone violence, or in this case shooting missiles, especially at civilians, but I think I can understand why some Palestinians might want to shoot off rockets hoping to hit Israeli's.

Unfortunately when a group resorts to violence, a violent action often results. Last week Israel began bombing sites in Gaza and today they sent in ground troops. The death toll quickly mounted as Palestinians died in the bombings. Today the number of Palestinian deaths over the last week reached the 500 mark. Four Israeli's have died this week as a result of rockets fired by Palestinians.

It is frustrating to hear President Bush lay the blame for this weeks actions squarely on Hamas. Today the U.S. made it even worse, rejecting a UN vote/plan to encourage a ceasefire. It seems odd to me that the Palestinians, the weakest of the groups in this conflict are blamed for causing the violence. It is like blaming African-Americans for causing trouble during the Civil Rights movement, or criticizing Native Americans for the violence which resulted in their deaths or forced removal to reservations.

It is frustrating to know that planes and helicopters produced in the U.S. and paid for with U.S. tax dollars are being used to drop bombs or to fire rockets into Gaza.
It is frustrating to read the celebratory articles proclaiming the death of an Hamas leader in big headlines, and then to read, in small print that the bomb killed eighteen others including his young daughters.

It also brings to mind another question people often asked me after my CPT trip. Are there any Palestinians who are pacifists? The answer is yes, there are many Palestinians who practice nonviolence every day, but like most humans, the vast majority see violence as quick, efficient, and the only way to deal with problems. The U.S. certainly has no business talking to Palestinians about nonviolence. The US has already claimed control of the hypocritical high ground.

Still, I wonder what would happen if a Palestinian leader could lead a mass nonviolent movement similar to the way Gandhi did in India. Even though the rockets fired by Hamas are inaccurate and rarely deadly, they are violent and the Palestinians lose the moral high ground they might otherwise easily claim. If Palestinian protests in Gaza had been completely nonviolent I think it would have been difficult, if not impossible for Israel to respond militarily. In fact, I think they would struggle with how to respond to a mass nonviolent movement. The British struggled during the Indian independence movement. State and local governments throughout the south weren't sure how to respond when African-Americans held nonviolent protests and actions.

It would be nice to see the U.S take the lead to bring about a peaceful resolution to the situation, however I don't see that happening any time soon. President Bush is in "coasting mode" and he has yet to say no to anything Israel wants or does and I don't expect him to change now. It would be nice to hear something from Obama but then there isn't much he can do until after inauguration. Even then, my guess is that he has other issues he would prefer to focus on first as he begins his presidential term.