Saturday, February 2, 2008

Gap in Gaza's Ghetto


Palestinians may soon realize that the breach in the wall erected by Israel is more than a physical gap. It has evolved into a potential flash point that would affect both the Arab countries, Israel and Western democracies that supported its construction, passively or actively, and those that have benefited by using it against Israel without actually getting into a firefight in the process. The huge and ugly walls that enclosed the infertile desert strip on 3 sides, save for the Southern borders, have allowed Israel to cut off supplies of fuel, electricity, water and food; raising humanitarian issues against the state. The breach provided Palestinians a respite from being trapped and helpless, only to be replaced by an invisible wall that would have undefinable boundaries and invisible barriers, marked only by the pain of a bullet, the horror of an explosion, or the misery of isolation.

Israel has decided to disengage from Gaza, and it has proved to be a disastrous one. The decision is the logical conclusion of releasing its responsibility of providing services to a territory ruled by a group dedicated to its obliteration. But the disengagement took a turn for the worse. It eliminated Israel's capability to monitor and gather intelligence information in the area, resulting in the successful infiltration by Al Qaida. It has also allowed Iran to spread its reach and influence in another part of the Middle East, weakening western influence in the region. Iran's Ahmadinejad now hosts the Kuwaiti foreign minister and has seen the potential in the shift of the balance of power in the region. The increasing power and influence of Iran has made Saudi Arabia and Egypt wary of confronting their neighbor.

Since 1948, Egypt refused the setting up of a Palestinian state in Gaza but used it as a base for their Fedayeen raids on Israel. Their iron fisted policies prevented Palestinians from entering Egypt, but their main objective seemed to be the use of Palestinians as shield against counter attacks from Israel. In 1982, Egypt took back Sinai but refused Gaza, leaving it as Israel's responsibility. Throughout the 1980's and 1990's however, it used Gaza as a means to confront and tear down Israel's legitimacy while publicly espousing humanitarian needs. The entry of terrorists and new sets of arsenal inside Gaza resulting from the breach may pose problems for both Israel and Egypt. However, Egypt's policies over the last 6 decades will be poetic justice if they continue to refuse to take responsibility for the fate of the Palestinians. Had Egypt accepted Arab refugees as Israel did by accepting Jewish refugees from Arab countries, things would have been much more stable. Today, the aging Egyptian leader has become more vulnerable in this potentially explosive situation.

The Hamas group that controls Gaza's Palestinian population will undoubtedly get support from Egypt by way of supplies and consumer necessities in the form of humanitarian assistance, but it would be naive for the Hamas to believe that invoking Muslim Brotherhood would result in Egypt's embracing of Palestinians in the name of Arab Unity. Egypt will pay lip service, that's as far as it goes. There will never be an Egypt-Hamas Brotherhood Alliance for this poor distant cousin.

And where will this leave the rest of the Palestinians? The unrestrained enthusiasm that accompanied their temporary release from confinement will become a fond memory of momentary freedom under anarchistic circumstances. Their fate as a people will be demolished by interests more powerful than they are, the status in the barren strip will be elevated from mendicants to hostages, and their dream of a sovereign state will revert to a nightmare they may never awake from.

Haaarrrwwwwk...Twoooooph...Ting!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a big mistake on the part of Israel. The withdrawal from Gaza will be its undoing.

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

That may be so anonymous, but it is also a bigger mistake to be responsible for a territory that is devoted towards their demise as a nation. Egypt is now taking some form of control,and perhaps, some resposibility to maintain peace. --Durano, done!

Kim said...

hmmm a sorry state indeed Durano...
and what about the citizens of these countries?
I remember visiting Israel in the early 80s and as a result my passport was stamped and I was not permitted to visit Egypt...
*shaking head*

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

The Palestinians have been the worst victims of land grabbing in modern history, but even other Arab countries don't seem to want to support their reinstatement.

Israel's suffering and persecution for centuries cannot be denied, and their rights upheld is deserved. But the transformation into an aggressor and hostile colonizer will erode all the sympathy it had gained and its actions could trigger the flash point for a more deadly confrontation.

US policy towards the protection of Israel has already spawned so many conflicts. The 9/11 event is part of this. When all sides would realize that bloodshed is not the answer, much less the solution, remains an enigma to me. I can only sigh.

I hope the arm is in better shape, for painting, not for shooting. :-)
Best regards to you and your family and thanks for dropping by again. --Durano, done!

Kim said...

so true Durano and I'm glad that Australian troops are finally coming home too...
thanks for your kind words re the arm ...
have a wonderful day :)

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hello Kim,

Yes, hooray for your Prime Minister! One more sensible person the world needs so badly at this time.

I hope he maintains his positions, especially on global warming. Besides, it's difficult to paint when it's sweltering hot and everything feels messy, right?

A wonderful day and a peaceful one to you too. --Durano, done!

Kim said...

lol ...so true Durano :))