|
Main Paineframe posted:When's the last time Israel bombed infrastructure in the West Bank? The problem with pointing to Gaza as evidence for Israeli plans for the Palestinian people is that the same policies are not applied to West Bank or East Jerusalem, just Gaza. Considering other contextual information, like the fact that the major difference in treatment began in 2007, it's an uphill battle to claim that the main motivations for the Gaza blockade and bombings are racial hatred for all Palestinians rather than political and military opposition to Hamas. You still haven't responded to my posts where I pointed out that Israel has deliberately encouraged radicalism and sabotaged moderate elements as part of its policy. Hamas poses no military threat to Israel and is useful to Israel as a boogeyman whereas a united Palestinian front pushing for a peace deal puts Israel in a bind: either make peace(which Israel doesn't want) or abandon all pretenses of wanting peace and face international condemnation. This is the same bind that helped push Israel to invade Lebanon in '82 in order to splinter and radicalize the PLO which had been calling for a 2 state peace agreement since '76. When Bezalel Smotrich of Jewish Home admitted that "the Palestinian Authority is a liability, Hamas is an asset”, he was harshly criticized for saying it, but it's a perfect example of a Kinsley Gaffe, when one accidentally speaks the truth. So I'll ask: what exactly has made you think that getting rid of Hamas in exchange for a moderate Palestinian front is something Israel has any desire to do? Another thing you're ignoring here is that separating the WB from the GS, putting it under different pressures and different regimes, is a part of Israeli policy. One of Sharon's aides admitted for instance that the Gaza tactical withdrawal was conceived for the purpose of freezing the peace process. Putting a splinter between the WB and the GS is one way of doing that, just like Israel is seeking to divide Christian Palestinians from Muslims and '48 Palestinians from their brethren in exile or the OT. The fact is that Gaza's fate was sealed as soon as Sharon pulled the settlers out. The blockade began before Hamas took power. One reason for instance that Israel doesn't bomb the WB is that there are settlements all over. Not only is there potential for friendly-fire, but if open war were to break out, there would be a lot of soft targets for Palestinians to attack. quote:The building of permanent housing has been sluggish (but is ongoing), but in the meantime, enough temporary housing to house hundreds of thousands of people has been erected. The slow pace of rebuilding has mostly been attributed to Palestinian political infighting (the PA is in charge of Gaza rebuilding, not Hamas), corruption, lack of funds, and other problems (like reports of people reselling their construction materials on the black market rather than using them to rebuild). Israel's role in the approval of reconstruction projects has rankled some people, but humanitarian officials and people involved in the reconstruction process have consistently stated that Israel is letting the needed materials through but that there simply isn't enough money to pay for them. In the very article you quoted it specifically blames "Israel’s involvement in approving projects and participants." Moreover, the problem of black-market diversion is part and parcel of the blockade: due to the blockade, unemployment is 70%+, basic necessities are expensive and 1/10 Palestinian children are severely malnourished. In such a situation, how could you expect homeowners NOT to sell their materials on the black market in exchange for food, other necessities or simply an emergency cash supply? The fact is that as a direct result of Israel's blockade, Gaza is still in tatters and on track to become unsuitable for human habitation within a matter of years, something that Israel hastens every time they decide to break the ceasefire and mow the lawn. Israel has done very little to stop this from happening and a whole lot to ensure it does happen. Yes, there's plenty of blame to throw at international donors(and it's not as though Israel didn't expect this; this happens every time a poor country gets pummeled, cf. Haiti) and the corrupt, collaborationist PA, but ultimate culpability lies with the perpetrator, Israel.
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2015 22:21
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 16, 2024 13:14 |
|
|
Thread is going on a break for a little bit.
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2015 00:01
|
|
