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, 2014
THE LATEST onslaught in srael!s war o"
annihilation against #a$a appears to ha%e
come to a close i" the cease&"ire and
withdrawal o" sraeli troops in e""ect as this
article was 'eing written continue(
)ut the ruins o" #a$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( 0earl1 a 2uarter
o" #a$a!s 1(, million residents on the mo%e in search o" somewhere sa"e to shelter "rom
srael!s rampage(
+eanwhile, 'urning 2uestions are 'eing as3ed around the world* 4hat was srael!s
month&long o""ensi%e all a'out5 And i" we!%e seen the horrors o" war "or the past
wee3s, what will "peace" mean "or the people o" #a$a5
sraeli 6rime +inister )en.amin 0etan1ahu insists that srael!s massacre was
".usti"ied" and that e%er1 ci%ilian casualt1 was the "ault o" Hamas "or using ci%ilians as
"human shields("
0e%er mind that e%en the New York Times ac3nowledged that "7t8here is no e%idence
that Hamas and other militants "orce ci%ilians to sta1 in areas that are under attac3&&
the legal de"inition o" a human shield under international law(" The ))9 reached the
A Palestinian man reacts to the demolition of
his home in Gaza !ohammed Al "aba#
same conclusion(
And ne%er mind that as recentl1 as last 1ear, the :nited 0ations condemned sraeli
soldiers "or repeatedl1 using 6alestinian children as&&1ou guessed it&&human shields(
"7srael!s8 soldiers ha%e used 6alestinian children to enter potentiall1 dangerous
'uildings ahead o" them and to stand in "ront o" militar1 %ehicles in order to stop the
throwing o" stones against those %ehicles," a :0 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 1outh in
>une( Hamas! alleged responsi'ilit1 "or this crime ser%ed as the prete?t "or war5 0ow,
howe%er, we 3now that sraeli police concluded that the 3idnappers were part o" a lone
cell operating independentl1 o" Hamas(
And then there!s the larger truth* t!s srael that s1stematicall1 detains, tortures and
a'uses children, pro%ided the1!re 6alestinian( +ore than 400 6alestinian children
were 3illed during the course o" ;peration 6rotecti%e Shield(
Stopping the roc3ets "rom #a$a5 0etan1ahu sa1s Hamas "ired nearl1 -,000 roc3ets at
srael and asserts, "0o countr1 would tolerate this(" )ut it!s srael that "or 1ears has
routinel1 carried out assassinations in #a$a, '1 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 '1
srael, less than 2@ percent were actual "ightersA '1 contrast, B/ percent o" those 3illed
'1 #a$a!s resistance "ighters were sraeli soldiers(
9losing down the "terror tunnels"5 Eg1pt sealed the tunnels 'etween its territor1 and
#a$a last 1ear&&without destro1ing a single neigh'orhood in #a$a(
n an1 case, the %er1 term "terror tunnel" 'etra1s how e%er1 utterance '1 srael is
designed to demoni$e the idea that the oppressed can and should resist their
oppressors( This is an old smear, "aced '1 the resistance o" South A"rica!s )lac3
ma.orit1 against apartheid, A"rican Americans "ighting >im 9row laws in the South and
countless other mo%ements&&the oppressor in%aria'l1 portra1s the resistance o" the
oppressed as "e?tremist," "a threat to law and order" and "terrorist("
srael hasn!t accomplished on the 'attle"ield an1 o" the %arious war aims it has gi%en
pu'licl1&&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 0etan1ahu!s
own words* "There cannot 'e a situation, under an1 agreement, in which we relin2uish
securit1 control o" the territor1 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 societ1 in #a$a and the 4est )an3 will re2uire the ongoing
resistance o" 6alestinians&&and the mo'ili$ation o" concrete solidarit1 '1 ordinar1
people "rom 9openhagen to 9airo to 9olum'us, ;hio(
& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &
THE 6;LA=DAT;0 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 read1 to .usti"1 e%er1 last atrocit1 committed '1 srael during the last
month(
<ull1 B@ percent o" sraeli >ews 'elie%e that srael!s war on #a$a was .usti"ied, and less
than 4 percent thin3 that srael Ce"ense <orces used "e?cessi%e "orce," according to a
poll conducted in >ul1( A solid ma.orit1 'elie%es there will 'e more con"rontations with
Hamas to come(
n the midst o" the relentless 'om'ing, the :(S( Senate %oted 100&0 to stand with
srael&&a unanimous %ote that not e%en the :SA 6atriot Act managed to inspire(
+ainstream media "igures across the political spectrum&&"rom <o? 0ews! Sean
Hannit1to 9)S 0ews! 9harlie =ose&&critici$ed Ara' and 6alestinian spo3espeople "or
their "anti&srael" %iews( " the "ren$ied media de"ense o" srael was less than
completel1 unanimous, it was 'ecause o" the in"luence o" independent .ournalists and
social media commentators, which occasionall1 "orced the mainstream media
to ac3nowledge their shortcomings( )ut generall1, the media simpl1 reported srael!s
decepti%e and sel"&ser%ing statements as "act(
As part o" the truce negotiations 'eing 'ro3ered '1 the Eg1ptian regime, srael is
demanding that #a$a 'e "demilitari$ed," while Hamas is calling "or an end to the
se%en&1ear siege that has plunged #a$a into a hellscape o" unemplo1ment,
malnutrition and crum'ling in"rastructure( )ut "inali$ing the truce ma1 well e?pose
e%en more the e?tent to which %arious currents in the sraeli esta'lishment 'elie%e the
main pro'lem was that 0etan1ahu!s prosecution o" the war didn't go far enough(
Hamas has signaled that it is willing to concede to monitoring o" #a$a!s 'order
crossing with Eg1pt '1 the ri%al <atah&led 6alestinian Authorit1 E6AF, as part o" an
easing o" the siege( )ut it has so "ar re"used to gi%e up its right to sel"&de"ense( " this
ends up unra%eling the cease&"ire, the open calls "or concentration camps and genocide
that ha%e echoed around sraeli societ1&&and not .ust in its right&wing and militaristic
margins&&will no dou't intensi"1(
<or e?ample, +oshe <eiglin, the deput1 spea3er o" the Gnesset, srael!s
parliament,recentl1 descri'ed on <ace'oo3 his %ision "or the ""inal solution"*
There are no two states, and there are no two peoples( There is onl1 one state
"or one people(((The C< 7sraeli arm18 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
rele%ant emigration destinations are determined(((The suppl1 o" electricit1
and water to the "ormerl1 populated areas will 'e disconnected(((
The "ormerl1 populated areas will 'e shelled with ma?imum "irepower( The
entire ci%ilian and militar1 in"rastructure o" Hamas, its means o"
communication and o" logistics, will 'e destro1ed entirel1, down to their
"oundations(((The C< will di%ide the #a$a Strip laterall1 and crosswise,
signi"icantl1 e?pand the corridors, occup1 commanding positions, and
e?terminate nests o" resistance, in the e%ent that an1 should remain(
& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &
THE :(S( go%ernment&&long the world!s most ardent and power"ul supporter o" srael&&
shoc3ed man1 with a condemnation o" srael!s >ul1 -0 'om'ing o" a :0 school&
turned&shelter, 3illing at least 1B people and wounding man1 more( "The shelling o" a
:0 "acilit1 that is housing innocent ci%ilians who are "leeing %iolence is totall1
unaccepta'le and totall1 inde"ensi'le," said 4hite House 6ress Secretar1 >osh
Earnest(
Strong words o" re'u3e "or srael coming "rom the :(S( are highl1 unusual, 'ut the
circumstances show how long a leash srael can still count on when it comes to
committing atrocities against 6alestinians( A"ter all, Earnest!s criticism "ollowed
the sixthsraeli 'om'ing o" a :0 shelter( Apparentl1, attac3ing "i%e shelters was
tolera'le, 'ut a si?th was "unaccepta'le("
4hen )arac3 ;'ama commented on the current truce negotiations, he tal3ed a'out
the need "or "trust&'uilding" and "gi%ing hope"&&the 3ind o" empt1 rhetoric t1picall1
used at the end o" an election campaign, not a merciless assault on ci%ilian li"e(
;" course, whate%er rhetorical censures that ;'ama and mem'ers o" his
administration %oiced, no one threatened to withhold e%en one dollar o" the H- 'illion
in annual aid to srael, let alone call "or an end to the siege that has turned #a$a into
an open&air prison(
" :(S( o""icials made mild criticisms, the Ara' states were shame"ull1 2uiet( Ciana
)uttu, a 6alestinian law1er and anal1st, called the reaction*
remar3a'le( n all the other in%asions and assaults on #a$a, there was at
least some go%ernment that would come out and tal3 a'out how what srael
was doing was illegal and show some support( This time around, there!s 'een
nothing( The silence is dea"ening(
The silence was not onl1 dea"ening, 'ut it represented a shi"t in regional politics, as
theNew York Times e?plained*
A"ter the militar1 ouster o" the slamist go%ernment in 9airo last 1ear, Eg1pt
has led a new coalition o" Ara' states&&including >ordan, Saudi Ara'ia and
the :nited Ara' Emirates&&that has e""ecti%el1 lined up with srael in its "ight
against Hamas, the slamist mo%ement that controls the #a$a Strip(
Iet the 6alestinian cause continues to 'e em'raced '1 the popular classes throughout
the +iddle East&&e%en i" those who rule o%er them do not( And to this stead"ast
regional support is now added the worldwide outrage, e?pressed in large #a$a
solidarit1 protests around the world(
The protests are themsel%es an e?pression o" shi"ting tides o" pu'ic opinion( A #allup
poll in >ul1 "ound that while a ma.orit1 o" Americans o%er /@ 'elie%ed srael!s actions
were ".usti"ied" '1 a @@&to&-1 percent margin, the percentages were re%ersed "or 1, to
2B 1ear olds, who 'elie%ed '1 a @1&to&2@ percent margin that srael!s actions were
"un.usti"ied("
& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &
THE 6E;6LE o" #a$a ma1 en.o1 greater support in world pu'lic opinion, 'ut the "act
remains that Hamas is politicall1 isolated(
Last 1ear!s ouster o" Eg1ptian 6resident and +uslim )rotherhood leader +ohamed
+orsi, com'ined with Hamas! estrangement "rom ran, lea%es the slamist leadership
in #a$a without an1 o" the 'ac3ing "rom regional elites it en.o1ed .ust a couple 1ears
ago( And Jatar, which has "lirted with o""ering "inancial support to Hamas, has largel1
ca%ed to regional pressures not to do so(
This has re%ealed the dead end o" Hamas! strateg1 o" attempting to all1 itsel" with one
or another Ara' regime&&.ust as the 6alestine Li'eration ;rgani$ation tried in past
decades(
#i%en srael!s o%erwhelming militar1 superiorit1, the hard 2uestion remains* How can
6alestinian li'eration 'e achie%ed i" a direct militar1 con"rontation with srael is
unwinna'le5
srael has 'ene"ited "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 Eg1pt!s
Hosni +u'ara3( This ga%e srael the political space it needed to carr1 out ;peration
6rotecti%e Edge( )ut the 'itter grie%ances that underla1 the Ara' Spring ha%e not 'een
resol%ed and are 'ound to "uel "uture struggles( 4hen the1 arise, the1 will again
inspire 'road solidarit1 with the 6alestinian cause(
)e1ond the +iddle East, the growing 'o1cott, di%estment and sanctions E)CSF
mo%ement represents another "ront in the long&term e""ort to e?pose sraeli apartheid
and its s1stematic %iolations o" international law and 'asic rights "or 6alestinians(
These campaigns&&targeting e%er1thing "rom sraeli&produced hummus on college
campuses, to artists per"orming in apartheid srael, to international conglomerates
engaged in in"rastructure pro.ects that e?tend srael!s settlement&'uilding enterprise&&
are an essential component o" raising the political price srael must pa1, 'oth "or its
recent string o" war crimes in #a$a and its ongoing oppression o" 6alestinians(
& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &
<;= A0 intensi"ied )CS campaign to 'e e""ecti%e in opening up another "ront against
srael, those who support .ustice must con"ront the political arguments used to de"lect
their initiati%es( Curing the sraeli onslaught, li'eral pu'lications such as The
Nationmaga$ine, "or e?ample, maintained a stead1 drum'eat o" criticism o" Hamas as
at least partl1 responsi'le "or "pro%o3ing" sraeli %iolence "or its "ighters! decision to
resist occupation, as is their right under international law(
Li'eral criticisms will come as no surprise to an1one who has participated in the
6alestine solidarit1 mo%ement( )ut man1 acti%ists ma1 ha%e 'een ta3en a'ac3 '1
similar statements that ha%e come "rom sections o" the socialist le"t(
<or e?ample, Gshama Sawant o" Socialist Alternati%e, newl1 elected to the Seattle 9it1
9ouncil, included in her statement denouncing the sraeli war a condemnation o"
Hamas "or "iring roc3ets, and a call to "stand in solidarit1 with the ordinar1 people o"
srael and their desire "or securit1(" The Militant newspaper pu'lished '1 the Socialist
4or3ers 6art1&:(S( went "urther, denouncing Hamas "or the "targeting o" citi$ens in
srael," which has "set 'ac3 prospects "or united action '1 Ara' and >ewish wor3ing
people("
Such statements are especiall1 stunning in the "ace o" the racist war "ren$1 that
gripped sraeli societ1 almost unanimousl1&&leading to the opinion poll results alread1
cited that showed B@ percent o" >ewish sraelis agreeing that ;peration 6rotecti%e
Edge was .usti"ied(
These attitudes are not merel1 the result o" 'rainwashing( The1 are ine%ita'le in an
apartheid s1stem in which >ewish citi$ens, rich and poor, en.o1 e?clusi%e rights and
material "inancial 'ene"its in a militari$ed societ1 'uilt around the logic o" e?pulsion
and ethnic cleansing(
A mo%ement that see3s to achie%e .ustice in 6alestine and the 'roader +iddle East
must champion the demands o" 6alestinians "or sel"&determination and em'race the
6alestinian call to organi$e a 'o1cott, di%estment and sanctions campaign that can
undermine international support "or sraeli apartheid(
" there was an1 sign o" hope amid nightmare in"licted on #a$a in the past wee3s, it
was the sense o" urgenc1 and determination that animated the protests against srael!s
war and e?pressions o" support "or 6alestine( )ecause o" the hard wor3 o" organi$ing,
especiall1 around )CS, in the past se%eral 1ears, the international mo%ement in
solidarit1 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(
4e 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
t1rann1 and %iolence to teach us what we are struggling "or(
6osted '1 Tha%am