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Ali Mirza
Issue date: 1/28/09 Section: Commentary
Israel's recent assault on the Gaza strip showcased the utter brutality and violence that a state is capable of inflicting on defenseless civilians. In 23 days, more than1,200 Palestinians were killed by Israeli aggression, including 280 children and 111 women. More than 4,300 people were injured. As a direct result of the violence, UN officials have placed the number of homes destroyed at over 4,000 and the number of homeless is estimated in the tens of thousands. The UN is also conducting an investigation into possible Israeli war crimes including the shelling of a school that resulted in the death of 40 people. In all, 13 Israelis lost their lives: 10 soldiers and three civilians.
In regards to the dissolution of the ceasefire, expert John Mearsheimer, co-author of "The Israel Lobby," explains, "The official Israeli position blames Hamas for undermining the ceasefire. This view is widely accepted in the United States, but it is not true. Israeli leaders disliked the ceasefire from the start, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the IDF to begin preparing for the present war while the ceasefire was being negotiated in June 2008. Israel continued arresting and assassinating Palestinians in the West Bank and it continued the deadly blockade that was slowly strangling Gaza. Then, on Nov. 4, as Americans voted for a new president, Israel attacked a tunnel inside Gaza and killed six Palestinians. It was the first major violation of the ceasefire, and the Palestinians who had been 'careful to maintain the ceasefire,' according to Israel's Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center responded by resuming rocket attacks."
Those who understand the realities and root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict know that its true and permanent resolution is mainly contingent upon Israel's compliance with international law and consensus, as outlined by United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, and ending its occupation of the Palestinian Territories: the longest continuous occupation in modern history.
In regards to the dissolution of the ceasefire, expert John Mearsheimer, co-author of "The Israel Lobby," explains, "The official Israeli position blames Hamas for undermining the ceasefire. This view is widely accepted in the United States, but it is not true. Israeli leaders disliked the ceasefire from the start, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the IDF to begin preparing for the present war while the ceasefire was being negotiated in June 2008. Israel continued arresting and assassinating Palestinians in the West Bank and it continued the deadly blockade that was slowly strangling Gaza. Then, on Nov. 4, as Americans voted for a new president, Israel attacked a tunnel inside Gaza and killed six Palestinians. It was the first major violation of the ceasefire, and the Palestinians who had been 'careful to maintain the ceasefire,' according to Israel's Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center responded by resuming rocket attacks."
Those who understand the realities and root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict know that its true and permanent resolution is mainly contingent upon Israel's compliance with international law and consensus, as outlined by United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, and ending its occupation of the Palestinian Territories: the longest continuous occupation in modern history.
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Isabella Humey
posted 2/02/09 @ 6:34 AM EST
Awesome article! It challenges us to recognize Israel's foreign policy directives for what they are (genocidal and hegemonic) and put international pressure on the UN, US and Israel to change course accordingly. (Continued…)
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