This is part of Marc H. Ellis’s “Exile and the Prophetic” feature for Mondoweiss. To read the entire series visit the archive page.
Yet another ceasefire? The people of Gaza need it badly. But what Gaza needs badly isn’t the only or best option in the long run.
Maybe that’s why Hamas is a reluctant ceasefire partner.
Of course, the people of Gaza don’t have much say in the matter. If they did, no doubt they’d take a ceasefire in a Gaza heartbeat. If I was living in Gaza I would.
Because there isn’t another way out or so it seems. No one in the world with any power is offering anything more than more of the same. A ceasefire means we’re back to square one.
But to write that Gaza – without highlighting Jerusalem and the West Bank – is a Gordian Knot as Nervana Mahmoud does is to miss the point. Mahmoud concentrates on the present as if it will determine the future. Perhaps unintentionally, she makes the issue of Israeli occupation and control of Palestinian borders intractable by placing them in the background.
The Palestinian situation is longstanding and dire. Intractable it isn’t.
Like most observers, Mahmoud assumes that Israel is following a tragic line. Israel cannot continue its occupation policies forever. She is correct that Hamas lacks the ability to build a viable Gaza. Still it remains that, politically speaking – in reality rather than in global public opinion – Israel is doing quite well. Israel’s invasion of the West Bank and bombing of Gaza has further strengthened its stranglehold on Palestine.
Hamas is a failure. I agree. But with Israel and Egypt’s control of Gaza’s borders no government could succeed.
So, too, the Palestinian Authority. As big a failure. But with Israel’s occupation no government could succeed.
The ceasefire? What it offers Gaza is the status quo – with a little more food and materials, some operating tunnels, restricted access to Egypt and a few other items that keeps everything that was in place. Minus the recent and accumulating destruction meted out.
That is, if the ceasefire is implemented. If it holds.
A ceasefire doesn’t change the designed-to-fail Palestinian governing bodies. Or the designed-to-fail Palestinian society. Or Israel’s dominance.
Untangling the (un)Holy Land is difficult. Too many moving and immovable parts. Nonetheless, the political task remains. Settling for a ceasefire is to admit failure and create the context for further failure.
A ceasefire tightens rather than untangles the Gordian Knot of occupation and destruction.
Is this what Israel, the United States, Europe and the Arab world really want?
The Palestinian people deserve an answer rather than a ceasefire that promises failure and destruction without end.
Already crumbled,
Hamas in Gaza rejected it and kept on firing.
You should be ashamed of yourself. Don’t you know that anyone who wants to free Palestine “is either ignorant of the situation or hates the Jewish state of Israel.” — from TMZ:
“The oldest “Pro-Israel” organization in the United States is lashing out at NBA star Dwight Howard — claiming his “#FreePalestine” tweet is hateful and ignorant.
“As we previously reported Howard tweeted — and then deleted — the message on Saturday … and then issued an apology for commenting on international politics in the first place.
“But the Zionist Organization of America — an international group with more than 30k members — says Dwight’s apology isn’t enough.
“He should be publicly condemned as strong as Donald Sterling was,” ZOA President Morton Klein tells TMZ Sports.
“Anyone who uses the phrase ‘Free Palestine’ is either ignorant of the situation or hates the Jewish state of Israel. It’s a hateful position.”
“Klein adds, “Celebs have great influence. When he makes a ridiculously false statement like ‘Free Palestine,’ it’s frightening.”
“Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2014/07/14/dwight-howard-ripped-by-jewish-org-free-palestine/#ixzz37XkfbRyX”
from: http://www.tmz.com/2014/07/14/dwight-howard-ripped-by-jewish-org-free-palestine/
Nonsense. The “government” of Hamas could succeed by ending the very policies that Israel and Egypt object to.
Although the people of Gaza desperately need relief and I hope they get it, and whatever Hamas’s real intentions are, we cannot fault them for taking this opportunity to make a bid for their rights and freedom. They want the blockade OFF and the right to live like normal human beings. Who can blame them for that?
Israel might readily agree to this ceasefire, because it loses nothing. They have collectively punished ALL Palestinians, killed many civilians, and are feeling uncomfortable that Hamas keeps sending their rockets, and every Israeli life is more precious than the Palestinians. Israelis must be safeguarded, right?
This is why Israel rejected the hudna proposed by Hamas years ago. A ceasefire is not the same as a peace treaty.