Culture

Knight in shining armor?

3 year old Ahmad took this photo of his bird whose home was destroyed
In Gaza: 3 year old Ahmad took this photo of his bird whose home was destroyed, reports Dan Cohen

This is part of Marc H. Ellis’s “Exile and the Prophetic” feature for Mondoweiss. To read the entire series visit the archive page.

Well here it is, a Gaza ceasefire proposal that is circulating widely. Would it be worth waiting for?

The Times of Israel is reporting the proposal and, if it is agreed upon, some Jews and Palestinians will celebrate their version of victory.

Reading the proposal, I can see how some Jews and Israelis might celebrate a signing. For Gazans, who are struggling to survive Israel’s onslaught, a sense of relief would be palpable. But looking carefully at the text, the central issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are unexamined, let alone resolved.

Here is the reported text:

Israel will halt all attacks on Gaza — by land, air or sea. There will be no ground incursions into Gaza.

All Palestinian factions in Gaza will stop all attacks against Israel by land, air or sea, and will stop the construction of tunnels from Gaza into Israel.

The opening of crossings between Israel and Gaza – the passage of people and goods will be allowed in order to rebuild Gaza. The transfer of goods between Gaza and the West Bank will be permitted, according to principles which will be determined between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli authorities will coordinate with the PA all issues of funds related to Gaza and its reconstruction.

The elimination of the buffer zones along the security fence in the northern and eastern Gaza Strip and the deployment of PA forces in those areas beginning January 1, 2015. This will be conducted in several steps: At first the buffer zone will be reduced to 300 meters from the border, then 100 meters and finally the removal of the buffer zone altogether with the deployment of PA troops.

The fishing zone off the Gaza coast will immediately be extended to 6 miles, and will be gradually extended to 12 miles, in coordination between Israel and the PA.

Israel will assist the PA in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed in Gaza, and will assist in providing basic necessities for those Gaza residents who were forced to flee their homes due to the fighting. Israel will provide medical aid to the wounded, and will expedite the transfer of humanitarian aid and food through the crossings.

The Palestinian Authority in coordination with Israel and international aid groups will provide the basic products needed to rebuild Gaza, according to a predetermined schedule which will allow those driven from their homes to return as soon as possible.

Egypt implores the international community to provide swift humanitarian and monetary assistance for Gaza’s reconstruction, according to a set schedule.

Upon the stabilization of the ceasefire and the return to normal life in Gaza, the sides will conclude their indirect negotiations in Cairo within a month after signing the deal. The exchange of prisoners and bodies will also be discussed at that time.

The possibility of constructing an airport and sea port in Gaza will be considered in accordance with the Oslo accords and other previous agreements.

Nowhere in the text is the issue of Palestinian nationality or statehood affirmed. It isn’t even mentioned. The international community is called upon and Egypt – whose fascist dictatorship is receiving accolades for their involvement in the process – implores the world to help with the reconstruction of Gaza.

But the overriding importance of the proposal is the consistent appearance of Israel and the Palestinian Authority as a team. They lead the way for Gaza’s return to the human zone of life abundant.

Perhaps.

“In coordination with Israel and the Palestinian Authority” – that’s the order of the day. Funds, rebuilding, the movement of goods, it’s quite nice to see how the parties, bitter internal and external enemies, are now to work closely together.

Of the ceasefire points, here is my personal favorite: “Israel will assist the PA in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed in Gaza, and will assist in providing basic necessities for those Gaza residents who were forced to flee their homes due to the fighting. Israel will provide medical aid to the wounded, and will expedite the transfer of humanitarian aid and food through the crossings.”

A beneficent Israel it is. Or an Israel that has its hands in everything Palestinian. And profiting politically and economically from the whole affair.

Taking in the wounded and helping to feed the hungry is a plus. Helping those who just weeks, even days earlier, you made homeless, injured and killed – should this be held up as a creative and reconciling plan? To avoid war crime tribunals?

For those who wanted Israel punished, this possible truce doesn’t begin or end there. It’s almost as if nothing happened. The slate is wiped clean.

Perhaps this is a trial balloon but soon we will find out.

Amazingly, Israel could emerge from such an agreement as a knight in shining armor.

Who would have thought?

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MARC ELLIS- “In coordination with Israel and the Palestinian Authority” – that’s the order of the day.”

Indeed, Israel (and the US) gets pretty much what it wants. Hamas is out and the PA is in to act as Israel’s police force in Gaza. It is also close to what Norman Finkelstein predicted in July. The core of Finkelstein’s prediction is as follows:

“Abbas will negotiate an agreement with Egypt whereby the PA will staff Rafah crossing, enabling Abbas to declare that he won an end to the blockade. The quid pro quo, however, is that he will agree to prevent any arms smuggling into Gaza and to disarm Hamas. Because
(a) Hamas’s key demand was to end the blockade,
(b) Hamas is isolated politically and neutered militarily, and
(c) Abbas is technically the head of the Unity government, Hamas will be forced to agree to these terms.
If things go according to plan, it will mark the end of Hamas as a resistance movement, to the joy of the Arab states, the US, EU, Israel and, of course, the PA.
(3) The US gave Israel total diplomatic cover during the latest massacre. So, it’s payback time. Obama and Kerry will role out the terms of the framework for peace. WIth the Palestinians battered and Hamas defeated, the PA will (happily) sign on. Insofar as Netanyahu can now ask for near-anything and get it, the US will probably tweak the framework to meet his every demand. Kerry, Netanyahu and Abbas may yet get the Nobel.”
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2014/finkelstein-on-whats-coming-next/

“A beneficent Israel it is. Or an Israel that has its hands in everything Palestinian. And profiting politically and economically from the whole affair.”
Netanyahu will give with the right hand and take back with the left. It sounds like a plan that is doomed to fail. Are the Palestinians supposed to forget about independence and autonomy with the rush of goods (israeli goods?) and “humanitarian aid” (which wouldn’t be necessary were it not for the inhumanity of israel). You can’t be part of the problem and then be a credible partner in its solution. This has not worked in the past and I have a hard time believing it’ll work now. There’s too much blood on israel’s hands.

Israel is worse than any organized crime syndicate ever.

The Palestinians shouldn’t have to allow all the Devils involved in this decide their lives anymore.

Abbas is no better than his Israeli counterparts if he gives away the Palestinians right to see justice done.

It will not be unalloyed victory for Abbas if the ending of the blockade was in significant part due to resistance rather than negotiation.
We who call for Palestinian rights have hoped that the day was coming when the futility and hypocrisy of all the 2ss negotiations hitherto would become too obvious to deny and that this clearance of the air would force the liberal Zionists off that comfortable fence of theirs. But I think that Obama and Kerry are now in a strong position not to solve the ME problem but to polish their reputations by insisting on a resumption of the 2ss roadshow with the same old songs and dances.