(Note: If you are not a citizen of Gaza, you may find it difficult to understand what I feel.)
This time is different for me as a survivor of both Cast Lead and Pillar of Defense. Though it is heartbreaking that all Palestinians of Gaza are being collectively punished for trying to stay alive, this time the performance of the Palestinian resistance gave me, the oppressed and powerless, some balance in this struggle. We, in Gaza, do not only suffer from 65-years old occupation, but also 6 years old inhuman and medieval siege. Literally, the people of Gaza, after this, are left with no choice except resistance. I should make myself clear here saying we resist using all means of resistance but it such situation, when all of us are attacked, then armed resistance is the only solution left.
Gaza is no longer alone
Here is what happened in the morning of the last day of the attack on Gaza. The night before was the most horrible night during the attack, the Israeli military was attacking us by sea, land and air. It was crazy. In the morning, a friend of mine asked me: “Are you steadfast, still?” We were tweeting the last night using the hashtag (I am steadfast) rejecting any cease-fire under Israel’s conditions. I was fully down seeing children, women and elderly people being killed and buildings and houses being targeted and some fully destroyed. I found it hard to answer the question, but I did answer (with tears in my eyes) saying, “Yes, I am steadfast, still.”
After only one hour, we heard the news about the explosion in “Tel Aviv” and, in a moment, I felt that my balance was back for me again, and Palestinians of Gaza were not alone. This action definitely came as a response of the inhuman violence practiced over the people of Gaza. The Palestinian woman, who made it, sent a clear message to me and to the Israelis that the Palestinians are united, once again. Doing this from the underground and in the middle of “Tel Aviv”, proves that the Palestinian resistance is entering a new phase. Demonstrations and protests in West Bank and in the lands of 1948 in solidarity with Gaza prove so as well. Israel’s security is not threaten by the resistance in Gaza, only. The fact that we are occupied, colonized and oppressed means that Israel will not feel secure and free as long as there is one single Palestinian who is not free. And from here I say, the work should be on a just solution for both not a cease-fire. And the struggle will definitely continue until there is justice freedom and equality (for ALL) on this land.
Who does break cease-fire agreements?
I’m writing this the third day after signing the cease-fire agreement in Cairo. Israeli soldiers broke the cease-fire, again, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding more 19, as medical sources reported. In fact, Israeli soldiers broke a ceasefire by killing 15 Palestinian fighters in October, and they killed another civilian in an intrusion, and then the assassination of the leader Ahmed Al-Ja’bari completely ending the ceasefire. During the attack, and in a speech given by Abu-Obaida (Hamas), and I would understand the many was not interested in Hamas speeches during the attack the way there were interested in Natenyahu’s ones, he (Abu-Obaida) said: “It’s Israeli leadership that forced Hamas to launch rockets not us.” Anyway, this attack in Gaza cannot be justified at all. It is a war-crime per excellence. What happened today proves that any talks about truce is fake not because of the Palestinians, as Israeli media claiming, but it is the Israeli side.
Activism and solidarity are needed now and then
The suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza cannot be described by words, neither can it be measured. I do believe that violence will bring nothing but more violence and hatred. This is why the struggle should continue to end this system of apartheid. After Cast Lead Operation, many activists from all over the world became engaged in non-violent resistance, mainly BDS. Such war crimes committed by Israel should awaken more people to the truth and reality that mainstream media do not tell. With any ceasefire agreement, the door is always open for activists to continue supporting the Palestinian cause and calling for a boycott from apartheid Israel, a divestment from apartheid Israel and imposing sanctions over apartheid Israel until it complies to international law and to the main principles of human rights.
I can understand this completely. We all say violence is not the answer, we all understand that violence and or resistance ends with dead innocents—but the fact is violence and or resistance has often been the ONLY settler of conflicts in the world. Sad but true. We can say that Gaza or Palestine violence isn’t the answer— well it’s a costly answer, but would anyone be paying attention to Palestine if violence wasn’t involved? Is freedom and dignity worth dying for by anyone? The world’s people everywhere seem to have always thought so. ..but there is no way to ask the dead if it’s worth it.
Congratulations Hanan on our victory and the sumud (steadfastness) of our people and great muqawama (resistance) of all my Palestinian sisters and brothers in Gaza.
We and the world (except in the US and some citizens of a few other western countries) know the basic facts:
1- The criminal murderous zionist regime IS the OCCUPIER, the COLONIALIST.
2- People under occupation have the LEGAL RIGHT (and DUTY, I must add) to RESIST the occupation in any way. This has been the case throughout history. The UN gives resistance international legality.
3- The zionist regime started this round by killing the Hamas military head who, incidentally, was enforcing a ceasefire across Palestinian factions so they don’t attack the zionist entity. (BTW, I believe the real reason they killed him is that he organized the resistance forces as never before, with the correct military structure.)
4- No one in their right mind expects the OCCUPIED to make concessions to the OCCUPIER, particularly when the occupied has already given up almost everything including 78% of THEIR land.
5- ONLY the zionist regime has the KEY to PEACE. Peace can happen immediately when/if the israeli prime minister states three simple yet powerful sentences:
“As two semitic peoples who have historical rights to this same Holy Land, we strongly accept, and will proactively support, the establishment of a democratic Palestine living in peace and security alongside Israel. We acknowledge the pain and suffering and displacement of the Palestinian people that was caused by the establishment of Israel. Therefore, we hereby declare the planned withdrawal of all military forces from the to-be state of Palestine following the successful negotiation over the next three months of a comprehensive peace treaty including borders, settlements, natural resources, and right of return.”.
6- As my father always says, if our struggle was against an occupier different than the zionists, we would have had our state decades ago!
The fundamental question now is: Does israel want peace? Unfortunately, all actions of the zionist regime indicate they don’t.
Israel knows how to stop rocket attacks from Gaza: enter good faith talks with Hamas. However, it is precisely Hamas’s potential as a serious and independent negotiating partner that threatens “Greater Israel.” Israeli policymakers know that upon proper negotiations that cover the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Israel will have to give up land and resources, and withdraw thousands of settlers. (As Prime Minister Rabin stated, “Peace has a cost.”)
Besides degrading Gaza’s rocket capacity, Israel’s aggression has the side benefit of creating “terrorists” and thus enabling its “Greater Israel” strategy.
Who said the following? “If I were a young Palestinian, it is possible I would join a terrorist organization.”
Answer: Ehud Barak. (This was Barak’s response to Gideon Levy, a columnist for Ha’aretz, when Barak was asked what he would have done if he had been born a Palestinian.) http://detailedpoliticalquizzes.wordpress.com/israel-palestine-quiz/
Hanan great post. Thank you for these up close accounts and views. You are going to want to watch Up with Chris Hayes/MSNBC this morning (Sunday). He calls out the Israeli government, the US government for having undermined Abbas, having purposely stirred up violence, having ignored illegal settlements expansion. Chris Hayes just went where no other MSNBC host has gone. He talked about issues that Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, Al Sharpton, Lawrence O’Donnell have and will not go. Chris Hayes told the truth today blowing one more hole in the wall of silence on these issues. Hanan you can go over to the Up with Chris Hayes and watch Chris Hayes Sunday program “Story of the Week”…..Breakthrough
“If violence is not the answer” as American preachers of Israeli “security” (and violence) like self-righteously to preach, why does that preaching not embrace Israel (and the USA), the two most violent countries? If “every country has a right to protect itself” is only a narrow legalism, and narrowly so intended, does it deny a right of defense to people whose “state” or “country” has not been sufficiently “recognized”? (Recognized by whom? Palestine (1988) is said to have diplomatic relations with more countries than Israel does. Does this constitute “recognition” of a “country” in the eyes and minds of the preachers of states-only violence?)
The “PA” and “PLO” in Ramallah has opted to follow the USA’s non-violence prescription (in face of Israel’s violence-defended settlement program) and got nowhere. Gaza (Hamas and others) has opted for violence, made a noise, got on the map, and THIS TIME got a lot of recognition and support from Arab states. This support preceded the rockets which hit near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, but those rockets (penetrating Iron Dome) — while they may have helped Israel assess its preparations for a war with Iran — also may have shortened the duration of Israel’s “Pillar of Mischief” operation (a/k/a “Pillar of Cloud” and “Pillar of Defense” by Israel, but I reject submissiveness to Israeli — shifting — nomenclature or other “narrative”).
At all events, violence was MASSIVELY chosen by Israel (so preach me no sermons on the inadmissibility of violence in defense) as well as by Gaza. I hope Gaza manages to re-arm, re-supply ASAP because, surely, Israel will do so. And Gaza very much needs its own “Iron Wall”.