By Abu Al-Sous (Salah Mansour)*

The Israeli war on Gaza hasn't been only unprecedented in its ferocity, but it has been unprecedented in the support it received from the so called "Moderate" Arab Regimes** as well. In all circles, the Israeli attack was expected but not with this ferocity, however, the open alliance between the "Moderate" Arab Regimes with the Israeli policy makers never been this clear and obvious.
Early 2006, Palestinians in the West Bank and especially in the Gaza Strip voted overwhelmingly for Hamas in a transparent and a fair election that was monitored by the former US President Carter. In response, all Western Powers (European Union and the United States), the "Moderate" Arab Regimes, and the Israelis conspired to topple the newly elected government (see related articles section for details). As a first response, the Israeli government jailed all the elected Hamas' representatives in the West Bank and Western Powers started all sorts of blockade against the freely elected government. I'm not a fan of Hamas or its agenda, however, I believe it's critical to understand why these Arab leader joined the Western Powers & Israel in a conspiracy to oust the freely elected Palestinian Government. To simply say they are puppets in hands of Israel and Western powers is not good enough, there must be more to it than that.
Since the "Moderate" Arab Regimes' hold on power is based on very little popular support (mostly imposed on the Arab people by the Western Powers), they perceive Gaza's messages of democracy, hope, resistance, rule of law, and above all accountability & transparency as an existential threat to their shaky & undemocratic rule; it scares them that this message of hope could spread beyond the Gaza Strip. No other reason explains why President Mahmoud Abbas and the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are passionately closing ranks with their Israeli counterparts. This explains why the Israeli Air Force has first targeted the instruments that Hamas uses to enforce the rule of law, such as police stations, prisons, courts, justice & education ministries, fuel depots, and Universities. The primary reason behind the latest war on Gaza is make Palestinians submit to their will regardless if Hamas is power or not. Prior to Hamas' election to power early 2006, it was Yasser Arafat who was targeted with similar policies because he refused to submit to Israeli and Western dictates, and because of that he was branded as an obstacle to "peace".
The people in the Middle East lost hope in Westerners' call for human rights, liberty, and democracy; sadly Westerners are the first to run from their ideals and principals when their interests are at stake. Their primary interests in the Middle East are simple: protecting Israel by all possible means and having a secure access to Middle Eastern oil; promoting liberty, human rights, and democracy are by far secondary. On the other hand, what has been shocking and humiliating to me as an Arab is how the "Moderate" Arab Regimes are flocking to support the Israeli government in its attack on our people in Gaza. In my humble opinion, this could be a signal that they are desperate; they are almost in panic mode; this is unprecedented.
Since the blockade on Gaza has been fruitless up to this point, the conspirators opted for the usage of Israeli Army to weaken, if not, destroy Hamas' rule. The urgency to act quickly might have be driven with the fact the the clock is running out on Mr. Abbas' and Mr. Bush's presidencies. I also suspect that the conspirators are worried that the President elect Obama may not be as accommodating as Mr. Bush since he will be focusing on the financial melt that hit the US recently. I believe the America's military and financial weakness will reflect negatively on its foreign policy, especially in the Middle East.
Finally, I like to end this short article by reminding the reader of what David Ben-Gurion (the 1st Israeli PM) wrote in his diary on November 11, 1948:
"Let us recognize the truth: we won not because we performed wonders, but because the Arab army is rotten. Must this rottenness persist forever?" (Simha Flapan, p. 238)
I believe Arab rottenness which Ben-Gurion spoke of may have started to reached its limits; I am afraid we're witnessing the early signs of a political tsunamis that could transform the Middle East.
Our DATE is 60 years LATE, we shall return.
* Salah Mansour is the founder and editor of
PalestineRemembered.com, the
largest Palestinian online community.
** Often Western Media parades Arab Dictators as Moderate Regimes because
they serve Western Powers' interests in the Middle East. It should be noted that
there is nothing moderate about these
regimes, they are radicals and extremist especially when it comes to corruption,
common use of torture,
deployment of the intelligence
services in walks of life, and filling up their prisons systems.
Related Articles
- NYTimes: U.S. and Israelis Are Said to Talk of Hamas Ouster
- NYTimes Op-ED: The Right Way to Pressure Hamas
- Ha'aretz: Trying to 'teach Hamas a lesson' is fundamentally wrong
- NYTimes: Why the Arabs Splinter Over Gaza
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firas
This attack has been planned since at least when the settlers were moved out of Gaza. Israel are the masters of manipulation of a secret agenda; Israel are the masters of propaganda where the world media are deceived into thinking it is 'all Hama's fault'. Israel are the masters of provoking a reaction from a Palestinian minority, created by a slow torture, brutal treatment of the people and of a harsh siege.
Israel is playing the world and the world just doesn't see or doesn't want to see.
But 'Holyland Utopia' is sitting underneath quietly growing, year by year. Israel can divert the worlds attention to this - perhaps convince many that peace simply isn't possible or practical, for a while at least.
But, what is Israel's greatest weakness? Israel is totally powerless to stop 'Holyland Utopia' from growing and growing with each successive generation of Jews and Palestinians.
Please remember this! For Gods sake!
We will never forget, never
The Israeli government, as we know, rejected these progressive terms and entered into what can best be described as irresponsible aggression upon a small densely populated Palestinian territory.
In terms of meaningful peacebuilding and efforts to move to possible confidence building and exploratory negotiations the Israeli government has clearly shown that they are more concerned and adept with the strategic terrorising of civilians as an acceptable element of state policy.
The bizarre and disturbing reality of their ongoing military responses is that they see no wrong ? regardless. They are blinded by a myriad of stubborn siege mentality and policy contradictions and insular sectarian politics. They appear more unwilling to pursue chances for long-term transformation and communal resolution and keen to clutch at one-sided and short-term military bravado ? without civic responsibility but that is precisely the intention. Why?
Nothing will be gained by invading Gaza ?on the ground? and humiliating Palestinians whose land it is anyway. Israel mustn?t continue with illegal territorial punishment and humanitarian suffering. Rather than resolve the Israeli government are actually radicalising ? and it is beyond political comprehension.
There are two perceived sides, two stories, two voices and two ideologies but I feel the true story, so to speak, behind this historic and cultural antagonism is much deeper and is not the one Israel is telling. Gaza militants are without doubt ?active? to a degree but that is inevitable and indeed at the moment a strangely surreal David and Goliathesque battle with the Gazian David bereft of the means to obtain a striking stone ? as he occupies an uneven and controlled battleground.
Honest dialogue is the key to resolution but resolution requires risk taking and at the moment it seems to be way way off the Israeli agenda. Israel deep down must surely come to terms that Palestinians as a people and nation are not going to go away or be pushed into the Mediterranean Sea ? they are the people of struggle but also the people prepared to change. Israel need not just to talk and indeed listen; they must also provide the opportunity for hope rather than hopelessness to those in Gaza.
Who`s the Nazi Bastards now?
Any honest Westerner would recognize that 1) the Palestinians have lived on that land for centuries, and in many cases, thousands of years, 2) in 1948, the Jews stated military goals (Plan 'D') was to occupy all of Palestine, 3) Israel?s continued expansion of illegal settlements show Israel?s true intentions, 4) goods and produce made in Gaza have not been allowed to flow freely to European markets, 5) according to General Dayan, Israel provoked Syria into military action during the ?Six-Day War? in 1967, 6) four times the number of non-combat Palestinians have been killed than Israel non-combatants, 7) prior to the June 9 (2006 Gaza Beach Massacre), there was an effective peace between Palestine and Israel, 8) Of the water available from West Bank aquifers, Israel uses 73%, West Bank Palestinians use 17%, and illegal Jewish settlers use 10%. 9) Israel per capita water consumption is 4-times greater than that allocated for Palestinians (333 Cu. Meters for Israeli compared with 83 per Palestinian, 10) Palestinians are frequently prohibited from building homes, schools, and public structures on their own propertyin both Palestind and Jersalem, and 11) Palestinian homes are frequently demolished so that Israeli settlements can expand.
I could go on forever with more specifice about the insidious actions of the Israeli government. Why is it that so many Sabra Jews, who can trace their ancestry in Palestine for hundreds of years, have emigrated to the United States, and have enormous hate for the Ashkenazi European Jews, and considerable respect for the Palestinians? Why do Jewish employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) almost universally support the Palestinians? Why do Jewish physicians working for Doctors Without Borders, support the Palestinian cause?
Many ignorant Americans and Jews ask, ?Why doesn?t Hamas stop their rocket fire??. The answer is very simple: Every time that the Palestinians have ceased all militant activities, the Israeli government gone into their ?Eternal Stall? tactics. Then when the Western governments urge Israel to initiate peace efforts, Israel provokes the Palestinians with 1) increased targeted assassinations of ?suspected? militants (usually killing innocent family members?, 2) increased settlement activity, 3) increasing their economic strangulation of Palestinian with roadblocks and access to the outside world.
NO. ISRAEL DOES NOT WANT PEACE. They want all of Palestine. It is the Israeli government's acitons that are the cause for the increased Antisemitism that is springing up across Europe. To those who presently sympathize with Israel, I urge them to read the Internet version of Israel?s largest newspaper, Ha?aretz. (www.haaretz.com) Virtually all of my previously pro-Israeli friends (including Jews) who have begun to actively read Ha?aretz, are now openly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. If I could sum up one word that they have for the Israel government it is: INSIDIOUS.
Perhaps, if Hamas had not deemed Israel's citizens, who voted for the Israeli government, valid targets for their attackes, the wolrd, and Israel, woud not have fired air to ground and ground to ground missiles at targets in Gaza, and there would be no collateral damage to cry about.
Simple solution - let Hamas stop firing rockets, and let's see what Israel offers in return.
Israel pulled out of Gaza on its own, perhaps Israel will open the borders to Gazans, if Gaza stops being the source of rockets - the news has not announced rocket fire from West Bank, and so Israel and others are talking with mssrs. Abbas and Erakat.
Stan Squires
Insha`allah brother you are doing good work .May Allah reward you abunduntly for your efforts.
Western governments do not run from their principles at home till Arab or Irish bombs go off in the Paris, Madrid and London metro let alone the pointless crashing of airliners into New York's twin towers which has just made the American in the street suspicious of all Arabs. If Israel is not fond of Hamas it is because Hamas openly wants to demolish Israel. The same can still be said of the PLO.
Arabs are not fond of Israel for having defended itself successfully enough in 1948 and 1967 to collect a bit more Palestine - but do not seem to be able to admit their parts in triggering the conflict. To fail to empathise with Israeli suspicions of Syria and Hamas or the PLO or Egypt before Sadat made peace, is to show an inability to imagine how the situation appears to one's opponent.
Finally Salah Mansour made the odd remark that the blockade of Gaza had failed - then why are Hamas and Palestine friends complaining about shortages? A somewhat inaccurate remark anyway because all Arab faces on TV are NOT drawn or malnourished - and I have taught long enough to recognise a poor family's child - and the leaders of all Arab authorities are well fed with plump faces. If Israel had really laid siege to Gaza there would ot be 17000 trucks of food and fuel etc these last six months too preserve the chance of Hamas coming to some mutually peaceful arrangement. Unfortunately Hamas just saw this as weakness of the Israeli government, in the same way the Taliban thought that the USA would not react more than words if they crashed the main buildings of their political and commercial capitals. Itis time for some Arabs to revise their methods of judging the minds of the Wests' governments and peoples or they wil end like Hitler's Germans.
If the Israelis and GW bush do not like us raining rockets on them, then they should leave and go back where they came from. We are raining rockets bevause they are trating us like dirt in our own land. Talk about Rude guests that never leave!
Palestinian love all Arabs and Muslims and All Muslims and Arabs love us back and we draw our strength from GOD and them. We are not some unknown tribe in a jungle somewhere, We own the land and we want it back.
The U.S. Canada and Australia should give the Israelis visas to immigrate their and fullfill their dreams and end our nightmare.
No Justice, No peace and we'll never recognize you.
In addition, why my country's politicians continue to support this senseless oppression is shameful to me. Are you all so beholden to the profittering lobbyists for your positions of power that you would support this ethnic cleansing? Are you so blind to the significance of Jerusalem as a multicultural/multireligious site that you would allow it to become the capital of only one group instead of a site of worldwide historic significance - an international city?
"Just as the Temple was destroyed through baseless hatred, it will only be rebuilt through baseless love."Rabbi Kook (1864-1935) Find some love folks on both sides.
"The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses."
Also, we the silent majority need to now demand justice.
The only way we can ensure peace is through justice. Martin Luther King Jr. stated:
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
J - Justice- through the implementation of all UN Resolutions in ensuring peace and security.
U - United Nations- observers to shift all of the Holy Land into a Security existence ending the Military regime.
S - Support- all 1948 refugees with return to their homes.
T - Timetables- that are unconditional in restoring justice through timely implementation.
I - Immediately- implement international law by dismantling the Wall that separates the Holy Land.
C - Compensation- of returning refugees to live in peace and security in their homes and land.
E - Economic Aid - leading to a solid infrastructure leading to economic self sufficiency.
Again, in the era of change, let us be fair, and aim to have a new just foreign policy that will result in peace in the Holy Land and a new era of prosperity, peace, and blessings for all of humanity.
Let us also remember the sayings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who said the following that can poignantly be applied to the current administration, the current world population, our silent majority, and the 'elect' administration, respectively:
"We have guided missiles and misguided men."
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict."
Lastly, unless we sincerely desire and demand for others what we demand for ourselves we can not stand in the way of the oppressed that fight for their survival as Malcolm X taught before his and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s ultimate demises:
"Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery."
God Bless the Justice Makers,
Motie A. Omari
The world doesn't need any nation states, let alone creating another one. The only just solution under capitalism is to abolish the nascient state of Israel (it has no borders and no constitution) and create a secular state embracing all whpo live in the state of Palestine in the geographical area it once was in. Religion can only be a personal belief or conviction and has nothing to do the control of any society. We in North America supposedly support the separation of church and state, an idea founded to free us from the control of the practioners who believe god exists. We need to put it into practice. The only "just solution" for Israel and Palestine is one secular state -- and the refusal of any more jews (it is a religion not a race)unlimited entry into the area.
If the jews want a temporal headquarters for their religion, like the christian catholics with their vatican, give them a same size territory, and the same for the muslims, with Mecca.
All nations of the world -- until we abolish them and establish a moneyless, wageless, stateless world community of cooperation -- should be secular. We must eliminate the belief that one person has the right to tell another what they should do or think.
Yours to incite World insight, Trevor Goodger-Hill
C R E D O
On 1 May l990 Citizens of the World spontaneously materialized as a non-profit non-membership entity with the sole purpose of creating in the immediate future a new co?perative world society of citizens of ecological consciousness dedicated to replacing money with abundance, wage-work with civic contribution, competition with collaboration, violence with friendship and nationalism with ethnic fraternity. As a world co?perative, iWi invites the sisterhood and brotherhood of humanity to incite world insight to protect our planet and all its species by documentation of the destructiveness of present-day capitalism in order to transform it into a moneyless stateless world economy where all produce in order that all consume. All Citizens of the World believe, in principle and in practice, ideas are stronger than force and there is a kinder, gentler way to change the world than killing other human beings. As responsible citizens we co?peratively reproduce ideas - and invite others who agree to reproduce and distribute them - to create such a society.
iWi Co?pérative, Trottier Mills, Québec, Canada, North America, Planet Earth, G0P 1H0 or iwi@ivic.qc.ca
The Hon. Dr. Burton Yost Berry, former US-Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Iraq. September 8, 1952
Memorandum of Personal Observations:
The making and receiving of official calls, and other contacts that a new Chief of Mission establishes with local
people in all walks of life, have provided me in concentrated form with an appreciation of Iraqi attitudes which we must take into account if we are to make progress with our area objectives. Thus, I hope following summary of my impressions will prove timely to Department in developing its over-all Middle East policy, and particularly in shaping its position on MEDO and several items on GA agenda.
Without an exception each new Iraqi acquaintance brought up first the Palestine issue and left no doubt as to depth of
his feeling. With little variation each said the Iraqis had no
quarrel with Jews as Jews who had been welcomed in Orient when the West persecuted them. But Zionism was something else which was cruelly selfish and dangerously aggressive. Zionism at work inPalestine, creating an Israeli state on lands which since days of Caliph Omar were Arab and today are part of Arab Spiritual heritage,inflicted an injury to the Arab soul which will never heal. And what was done could not have been done except through active intervention and continuing support of US. This I was told always with sincerity
and sometimes with very considerable heat. I was warned too that in the Orient where grudges are nurished and blood feuds flourish not to believe that lapse of time will change Arab attachment to Palestine,or that the young generation will hold different views or that US loans and grants will cause Arabs to forget and forgive.
French and British imperialism in North Africa regularly was the second subject introduced by Iraqis. They say North
African Arab states are controlled by French and British armies with civil liberties suppressed and right of self-determination denied.
They consider that US, by supporting British and French, has become equally responsible with them. Frequently I was asked why the US fights to save South Koreans from domination by a foreign aggressor when we do not fight to save Tunisians and Moroccans from a similar destiny. Then I was informed that we discriminate because Chinese and North Koreans do not belong to ?international aristocracy? whereas the French and British do. I was advised that all nations today demand quality of treatment and warned that the prospect of the survival of Western civilization depends on the West practicing equality now and abandoning in the next GA its outmoded policy of
discrimination. If the US continues its old course the Iraqis expect to see in North Africa and throughout Asia a violent reaction to old ideologies and an increasing eagerness of these people to turn to Communism as the only alternative to the former shining but now corroded democratic ideal.
The development of natural resources generally came up next for discussion although Foreign Minister Jamali and a few
others gave third place to the advancement of Fertile Crescent idea.
Our Point IV program was lightly brushed aside. The Prime Minister said it was ?nothing? while other Ministers, generally sympathetic, said it had had little impact to date. The more critical complained that we had oversold the program for two years and ended by creating a housing shortage in Baghdad to provide homes for TCA personnel.
The openly hostile accused us of trying with
triflingPoint IV aid to bribe the Arabs to forget Palestine. But it was the British that received the heavy fire. All of the ills of today were laid to the reactionism of IPC and British Government. My informants seemed to prefer to look to the past rather than the future. They felt things were not right and so sought someone to blame. The British and their Iraqi friends were the natural targets and they were pounded unmercifully. The pathological unanimity of this expression caused me to sympathize with members of Development
Board who fear that the several years necessary to complete their major projects may not be accorded them by a people impatient for results. It caused me to share the concern of Foreign Minister who said that the Government has no effective propaganda machinery, that there is not a single Arab language pro-Western newspaper in Iraq,and therefore those who hold pro-Western views ae shy while others who hold anti-Western views shout them out. I found that our good
works were not known or when known were interpreted by our enemies as being undertaken for nefarious purposes.
Area defense was a subject where the chief interest was to reject the concept of Western participation. Today neutrality
is the refuge planned against time when war clouds threaten. When suggested that an Iraqi wartime neutrality would invite a Soviet occupation, many Iraqis professed to prefer an untried Soviet occupation to an actual British domination. In searching an explanation of such unrealistic attitude I was reminded that Mesopotamia has experienced wars from the beginning of time but never reconstruction after a war. Moreover, in two World Wars Arabs fought with the Allies but experienced disillusionment and felt abandoned in the post-war periods. So area defense, which they interpret as
involvement and as inviting Soviet attack, is unpopular and will not be embraced now as an idea. On the other hand, a MEDO in Cyprus developing healthfully, with Iraqi Government informed of its development on continuing basis, can have a growing fascination for the Iraqi military and through them improve the likelihood of eventual association of Iraqi Government.
This description points up how weak our position is
in Iraq.In view of location of Iraq, this situation seems
serious to me, even hazardous, and cries for remedial action. I suggest, therefore, that the Department determine whether the situation in Iraq is characteristic of that in other Arab countries.
If it is, then we should re-examine whether the lands, manpower and oil of Arab World are as important to us as we have thought. Assuming that they are, I suggest that we look urgently to our plans to bring the Arabs around to the Western outlook. From Baghdad today it seems that surest way to accomplish this is by our Government squarely facing two problems.
First, is the restoration of the Arabs' confidence in American good will and good faith. A dramatic way to bring this home to the Arabs might be by insisting on enforcement of the United Nations resolutions on Palestine. It might also be accomplished as effectively but less dramatically through our day by day decisions demonstrating that our Middle East policy is as genuinely concerned with the re-actions of the Arabs as that of the Israelis. Such action would go far in restoring Arab faith in the UN and the US. Secondly,is the attitude of the UK and France. To harmonize such with world
conditions today we may have to insist that the UK assume in the Middle East the same statesmanlikle attitude it assumed in the Indian sub-continent in 1946 and then insist that the French adopt a similar attitude. I realize that these are heavy demands, but the Middle East is a great prize. Whether gaining it is worth risking taking this suggested position with Israel, the UK and France only the Department can decide, but from here it is very clear that until the US is again respected int the Middle East for the justice of its position our local friends will not risk raising their voices to support us. But when we have demonstrated a policy of fairness and friendship towards the Arab World we will have laid the foundation for rebuilding the prestige that the United States traditionally has enjoyed in this area.
May Allah bless you.