by HALUAN Media
6 Jun 2010
Since 2006, Gaza has been under Israeli embargo. They never let any humanitarian aid into Gaza alleging that the tiny enclave is in good condition and does not really need outside assistance. Israel claimed that it delivers enough aid to Gaza.
But the fact of the matter is more than 75% of Gazans’ homes were totally destroyed, and her people still suffering from the consequences of Israeli’s offensive Operation Cast Lead in 2008 – 2009. This is a fact confirmed by the UNDP reports. Claiming to attack military bases in Gaza, Israel actually left Gaza in total ruin, targeting mostly civilian amenities needed for her people to get on with their lives. Universities, reservoirs, schools, power stations, masjids, churches, bridges, roads, airports, factories, plantations, irrigation – all came under artillery, aerial and naval bombardment amounting to 1.5 million tonnes of ordinance. Over 6,000 families still live in tents till this day. Besides, in the last two years, over 10,000 Gazans lost their lives due to untreatable diseases because of the embargo.
They were deprived off their most basic needs – food, nutrition, clean potable water, healthcare, rights to proper education and, above all, a roof over their heads.
Israel on its part does not allow any entry of construction materials such as cement, iron bars and so on with the pretext that they will be used to construct military bases. In fact, it does not want Gaza to be rebuilt. All of these facts and more are listed in both by the UN (Goldstone Report) and Amnesty International in their reports on Gaza. This information is made accessible to the whole world. Then why is the world still turning a blind eye to this stark injustice?
Indeed, the world has tried in vain to cooperate with the Israeli Government in delivering the much needed aid. Unfortunately, the Israeli administration was never sincere. IHH (Humanitarian Relief Foundation of Turkey) has launched an official written application to the Israeli consulate in Turkey almost two years ago but to no avail.
What goes inside the Zionist’s mind is an intertwined maze that takes you somewhere but nowhere. They simply have no sincerity whatsoever and give no two hoots to world opinions and overtures. And they have made this clear by their actions. Israel and the inhumane embargo over Gaza have been responsible for the humanitarian crisis now in seen in Gaza.
Gaza is the last crumb of a large order pizza that Israel still salivates over. It shares its borders both with Israel and Egypt which, technically, means aid cargo could easily be delivered through Egypt’s Rafah gates by land. The recent eyewash by Egypt’s sudden benevolence after Israel’s historical blunder when it murdered nine peace activists onboard the passenger vessel “MV Mavi Marmara” is but a sorry PR exercise. So petrified is Egypt over its magnanimous neighbour that it is seen charitable only when Israel tells it to be.
The previous LL3G exercise was a classic case of Egypt’s bluff. Humanitarian activists from all over the world who had to camp on a wharf side upon given a wild ride were greeted by batons and pepper spray from rude, not to mention barbaric, Egyptian army with guns pointing at unarmed humanitarian volunteers. They were outnumbered 10 to one, as if these volunteers were criminals armed to the teeth.
The charade displayed by the Egyptian Government is no different from that shown by its political master, Israel, which has completely subdued its neighbour to the point of subjugation. Slavery is on the cards for Egyptians. Political interests, to the endeavours of keeping the Camp David Accord alive and breathing, is more important to Egypt than the millions of lives lost and still suffering inside Gaza. So much for Arab brotherhood.
Other than that, illegal Israel also claimed sovereignty over Gaza’s territorial waters as a national security concern which means nothing and no one else can be held liable by Israel’s own set of rules. The embargo imposed on Gaza is an illegal, inhumane and immoral policy of Israel. In fact, the UN Security Council Resolution 1860 marked the embargo as illegal and stated that it should be lifted immediately.
The recent catastrophe involving the “MV Mavi Marmara” is yet another milestone of Israel’s dirty politics and highhandedness akin to a barbarian. The civilian passenger vessel was flying the flag of a NATO member in international waters, but was attacked with nine fatalities onboard. Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was swift in promising retaliation for Israel’s bullying ways that prevented the Freedom Flotilla of LL4G from reaching the Gaza port. NATO is deemed to have failed to rope in its rogue member Israel.
Now, NATO and Israel themselves have to bear the consequences of this rogue’s belligerence. The pure and simple act of piracy in the Mediterranean international waters was a clear breach of international laws. But Israel doesn’t care. That it executed a military operation on a civilian ship in international waters, carrying humanitarian volunteers from over 50 countries, some of whom were prominent statesmen and parliamentarians was a point besides.
Slowly but surely Israel is navigating towards its own demise. It has now created enemies from among its closest allies in Europe. This high seas piracy and oppression in mainland Gaza will lead to the isolation of Israel in the eyes of the international public and crafting Israel’s reputation as a “terrorist state”.
The mind of a Jew, more so if he is a zionist, is to envision and make believe that he or she is in a constant “state of threat”, which will then “legitimise” the Israel Government to justify their actions of blockade and shoot at leisure at a woman, child or hare. According to international laws and the Fourth Geneva Convention, even when in a state of war, humanitarian aid cannot be subjected to blockades and no restriction on aid delivery can be performed in war zones. But do they care?
Their minds, from preschool to varsity education, have been tweaked to hate all other races and religions that are simply not Jews. Period.
But how much longer can Israel survive? How many years did it take for South Africa to free itself from apartheid? The aid volunteers from all over the world are determined to carry on their missions despite Israeli’s archaic aggression. Even if the Israeli Defence Forces detain the peace activists and deport them back to their home countries like what they did in this mission, sooner, larger aid flotillas will keep on sailing into the region. The navy may find that it does not have enough helicopters and speed boats to intercept and shoot. Perhaps then they would fire torpedoes on all the ships. Fine. We’ll sail in a cargo submarine the next time. But we will not carry torpedoes.
The world is teaching, and has taught, Israel a bitter lesson this year. 2010 will go down to become the international year of bashing up Israel. And we shall see it cower away with its tail between its feet, towing America along as it trots with its head held low to the ground.
Shame, shame you Israel.