Punishing Gaza

by Stephen Lendman

On September 20, Haaretz reported: “The security
cabinet voted unanimously yesterday to increase
sanctions against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip (and
declare) the region a ‘hostile entity.’ ” A further
statement read: “We will reduce the amount of
megawattage we provide to the Strip, and Hamas will
have to decide whether to provide electricity to
hospitals or weapons lathes.” Israeli officials also
decided to punish Gazans by restricting:

—fuel as well as electricity from Israel to Gaza;

—the passage of goods and people through border
crossings that are already severely restricted; and

—visits to prisoners even further than how limited
they are already.

An increased monitoring of funds was also announced as
well as stating border crossings would be closed for
up to 48 hours in response to (crude small homemade)
Qassam rocket fire, and that Israel would supply
nothing further to Gaza residents “except for
(whatever Israel considers) humanitarian needs.”
Hamas’ response was swift and sharp. Spokesman Fawzi
Barhoum called the cabinet’s decision and sanctions a
“declaration of war” and said “we must unite the ranks
to come together in the conflict with the cruel
enemy….This is another attempt to force us to
surrender (our sovereignty).”

At first, the world community hardly blinked with UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon acting as irresponsibly
as his predecessor. He urged Israel to reconsider its
decision but denounced Hamas for its “continued
indiscriminate rocket fire….into Israel (and that
he) understand(s) Israel’s security concerns over this
matter.” Nothing in his statement mentioned Israel’s
daily attacks and killings of Palestinians or the
deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza after Israel
closed its borders last June, isolated the Territory
from the outside world, and cut off most essential
supplies and services to its people.

Karen Koning-Abu Zayd is the UN Relief and Works
Agency (UNRWA) Commissioner-General for Palestine
Refugees. On October 30, she showed more concern than
her boss by saying Israel’s decision to cut fuel and
electricity to Gaza violates international law. She
noted Israel’s concern, but stressed “how can you want
to punish people, all of them in Gaza (as) most of
them….are not behind these activities….if you
don’t have electricity, you don’t have water, you
probably don’t have food.” This action will have a
“very serious” effect on the population.

Two other UN officials also went public with their
criticisms. UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to
Food, Jean Ziegler was one of them. He called on the
European Commission to suspend commercial relations
with Israel until it stops preventing Palestinians
from receiving food without restrictions. He reported
to the General Assembly that 22% of Palestinian
children already suffer from malnutrition because they
lack access to food.

UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, John Dugard, also weighed in. He called
on State Members in their capacity as High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention. He asked them
to ensure Israel complies with its provisions
regarding the protection of civilians in times of war.
One of them under article 54 states: “Starvation of
civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited,” as
well as “attack(ing), remov(ing), or render(ing)
useless objects indispensable to the survival of the
civilian population such as foodstuffs, agricultural
areas (for their production), crops, livestock,
drinking water installations and supplies and
irrigation works…. ” Article 55 then obligates an
occupying power to ensure “the food and medical
supplies of the population.”

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
chief Walter Fust also expressed alarm after a recent
Gaza visit. He called conditions “untenable” and
“shocking” with 30% of children (in his judgment)
malnourished and hospitals and health centers in a
precarious state.

Things then changed on October 30. Haaretz reported
Israel’s “High Court of Justice ordered the state to
respond within five days to a petition submitted by
dozens of human rights groups (10 of them according to
other reports) to halt its (Gaza fuel and electricity)
cutoff,” but it stopped short of banning the action.
Justices may have been concerned after the European
Union (EU) criticized Israel’s move on October 29
calling it an act of “collective punishment.” EU
commissioner for external relations, Benita
Ferraro-Waldner, said she was “very concerned” about
the decision, that it’s not a solution, and that the
EU doesn’t “want the population to suffer.”

It’s hard knowing if this signals change or whether to
take the commissioner’s concern seriously. The
European community, along with Israel and the US,
denounced Hamas’ democratic election in January, 2006
as the legitimate Palestinian government. It’s
response ever since was to end all outside aid and
impose crushing sanctions and an economic embargo on
the Territories as well as politically isolate the new
Hamas government.

The results were devastating. Even before the latest
crisis, Gaza’s industrial production had fallen 90%
and its agricultural output was half its pre-2007
level. In addition, nearly all construction had
stopped, unemployment is around 80%, and the level of
poverty is shocking based on World Bank data showing
over 80% of Gazans live on less than $2.40 a day.
Further, the Palestinian Al Huq association of jurists
called Israel’s summer, 2005 Gaza disengagement
fraudulent as “Israel retains full control of the Gaza
Strip’s land borders, population registry, airspace
and territorial sea,” and the IDF invades the
Territory at will.

The EU was silent about this and Israel’s overall
repressive rule, land expropriations, daily
incursions, and regular attacks and killings in the
Territories. It was unconcerned about the internal
violence on Gaza streets last spring and gave tacit
support to anti-Hamas US and Israeli-armed Fatah
(Protective Security Force) paramilitary death squads
led by warlord Mohammed Dahlan. It ignored Hamas’
months-long unilateral cease-fire, its ending all
suicide bombings, its call for peace, and its
willingness to recognize the Jewish state if Israel
accepts and recognizes a Palestinian one.

Its founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin said at the time
Hamas would end its struggle “if the Zionists ended
its occupation of Palestinian territories and stopped
killing Palestinian women, children and innocent
civilians.” Israel and the West rejected the offer and
all good faith efforts. They opted instead to punish
Palestinians collectively and deny them their
legitimate rights.

After Hamas defeated Fatah paramilitaries, the EU
backed Mahmoud Abbas’ quisling West Bank government.
It ignored Gaza’s punishing isolation and Oxfam Great
Britain’s grim warning of the “increasing desperation
of Gazans as shortages of fuel, water and food are
reported.” It failed to denounce Israel and the US for
creating the crisis affecting 1.5 million people. It
stood allied instead with Washington and the Olmert
government and did so ever since. The same is true of
the UN. It’s hard thinking that’s changed, and it’ll
take more than occasional high-sounding comments from
a few officials to prove it.

In the meantime, Israel began reducing fuel supplies
on October 28, and Gaza’s deputy Petroleum Authority
director, Ahmed Ali, said diesel fuel and gasoline
deliveries were 30% lower than usual. He then added:
“This is a serious warning (and) the people of
Gaza….are now in danger. The hospitals, water
pumping station and sewage will be affected by the
lack of fuel.” Israel’s Dor Alon energy company
confirmed the reduction, and the Defense Ministry said
the Sufa crossing used for transporting fuel to Gaza
was closed. 

On October 25, Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the
phased cutoff, and his deputy, Matan Vilnai, said “We
will dramatically reduce the flow of electricity (by
about two-thirds) from Israel over several weeks” to
let Gaza supply its own electricity that’s impossible
as Israel knows. He added this measure is part of
Israel’s “deeper, broader disengagement.” He neglected
to say it’s an illegal act of collective punishment as
Gaza relies on Israel for all its fuel (that includes
diesel, gasoline and natural gas) and most of its
electricity.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights reported Gaza
needs over 220 megawatts of electricity and consumes
about 200 megawatts, 60% of which is bought from
Israel. The Gaza Electricity Generation Plant supplies
65 megawatts and another 17 megawatts are bought from
Egypt. When Israel directly controlled the Strip, it
let Gazans establish enough electrical capacity for
only 38% of their needs. Then during “Operation Summer
Rain” in June, 2006, the IDF assaulted the Territory,
bombed its only electrical power plant, and destroyed
its main transformers with missiles. Months of
rebuilding restored less than two-thirds of its
original 100 megawatt capacity and made the area
mostly dependent on Israel for supply.

After declaring Gaza a “hostile entity” on September
19, that’s now in jeopardy unless Israel reverses its
stance and reconsiders other collective punishment
measures as well. Currently, its authority allows only
nine basic materials to enter the Territory. That hit
local markets hard, and most ran out of many items
causing sharp price rises up to 500% in some cases.
Items banned include some medicines, furniture,
electrical appliances, cows and cigarettes while
others restricted are fruits, milk and other dairy
products.

Then there’s the energy plan. It’s to begin cutting
electricity for 15 minutes, then a half hour with
daily increases as long as the punitive measure
remains in effect that doesn’t apply to hospitals and
other “vital installations,” Vilnai said. Things are
now on hold, however, after Attorney General Menachem
Mazuz temporarily halted the electricity cutoff
following a “debate” in his office on October 29. He
was apparently acting on UN and EU comments as well as
his own High Court’s order to respond to a petition by
10 human rights organizations in five days to stop
this punitive action. Mazuz said Israel had a right to
sever economic and commercial ties with Gaza, but its
government is responsible for the Territory and more
“research” was needed before cutting off electricity.
What he meant, of course, is he’ll await a High Court
ruling and then act.

Haaretz reported on November 3 that “State Prosecution
on (November 2) defended the government’s decision (to
cut fuel and electricity in a letter to the High
Court) claiming it is not a form of collective
punishment.” It said that the decision was appropriate
and gave the same tired reasons it often uses to
justify its harshest actions. Defense Minister Ehud
Barak agreed. In a November 4 Jerusalem meeting with
Condoleezza Rice, he assured the Secretary that “The
sanctions (won’t) cause a humanitarian crisis” without
further elaboration.

Israel’s infrastructure minister, Binyamin
Ben-Eliezer, agrees as well and feels these measures
are needed and are a final attempt to avoid a military
action some observers see coming. Israel’s Gaza
commander, General Moshe Tamir, already admits to
almost nightly incursions into the Territory and
practically signaled a planned assault.

Haaretz also reported on October 30 that Israel’s
Defense Forces (IDF) conducted their largest military
drill in the north Galilee region since the 2006
Lebanon war. It ran four days and involved ground, air
and naval forces as well as intelligence and S4 units.
The paper noted a similar exercise preceded the
Lebanon war so it happening now is ominous.

The Jerusalem Post echoed that sentiment on October
31. It quoted Defense Minister Ehud Barak saying a
large-scale IDF operation against “Palestinian rocket
squads” was drawing near, and “the time is approaching
when we’ll have to undertake a broad operation in
Gaza.” The report mentioned Gaza commander Tamir
saying Hamas was “building an army” and had smuggled
in unprecedented capabilities. Israeli Shin Bet
Security Agency chief Yuval Diskin claimed Hamas had
accumulated over 112 tons of explosives, and Tamir
signaled Israel is prepared to act as a result. The
Jerusalem Post earlier quoted IDF Southern Command
chief General Yoav Galant saying he’s been “pushing
for a massive operation for the past year” and now may
be close to getting one.

Hamas responded to this growing threat on November 1.
It called on all Palestinian resistance factions to
declare a high state of alert in anticipation of a
large-scale Israeli incursion into the Territory. It
issued a statement saying: “Hamas is well-prepared to
engage in a battle with the Israeli army, once (Gaza)
is invaded, as Hamas is confident of victory, given
its strong trust in God.”

A major IDF assault may be imminent as Israel
continues attacking civilians in Gaza and the West
Bank daily. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
report for the last week of October said 15
Palestinians were killed, 29 others wounded, and 78
more arrested. In addition, during the seven day
period, IDF forces made 49 hostile incursions into the
Territories, and for the past 16 months maintained a
devastating siege on the population.

Washington’s Upcoming Annapolis Peace Offensive

Middle East observers know what most honest ones will
admit. The intermittent, now revived “peace process”
is merely pretense head fake. It’s more theater than
substance or a serious effort to resolve this
long-running conflict, and look at the proof:

—daily IDF incursions, attacks and killings in the
Territories;

—continued land expropriations;

—crop destruction and agricultural restrictions;

—home demolitions;

—restricted movement through hundreds of checkpoints
as well as curfews and border and other closures any
time for any reason;

—building permit restrictions and construction
prohibitions;

—denial of essential services; and

—other politically motivated daily repression and
“matrix of control” harassment.

This all continues without letup with the full
acquiescence and support of the West plus billions in
annual aid from Washington.

Furthermore, Hamas is barred from the peace process,
and without its participation there can be none. Its
exclusion and the desperate conditions in the
Territories expose the glaring hypocrisy overhanging
the staged affair. Just like the fraudulent “road
map,” this latest incarnation is going nowhere with
more proof on November 4 from Israeli Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni. She told Secretary Rice Israel’s security
comes first, and “only then (can there be) a
Palestinian state.”

Electronic Intifada editor Ali Abunimah compares the
process to “one of those big budget Broadway
extravaganzas; they go on for years (and) with each
revival the cast changes,” but the outcome is always
the same as intended.

Abunimah notes the “latest revival” has Condoleezza
Rice in a lead role play-acting to end the
long-running conflict. George Bush is on stage as well
trying to cast off his image as a warmonger and
enabler of “Israeli colonization” and now pretends to
want peace “with an eye on his legacy.”

And so it goes with the other key actors in this
melodrama pretending the process is real - quisling
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas who agreed to let
Washington act as a “neutral arbitrator,” Israeli
prime minister Ehud Olmert who jumped on the idea, and
“special guest star” and reinvented war criminal Tony
Blair in his new role as Middle East peace envoy. Last
June he ended a failed 10 year run as UK prime
minister when his audience booed him off the stage.
He’s been practically invisible since but will
resurface in Annapolis later in November once a firm
date is announced.

Abunimah notes how reality at times intervenes. It did
in mid-October after Abbas’ representatives met with
Israeli counterparts to arrange a “declaration of
principles” for the Annapolis meeting that are still
unresolved. The IDF expropriated 300 more acres of
Palestinian land near “occupied East Jerusalem (to
expand the huge) Jewish-only settlements (bisecting)
the West Bank (that) render a contiguous Palestinian
state impossible.”

Land seizures have been continuous since the 1993 Oslo
Accords. For the past 14 years, Israel expropriated an
area the size of Washington, DC for Jewish-only
development knowing none of the “peace process”
participants would object. It’s been so extreme that
noted Israeli historian Ilan Pappe believes the
settlements, army bases, roads and separation wall
will let Israel annex almost half the West Bank by
2010 and dispossess Palestinians now living there.

And now Abunimah explains “Rice feigns (gallingly
hypocritical) frustration saying: “Frankly it is time
for the establishment of a Palestinian state.” She
knows Israel won’t allow one nor will Palestinians
accept it under the current bantustan configuration
and the condition Pappe describes.

Nor is one possible given the power of extremist
elements in the Israeli government led by
proto-fascist Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Haaretz reported he insists any Israeli-Palestinian
conflict resolution “include Israel’s Arab citizens
(on) the basis (of) a land swap and population
transfer.” He means no peace is possible unless 1.4
million Israeli Arab citizens are ethnically cleansed
from the country. Nor will he allow core Palestinian
issues to be discussed in Annapolis (or elsewhere)
like “borders, settlements and the (right of return
for) Palestinian refugees expelled by Israel.”

And the beat goes on. Life in occupied Palestine is
intolerable and worsening as the latest sham peace
extravaganza is heading to Annapolis once its “opening
night” is announced with fanfare and phoniness.

A different sort of event will take place in London
November 17 and 18 hosted by the London Middle East
Institute and organized by the London One State Group
and SOAS Palestine Society at London University. It’s
called “Challenging the Boundaries: A Single State in
Palestine/Israel.” It will include panel discussions
and individual speakers featuring noted participants
like author and Middle East expert Gilbert Achcar,
Electronic Intifada editor Ali Abunimah, noted author
Nur Masalha, and Israeli historian and expert on
Israel and Zionism Ilan Pappe who’s now teaching at
the UK University of
Exeter. The conference is about alternatives to a
two-state paradigm and will advance ideas of a
one-state vision that can become a workable political
agenda for what seems to be the only credible way
forward.

In another development, Al-Ahram Weekly reports Hamas
will air its views at a “national conference” in
Damascus that will coincide with Annapolis. Other
Palestinian factions will also attend including the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
in a significant break with Fatah. Participating as
well are the Damascas-based PFLP-General Command, the
Islamic Jihad organization and senior Fatah members
Farouk Al-Qaddumi and Hani Al-Hassan in a show of
protest against “Abbas’ line” and “his subservience to
America and Israel.” In addition to organized groups,
hundreds of Palestinian and Arab intellectuals may
attend that will add credibility to the event.

Conference organizers state they wish to reassert
their opposition to “the attempted liquidation of the
Palestinian cause” with special emphasis on “the right
of return of five million (or more) Palestinian
refugees.” They also intend “not to give political
cover to US-Israeli schemes to terminate the
Palestinian cause in Annapolis (that is) hypocritical
(and) insincere.” And they further state: “The PLO
leadership in Ramallah no longer represents the
Palestinian people (because) it is a prisoner of the
Israeli occupation and has lost whatever semblance of
independence and free will it may once have had.” In
addition, “the PLO leadership (lacks legitimacy as
it’s) unelected, undemocratic and anachronistic.”

Hamas also revealed plans to follow Damascus with
meetings in Gaza and the West Bank to further
highlight what Hamas and others call “this mockery” of
a US-Israeli-Abbas effort to compromise or scrap
issues vital to the Palestinian people like the right
of return and status of Jerusalem. Ideas to be
discussed include selecting “alternative and parallel
national bodies” to counter Fatah’s disregard for “the
Palestinian national consensus.” Under consideration
is a new National Council and Executive Committee in
direct opposition to Abbas who (along with Secretary
Rice) tried unsuccessfully to abort Hamas’ initiative.
Little is expected from Annapolis, and some believe
that may trigger a third Intifada and swing momentum
to Hamas.

Shin Bet’s Yuval Diskin thinks not but others
disagree. Oslo came out of the first Intifada, and
Israel’s Gaza disengagement followed the second one.
Nothing is off the table this time. Stay closely
tuned.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
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Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
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