The article below was originally meant to be published in November 2023 as Israel was beginning to bomb Gaza Strip. The article has been left in its original form. As the gruesome events unfold before our eyes, more articles will be published on Gaza and Palestine
Anger and sadness for the suffering of Gaza is an understantment for not only Palestinians but the world who have been watching in oure horror, anger and sadness at the continual and brutal destruction of Gaza Strip. All parts of Gaza from Jabaliya Refugee Camp in Northern Gaza towards Rafah in Southern Gaza. Israeli army ordered the residents of Northern Gaza to move to the south as the Israeli army amasses some 300K soldiers, some returning home from abroad, at the border wit Israel while awaiting an impending ground invasion. Gazans have nowhere to go. They are not allowed to enter Israel. After the Oct 7th attack, it would be out of the question even under extreme circumstance. The Rafah border crossing has been bombed a few times by the IDF as civilians wait to try to at least get help or sympathy from Egypt. Humanitarian aid on the Egyptian border is slowly starting to trickle in but it is not enough to cover everyone. We are talking about a population of 2.5 million people who haven't been able to travel outside the blocked and walled off Gaza Strip for the past 16 years. It is an open air prison and a concentration camp this is not exaggeration. Human rights organizations and UN have stated a few times that Israel controls Gaza as an open air prison. Gideon Levy, Israeli journalist and long time critique of the occupation, Israeli security state, military detentions lamented Gaza as a concentration camp.
The world sees the ongoing and daily grief and suffering of Gazans as they continue to be bomb live and real time on TV, laptop screens, radio and social media and the ordinary people are furious and rightly so. Everyone and their uncles have condemned Hamas for its attack on Southern Israel. Even Palestinians interviewed by BBC, CNN, MSNBC, DW, etc have been asked and in some cases told to condemn Hamas for its actions outright before they even begin to speak in their interviews. Yet, Netanyahoo playing soldier and Israel's retaliatory actions have united people (Muslims, Christian, Jews and every other religion) in their support for Palestine and Palestinian people. There have been ongoing global protest decrying the destruction of Palestinian civilians, infrastructure, mosques, churches including one of Gaza's few ancient churches, the Church of St Polyphoros, hospitals, schools and residential buildings across Gaza Strip by Israel. The same goes for continual Israeli raids in the West Bank. Keep in mind Gaza is one of the most densly populated places in the world. It's only five miles wide and 25 miles long. Even if the Palestinian families could leave, they still have to deal with beaucratic red tape from Egypt and indifference from the war hungry weapons sellers and pro war supporters of the IDF. Most of Israel's arsenal comes from the United States and France.
Israel has cruelly blockaded 2.5 million Palestinisn, half of who are under the age of 15 for the past fifteen years to punish the people not only for choosing Hamas over the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO which still exists) and Fateh (ruling the West Bank under tight Israeli watch and contol) in 2006, a year after Israel withdrew its illegal settlers from Gaza. But also to destroy the people physically and physiologically throughout the 75 years of Israeli occupation of Palestine, Jerusalem, Gaza Strip and West Bank. Israel has always used excessive force whenever a Palestinian resistant turned militant group Fateh, PFLP, attacks Israeli civilians no matter how small or large the attack. The whole world is unfortunately familiar with Israeli military's heavy handedness towards occupied Palestinians. Anti terrorism and pro war neo conservative groups applaud Israel without a thought to the consequences.
We have seen how media demonization and dehumanization especially before the rise of online media, has ignored and dismissed Palestinian lives, voices and suffering while placing Israel's grief and pain above everyone else. Through its long standing Hasbara (Hebrew term for propaganda) and media saavy lobbyists, the Pro Zionist, Israel first crowd were always quick to paint Palestinians as the world's dastardly terrorists out to attack and destory Israel at all times of the day. Before that it was "Arabs want to push Jews into the sea." Again that is false. Referring to Palestinians as simply Arabs not only erases Palestinian identity and its unique culture, it also accuses neighboring Arab countries of wanting to harm and destroy Israel on behalf of the Palestinians. The Israeli government and civilians often view most Palestinians and Arabs as less than humans. They have grown exhausted by the state of panick Israel lives under, the attacks and violence throughout the years from Palestinian groups most of who are secular which often gets ignored in favor of justifying the fear of religious groups and the Arab Israeli wars in the 20th century in response to the Israeli military occupation of Palestine. When a Palestinian raises their voice or try to give context to why violence happens, they are waved away as "justifying terrorism" when that is far fromt the truth. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, called Palestinians "human animals." Gallant's words and actions do not live up to his own name. Imagine the backlash if Israel was any other country calling another group of people animals. Or using every arsenal at its disposal to bomb away its enemies and its seemingly, unless national security "problem". Replace Israel with Russia/China and Palestine with Ukraine and the world would be up in arms. That's the other aspect of Palestinians' relationship with Israelis it is one of a right wing, colonial, racist attitude and government policy from a people who see themselves as a chosen people living in a Democratic country which operates as an apartheid state where Palestinians not only in Occupied Palestine are treated as personas non grata but Palestinian Israelis are treated as second class citizens.
Anyone sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and critical of Israel is by default either labeled Anti Israel, Anti Jewish or Anti-Semite. Sometimes the critic gets labeled as all three. This has been true since Israel's creation in 1948. The cry of antisemtism towards critques of Israeli occupation and treatment of Palestinians doesn't work anymore. Digital and online media has broken the long standing Israel first no matter what perspective and Hasbara on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Pro Zionist, Israel supporters had tried to scare Palestinians and non Palestinians by equating criticisms of Israeli government with Jewish hatred. Peace activist, Anti war, anti occupation and anti zionist Jews aren't spared from being called self hating Jew if they show sympathy and solidarity with the Palestinians. In the early years of Israel's existance it was the holocaust and world war 2 trope. When that didn't work than it was you are a terrorist if you critique are actions. That was the case throughout the War terrorism. George Bush Jr and the mantra you are either with us or with the terrorists. There was no room for any context historical, political or societal for the public understand that terrorism doesn't exist in a vaccum there is a reason for it. Israel insists Hamas' actions were unprovoked and Israel is innoncent and how dare anyone questions Israeli use of force.
The media machine grinds on that Israelis are not the only ones who need to fear and be vigilante of Hamas. Americans and Europeans have to be cautious too before the war extends. As a side note, Hamas has never carried out attacks in Europe, America or Australia. Most of its attacks have been confined to Israel.
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