Truth, Lies And Consequences
There goes the outraged humanity of the international community. Holding Israel's feet to the moral fires of righteous denunciation. One-sidedly as always, believing the very worst, steadfast to their obligation to the perceived underdog, and unwilling as always to demand mutual accountability.Ever so willing to sacrifice Israel to the slanders of her detractors. Upon that nation alone is placed a mantle of expectations demanded of no others.
Those dedicated to the annihilation of the Jewish state have become skilled in their manipulation of the international community, pleading for their humanitarian assistance on behalf of the beleaguered Palestinian population, while they, as acknowledged terrorists, go blithely about their business of violent attacks against Israel.
While a popular uprising of Palestinians determined to seek peace with Israel could have the effect of unseating Hamas and through that process see a peace agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel result in a state of their own and finally normalization, that route is never taken. The population of Gaza has itself fallen victim to Hamas's propaganda.
And the same members of the international community and humanitarian organizations who take Israel to task, have no expectations of those whom they represent as the suffering Palestinians. To attempt to persuade them to act reasonably, in their own best interests. As though their obligations toward their own destiny cannot be realized by finally understanding their responsibilities toward seeking out and accepting peace.
Hamas well understands its Western audience and how best to enlist their support. To encourage their vehement denunciations of any self-defence Israel may seek to undertake in its efforts to pressure Palestinians to take charge of their futures by denying Hamas its purpose.
Hamas can detract attention from its murderous purpose by presenting its Gazan charges as victims evermore by a heartless occupier. Readily accomplished by promulgating lies, making Palestinians complicit in those lies, and effectively persuading the international community that they are the defenders of the undefended, and their methods are not to be questioned.
Hamas made the decision to shut down Gaza's major power plant, claiming it had no choice because Israel cut off power and gas supplies. "At least 800,000 people are now in darkness," claimed the director of the power plant. "The catastrophe will affect hospitals, medical clinics, water wells, houses, factories, all aspects of life."
This, in the background reality of over 200 rockets and mortars fired off into Israel by Hamas and Fatah forces. Yet Gaza's power plant supplies a mere one-quarter of the territory's electricity. The balance is provided from the Israeli hydro grid, with a small portion coming from Egypt.
These are supplies whose cut-off have not been implemented as a result of the Israel defence ministry border closures and fuel pipeline closures. The supplies are still coming through, despite Hamas insisting they had no intention of stopping attacks on Israel. Which led to an Israeli Foreign Ministry query as to how power might be still flowing to Gaza's rocket-making installations.
Drawing the inevitable conclusion that Hamas was deliberately, provocatively, and effectively exaggerating an humanitarian crisis. "While the fuel supply from Israel into Gaza has indeed been reduced due to the Hamas rocket attacks, the diversion of this fuel from domestic power generators to other uses is wholly a Hamas decision - apparently taken due to media and propaganda considerations."
And so we have the UN Relief Works Agency joining human rights organizations to condemn Israel for "collective punishment". What other country is under any obligation to provide support to a nascent country energetically terrorizing its citizens? One, and one only.
It matters little that these bodies are informed that Israel is still supplying 70% of the power needed to Gaza, that any counter-claims are completely unfounded. Yet the complaints persist, that the main power plant shutdown was caused by Israel's blockage of fuel deliveries. "There is no fuel coming in and we have no reserves", according to the PA Energy Authority.
Israel, seeking to calm the situation, will allow "humanitarian cases" to cross checkpoints, while the standard foreign humanitarian aid will remain blocked. Humanitarian aid which just recently included bags marked as sugar donated by the European Union and which were discovered to have included weapons-production materials.
United Nations officials complain the closures would exacerbate the difficult conditions in which Gazan Palestinians live. How then would these same officials respond in their countries of origin if they were consistently under siege, their populations terrorized, their major cities continually threatened by increasingly sophisticated barrages of rockets that keep their border towns paralyzed?
Do these UN officials even hear what Israeli sources say in explanation of their moves? That the Palestinians deliberately closed power for hours a day for the purpose of creating a crisis. That the fuel received to ensure their supply does not run out has not been adequately accounted for by Hamas?
That a recent shipment of ten thousand heads of cattle into Gaza, along with existing stocks of poultry, fruits and vegetables, along with the food smuggled from Egypt should sustain the population for weeks to come?
Labels: Israel, Middle East, That's Life
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, January 20, 2008
<< Home