generalspeaking

Gaza's Economy

With human ingenuity, where there's a will, there's forever a way. Gazans willed Hamas to be elected to office as their legitimate representatives, and thus has Hamas taken full control of the Gaza Strip, put up their infrastructure, ensconced their leaders - those of their leaders who prefer to remain in full sight, rather than those who preferred full flight, to Syria and to Lebanon - and where the administration of Gaza focuses on building up arms, leaving the citizens to fend for themselves.

Egyptian troops placed in guard towers on the closed border between Egypt and Gaza look down below, and a few hundred metres from their towers, at the busy work of Gazans, hauling durable goods and fuel out of those tunnels which remain intact. But even many of the hundreds of tunnels pummelled by Israeli air fire remain usable; only their entry points having been impacted. Nothing will dissuade Gazans from their import-export business.

One can hardly blame them, the enterprising, ordinary citizens who see an opportunity to make some money, while conveying needed consumables and durables to their fellow Gazans in the closed Gaza Strip. Closed by some measure of security necessity as seen by Israel. Carefully separating Israel's border from that of Gaza and the government there which steadfastly refuses to recognize Israel, and insists on their right to destroy it.

That area, between Gaza and Egypt is a thriving hub of opportunity. Employment is in a dire condition in Gaza, partly the result of the border crossings kept closed, partly because Gazans, when offered the opportunity to produce an advantage for themselves with the departure forced upon Israeli settlers by their government, chose chaos and lawlessness instead of initiative and responsibility to advance their interests.

It is claimed that thirteen thousand hard-working, enterprising Palestinians from Gaza find employment through tunnel smuggling of vital goods. Those tunnels that suffered real damage are in the process of being restored to usable condition to re-commence the vital commercial lifeline to the Hamas-ruled Strip. They've been there since 2000, as private family initiatives, when the second intifada began.

They have since expanded, become longer, more numerous, and smuggling has become a way of life, of necessity. And Hamas has been enriched by their presence, exacting their own taxes on the work of the civilian smugglers. Those tunnels separate and apart from those built by and operated by Hamas itself. Where the smuggling concentrates not on illicit drugs, medicines, electronics, foods, fuels, but fighting men, arms, munitions, rockets.

The real target of the Israeli Air Force. Not the collateral damage experienced by those other tunnels. The tunnel system is another potent and priceless symptom of the 'resistance', one that has functionality and civil purpose. These tunnels present as trade opportunities, opportunities to make money, and a lot of it. The allure is irresistible.

Should the borders become open by some miraculous bargain reached between the adversaries for a truce, a durable one leading potentially to a peaceful solution, the use of the tunnels will be negated. Trucks will rumble through the crossings, laden with all the goods and products and services that the Gazans require to begin to build a life for themselves.

In the meanwhile, Israel, Egypt, the United States and the European Union feverishly devise schemes whereby they may thwart those addicted to the tunnels. More particularly the exclusive smuggling of weapons, the importation into the Strip of the elements of rockets that fire incessantly over the border into Israel. Discussions evolve around additional troops, high-tech detection gear.

"If there can be a legal way to bring things in, with good prices rather than the extreme prices that we are now charged, who would want this? Open the border terminals with Israel immediately, and there will be no need for tunnels" according to one genial and knowledgeable Gazan, incidentally also a tunnel entrepreneur. He's right.

One can only wonder whether he can commit some of that energy and optimism to opposing the Hamas agenda, to enable all of this to come to pass?

Labels: Middle East, Societal Failures, Troublespots

posted by Pieface @ Sunday, January 25, 2009