More tears for Gaza

The Israeli military have reignited their attack on Gaza. This is not just an attack on a geographical area. It is an attack on people. It is a strategic war aimed at Israeli control and occupation of Gaza.  

Recently I posted on the issue regarding the AUSA’s President accepting travel to Israel. I also criticised the attack on the AUSA president by the SJP in response to her travel choice. I do not fully recant what I said, because the issue criticised was not the SJP cause, but their actions in censuring the AUSA President for travelling to Israel.

My criticism was that the SJP had used the situation as a platform for their own agenda. Following from that post, I watched a film recommended and shown by the SJP at the University of Auckland Politics Week – Tears of Gaza.

Suffice to say, I empathised with the strong emotion felt by those who spoke at the censure meeting and the passion behind their actions. I had felt that the SJP chose an inappropriate time to advocate their message. That was just my opinion. On reflection, had they not, then I, like many others, would be impervious to the Palestinian struggle given the way it is reported in mainstream media and the lack of objective views.

I will point out that I do not support any form of violence. I don't really want to discuss Hamas here because I have very little understanding of their organisation except that they are the military wing of Gaza and advocate for Sunni Islamism and have been denounced by the UN for human rights breaches against fellow Palestinians. I also understand that the West consider Hamas a terrorist organisation while, Arab nations, Russia and Turkey do not (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas). What I will say, is that I can see why such political groups are established even if I disagree with the tactics employed. And I will mention here that deaths of Israeli's and Palestinian's at the hand of Hamas are just as much victims as the Palestinian deaths caused by the Israeli Military.  But there is also a difference in power balances. The Israeli Military are a high powered military force supported by their government with funding for continual improvement and expansion of the military. Palestine does not have an army. It does not have a navy. It has small factions that at the behest of Israel, the west coin terrorist organisations, as their only form of defence against these attacks. 

Additionally, the Israeli Military are indiscriminate in their ‘targets’. Those targets are people irrespective of age and gender. Irrespective of participation in the hostilities. Tears of Gaza shows images of babies or toddlers shot at point blank range in the head or in the chest. Buildings are bombed including schools full of children.  Don’t forget the apparently ‘accidental bombing of the UN Schools in Palestine in 2009. The Palestinian people are subjected to some of the worst conditions for survival. They are imprisoned in their land. They are taxed for services that are not provided – waste, water, sewerage. They are starved through limited supplies.  They are tortured by the persistent war on their people.

And this is happening right now. People are dying.  Children are dying.  Grandfathers, Grandmothers, Mothers, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, often all from the same families are dying. They are not just dying. They are killed by the mercilessness of the Israeli Military. This is not a war. This is genocide.

Do not rely on your mainstream media to depict the reality. Listen to the people. Understand their plight. There is no future for Palestinian’s if the West continue to ignore the atrocities perpetuated by the Israeli government. This is apartheid. Palestinians are systematically being exterminated for the benefit of Israel.

What is New Zealand’s role in this? Nothing. We do nothing. Can we expect our Prime Minister to at least censure the Israeli government for the grave violations of human rights and the despicable acts of genocide in action? Probably not. Our current government is hell bent on establishing strong diplomatic ties with the US. The US who provide substantial support to the Israeli Government.

I have tears for Gaza. We all should. 

Note: I will be moderating comments (if any) on this post. I will not tolerate hate speech and racism. 

UPDATE: I was referred to this link http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-killed-its-subcontractor-in-gaza.premium-1.477886# 

"Ahmed Jabari was a subcontractor, in charge of maintaining Israel's security in Gaza...In return for enforcing the quiet, which was never perfect, Israel funded the Hamas regime through the flow of shekels in armored trucks to banks in Gaza, and continued to supply infrastructure and medical services to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip...Israel is saying that its subcontractor did not do his part and did not maintain the promised quiet on the southern border...The message was simple and clear: You failed - you're dead."