The Kristof ball on Gaza

Nicholas Kristof in today's (Thursday 8 Jan 2008) New York Times commented on the Israel-Gaza conflict in a piece he titled "The Gaza Boomerang" arguing that Israel has overstepped the standard of decency in responding to the Hamas attacks on southern Israel.

I sought to respond in the comments section attached to the op-ed piece. Somehow, it didn't get printed, so here it is:

If the boomerang effect is predicated upon the fact that Israel supported Hamas some 20 years ago as a counter force to the PLO/Fatah (Arafat) it's a weak one. First of all, 20 years ago was a different time -- a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Since then, the PLO has actively engaged in negotiating a settlement or understanding with Israel which necessitated a formal recognition of the State of Israel. Hamas during the same time period has stiffed its resolve against both Fatah (and other Palestinian secular nationalists) as well as Israel and the West (America and her allies) in general.

While you may minimize the effect of eight years of lobbing rockets into southern Israel, the life of those directly affected was severely disrupted. Businesses folded, school work (never mind actually learning and attending classes) were significantly affected. That only a "small number" [20] of Israelis/Jews were killed doesn't make the ongoing bombings less traumatic or insignificant.

The target of Hamas bombings weren't military targets, unless you accept the Hamas position that all Jews are legitimate (and military) targets. Israel has sought to attack military targets -- returning fire to locations of initial shots, locations of its military leadership and ammunition depots. With Gaza being one of the most densely populated regions in the world coupled with the fact that Hamas has purposely placed its sensitive military sites deep in civilian areas as well as using civilians as "shields" (see the recent bombing of the UNWRA school) makes "collateral damage" all the more likely.

While I assume that you are correct in reporting that a large number of Gazans and Palestinians "scorn Fatah as corrupt and incompetent, and they dislike Hamas’s overzealousness and repression," they seem to have done little to promote their desire for better governance and a more peaceful relationship with Israel. Instead of refusing to be used as human shields for Hamas attacks, they have continued the dysfunctional arrangements. I heard of no protest for "better living conditions" -- the end of Hamas' violent rule (which could have ended the international boycott and Israeli siege).

Lastly, the fact that many of the tunnels open into houses makes bombing them open to "collateral damage". That Egypt has either turned a blind eye to the smuggling or was powerless to stop it despite many pleas from Israel is an additional issue. Egypt -- above ground -- has also refused to allow supplies to enter Gaza. Yet for some reason, only the Israeli blockade is mentioned.

Israel also uprooted the Jewish residents/settlers from Gaza three years ago. It was to be the start of better relations (as there was no longer a physical Jewish/Israeli presence in the area). As a token of their appreciation, the bombings intensified and with Hamas' refusal to renew the ceasefire agreement and a further escalation of the bombings, Israel was goaded into launching a military campaign.

What was already a humanitarian crisis only became worse.

I hope and pray that the military hostilities will end quickly and that a real ceasefire will take hold that will allow both Gaza and (southern) Israel and its residents to live in peace and quiet and prosperity. That will only happen if Hamas permits it by renouncing its desire to violently destroy Israel.

I'll wait and see.