SG on Gaza: ‘Analysts’ and ‘Experts’ Should Not Complicate and Obfuscate Conflict

I refer to Mr Goldberg’s article ‘Why Hamas is trying to get Gazans killed‘.

I am quite astonished by the ahistorical approach he has taken, and his attempts to diminish the severity of the over 100 Gazans killed by Israeli attacks, and worse, absolving Israel of any blame.

Interestingly, the number of Israeli casualties/injuries are also not mentioned, hence the grossly brutal and disproportionate nature of the attacks were hidden.

It is also quite astounding that entire blame is shifted to Hamas. Lest we forget, this conflict is not three weeks old, nor is it one that started in 2005 as the author seemingly suggests.

Hamas was founded in the 1980s (and perhaps the author forgets that Israel was at least partially responsible for its creation), while Israel’s occupation began in 1948, and further expanded in 1967. To attribute the effect of occupation as the cause, is at best a rewriting of history, and at worse, disingenuous.

Additionally, the West Bank is not under Hamas; so if Hamas is the problem, why is West Bank still illegally occupied by Israel?

Israel has violated more UN resolutions than any other state in the world, and even though almost the entire world voted at the UN general assembly for an independent Palestine, Israel – backed by the US – purposefully ignores the will of the international community. I wonder why all these basic facts were not mentioned in the letter.

Another unmentioned truth is that whatever actions the Palestinians have taken – armed resistance, ceasefire, negotiations with Israel, going through the UN – the building of Jewish settlements never ceased and in fact grows exponentially. A simple look at UN reports and one would find this.

Considering all these, is it any wonder there is so much trouble in Palestine?

I urge Israel to abide by the international laws that govern every state, and I hope that ‘analysts’ and ‘experts’ will provide better and fairer analyses, and not obfuscate and complicate what is a relatively simple and straightforward matter.

Authored by Walid Jumblatt Abdullah

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