hi peeps.
i wasn't going to post anything about this, because to do so is to dignify a giant p.r. maneuvre with attention and response. however...
the eviction of settlers from gaza by the israeli army (the i.d.f.) has been going on yesterday and today. the whole thing has been carried out in a blaze of publicity and media attention, the vast majority of which has been uncritical, dishonest and misleading, ignoring the fact that the 'gaza disengagement plan' would be more accurately described as an israeli (or even a us-israeli) west bank expansion plan, and is designed to more or less kill off the 'roadmap' and any other prospects for justice and peace.
i was just in the shops a few minutes ago and saw the headline in the irish independent - "exodus: day of tears as gaza is cleared". i found this to be really depressing - the media are essentially playing the whole thing just as the israeli government wants them to, and abdicating any kind of critical, independent role.
the facts are pretty simple, and not really disputed by any serious observers. israel needs to get out of gaza for its own demographic and resources reasons, and can use the process of doing this to create a p.r. front of 'sacrifice' and 'willingness to suffer for peace'. it may even go so far as to declare gaza an 'independent state', something that south africa attempted with the bantustans under apartheid.
as for the extent to which this will create an 'independent' gaza, that's a non-starter. israel will continue to control gaza's borders, coastline, and airspace, and reserves the right to undertake military operations at will inside the territory. gaza will also remain dependent on israeli water, communication, electricity, and sewage networks; existing customs arrangements with israel - whereby imports from israel to gaza are not taxed, exports from gaza to israel are taxed, and israel collects customs duties on foreign products entering gaza - will remain in force, and israeli currency will continue to be used.
the gaza withdrawal is being conducted in a manner which aims to extract the maximum possible amount of public sympathy with the 'plight' of a group of people who have been illegally occupying and settling land for 38 years, laying the groundwork for future grinding down of the palestinians in both the west bank and gaza.
it's a pity and a shame that these and other related aspects are being completely ignored in the vast majority of the coverage of what's going on.
i wasn't going to post anything about this, because to do so is to dignify a giant p.r. maneuvre with attention and response. however...
the eviction of settlers from gaza by the israeli army (the i.d.f.) has been going on yesterday and today. the whole thing has been carried out in a blaze of publicity and media attention, the vast majority of which has been uncritical, dishonest and misleading, ignoring the fact that the 'gaza disengagement plan' would be more accurately described as an israeli (or even a us-israeli) west bank expansion plan, and is designed to more or less kill off the 'roadmap' and any other prospects for justice and peace.
i was just in the shops a few minutes ago and saw the headline in the irish independent - "exodus: day of tears as gaza is cleared". i found this to be really depressing - the media are essentially playing the whole thing just as the israeli government wants them to, and abdicating any kind of critical, independent role.
the facts are pretty simple, and not really disputed by any serious observers. israel needs to get out of gaza for its own demographic and resources reasons, and can use the process of doing this to create a p.r. front of 'sacrifice' and 'willingness to suffer for peace'. it may even go so far as to declare gaza an 'independent state', something that south africa attempted with the bantustans under apartheid.
as for the extent to which this will create an 'independent' gaza, that's a non-starter. israel will continue to control gaza's borders, coastline, and airspace, and reserves the right to undertake military operations at will inside the territory. gaza will also remain dependent on israeli water, communication, electricity, and sewage networks; existing customs arrangements with israel - whereby imports from israel to gaza are not taxed, exports from gaza to israel are taxed, and israel collects customs duties on foreign products entering gaza - will remain in force, and israeli currency will continue to be used.
the gaza withdrawal is being conducted in a manner which aims to extract the maximum possible amount of public sympathy with the 'plight' of a group of people who have been illegally occupying and settling land for 38 years, laying the groundwork for future grinding down of the palestinians in both the west bank and gaza.
it's a pity and a shame that these and other related aspects are being completely ignored in the vast majority of the coverage of what's going on.