Indifference to the Dead and Dying

Earlier this week, Hamas indiscriminately launched a series of rocket attacks into Israel, tragically killing an Israeli. (Another second Israeli was killed in rocket fire on Monday.) On Saturday, the Israeli air force dropped over a 100 tons of bombs onto Gaza Strip in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, OPT, often described as one of the most populated and crowded places on earth. Over 270 Palestinians were killed in two waves of relentless air strikes. Among the dead are scores of children and women. Over 700 Palestinians were injured in the attack, which was said by Israel to target the Hamas infrastructure. Among the buildings bombed were a police station and a mosque where many Gazans deliver their prayers.

Hamas irrationally and unjustly launched rockets into Israel in an attempt to kill innocent Israelis. Such irresponsible and inhumane action deserves retaliation because whether Hamas likes it or not, Israel exists and its people, like any other people, deserve to live in peace and security. Yet what of the retaliation by Israel on the people of Gaza? It is necessary to attack Hamas infrastructure used for launching rockets, yet why the police station, the mosque, the markets? Collectively punishing the mothers and children of Gaza does not just violate international law, it does not just kill the people of Gaza, it kills any chance of a future peace. The air strikes continue today, with talk of a possible ground offensive in the coming days. BBC video from the ground shows bodies of babies and women and young men being piled up outside hospitals. As the dust settles for a brief moment, we see over 200 Palestinians murdered and one Israeli murdered. Loss of any human life is a tragedy and no human life is worth more than the other. But one cannot deny the disproportionate amount of lives lost in one attack versus the other, over 270 to 2.

It is hard to be frustrated by the international community's silence about the attack on Hamas since Hamas is a corrupt entity, yet the air strikes were not simply an attack on Hamas, rather, the attacks have largely killed and injured the people of Gaza and destroyed the fragile infrastructure of Gaza. What is worrisome in this situation is the lack of coordinated condemnation by the international community and the United States concerning the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Gazan children and women and young men and the existing humanitarian crisis now exacerbated by the Israeli air strikes . The only noise has been that of indifference. It is this indifference that spawns the anti-Western sentiments affecting US interests in the Middle East and North Africa, and in turn, the security of Americans.

Indifference gives rise to the toxic combination of helplessness and humiliation that breeds the extremism and terrorism that Israel and the US and the world at large are seeking to eradicate. To eradicate groups like Hamas and Al Qaeda, a nation must act on the principle that bombs and guns are a small part of a holistic approach that must incorporate more economic development, less indifference, more education, more humanitarian projects, less impunity and more justice and accountability. To truly weaken groups like Hamas, one must win the battle of the minds and the hearts and support the well being of a vulnerable people. Such a battle is lost every time a bomb is dropped on a crowded market in which innocents are killed. Helplessness and humiliation then take over rationality and open up the minds of vulnerable youth to desperation, which terrorist groups like Hamas thrive on for their power.

To further understand this point let us look at the attack on Gaza, which has more harmed the people of Gaza than it has Hamas, in the context of what Gazans have already endured in recent months. While Israel did take steps to release over 200 Palestinians detainees and forcibly evicted Israeli settlers living in illegal Israeli settlement, Gazans were simultaneously living under a crippling Israeli blockade. As a result of the blockade, over three quarters of Gaza depends on food aid to be able to survive. No exports are permitted from Gaza, thus crippling the local economy. November 2008 saw a particular deterioration of Gaza society due to the blockade. The United Nations Office for the Coordination on Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, released a report in December describing the blockade as a " profound human dignity crisis." The OCHA report shows that since November, the blockade has drastically cut electricity to Gazan homes and infrastructure. Gazans must live with out electricity for up to 16 hours per day. Such an exponential drop in electricity handicaps the water plants, sanitation systems, and hospitals. Imagine New York's schools, water facilities, hospitals, and sewage plants working without electricity for 16 hours of the day, everyday. Half of Gaza's population receives running water once a week and only for a few hours. The World Health Organization, WHO, reports that 80% of water supplied to Gazans does not meet WHO standards. 70 % of agricultural land, from which many Gazans depend on for work and food, is not irrigated. With the blockade, many in Gaza with skills and jobs were unable to get to work. Consequently, OCHA reports that unemployment has risen to 50%. "Israel still maintains its Gaza siege in its full fury, allowing only barely enough food and fuel to enter to stave off mass famine and disease," United Nations Special Rapporteur Richard Falk wrote. "Such a policy of collective punishment initiated by Israel to punish Gazans for political developments within the Gaza Strip constitutes a continuing flagrant and massive violation of international humanitarian law." (It is worth noting that a few weeks ago, Falk was denied access by Israel to carry out his UN mandate on the situation of Palestinians in the OPT. The UN Human Rights Council responded by saying that Israel's actions were "unprecedented and deeply regrettable." UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay added "it is the responsibility of States to cooperate with the independent United Nations experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council.")

The independent data from UN OCHA shows the humiliating situation innocent Gazans are forced to live under everyday. It is within such an environment that Hamas irresponsibly governs the territory and recruits the desperate and the vulnerable. The end result is that Gazans are victims of both the corrupt and poor leadership of Hamas as well as the Israeli military, who collectively punish the people of Gaza for Hamas's actions.

While Israel must protect its borders and root out terrorist operation centers, it must also realize that its collective punishment of the Gazan people sets Israel's security and reputation back a hundred fold, for the security of Israel is directly tied to the security and dignity of the Palestinian people. And in turn, the security and well being of Americans is directly tied to the dignity and rights and security of the people of the Middle East. Actions such as the air strike on Saturday and the humanitarian crisis created by the Israeli blockade of Gaza creates an environment of helplessness and humiliation that breeds terrorism and extremism. The promise of true peace and regional security cannot be found in the space of air strikes and collective punishment, but instead, it is in the fragile space where there are the vulnerable hearts and minds of a people seeking dignity and peace. The international community must not support or justify the collective punishment and murder of hundreds of innocent Gazans by placing the onus solely on Hamas.

My prayers go out to the hundreds of Palestinians killed on Saturday by the Israeli air strikes and their families. I also extend my condolences and prayers to the families of the two Israelis killed by Hamas rocket fire.

Comments

[Obama4change]

I am anti-war and do not condone the rocket attacks by Hamas, but is everyone that agrees with the Israeli attacks dismissing the blockade? Imagine living without electricity for 16 hours a day. Without much food. This is no way for the people in Gaza to live. I can understand their anger, but instead of rockets how about diplomacy from both sides. Now Gaza has the attention of the whole world so Israel is actually helping Gaza get attention to their cause. The pictures of Gaza being turned to rubble and of dead innocent women and children does not help. Does the Israeli govt. not remember what Hitler did the Jewish people in Germany? Please do not do the same to the innocent people in Gaza. More compassion is necessary.

[neutral1]

I agree. The Hamas rocket attack strategy is too hard on Palestinian civilians. Hamas must find another export besides rockets and start taking care of the people.

[FZliveson]

Moshin, Sir, Exactly why do the oil rich nations and emirates not create another mini-Dubai in Palestine?
How is it that some Arabs swim in oil profits and allow the Palestinians to rot? I will accept the logic that the Palestinians do not have the wherewithal to do it alone. I will accept that Israel may hamper such development. I will accept that the U.S. may interfere with this happening. But why on the face of the earth , created by the ONE god that all three of the region's most popular religions believe in...Why don't the Arabs build a paradise in the Gaza? It seems like some kind of institutionalized victim context.
Help me understand this one, please./Thanks.

[FZliveson]

Sorry...that was meant to be "Mohsin"

[neutral1]

My god man that is brilliant. What is wrong with that idea?

It doesn't really acheive the goal of destroying Israel but it would certainly be better than this!

[Jim Ellis]

What would a "proportional" response be, exactly? To lob some unguided ballistic missiles into residential areas of Gaza? This idea of "collective punishment" is a non-starter and is more of the predictable, intellectually vapid boilerplate emanating from those who would somehow empathize with an organization dedicated to the elimination of a both state and a people.

Israel acts to curtail the military capacities of an organization interested neither in negotiation nor peace. Only Hamas can be responsible for the inevitable casualties that result from their decisions to locate their leadership, arms caches, missile workshops, and other installations in the midsts of the innocent civilian population.

The real Arab humiliation stems from their electing and continuing to support this horrific, fascist organization and others modeled after it. There can be no future for the Palestinian people as long as Hamas continues to provoke in their name, murder in their name, and speak in their name.

[oncethere]

Well said. Hamas has turned Gaza into a training ground for terrorists and has used civilian sites to launch rockets and mortars at Israel. What do they think is going to happen. Israel has a right to defend itself. It is doing everything it can to hit only Hamas targets, so the argument about "collective punishment" is a bogus one and meant for propaganda purposes, to elicit the sympathy of far-leftists.

[arvay]

Try targeting the actual sites where the rockets were launched. I thought the Israelis were technical geniuses.

Hamas was democratically elected, at the urging, as it turns out, of George Bush and his neocon rabble. Instead of dealing with the legitimate government elected freely by its people, the US and Israel elected to create a monstrous blockade and punish the Palestinians for their choice.

Immense, rank hypocrisy.

This is going to backfire globally. The fake "peace" process, a fig-leaf in any case, is dead. Forget the Syrian deal, no Arab leader can now sign anything with Israel. I am constantly amazed at the capacity of people who style themselves as being so monumentally intelligent can seem so utterly stupid.

Of course, this isn't stupidity, it's madness, of the Greek tragedy variety.

Now comes war, more and more death and in the end, Israel will go down in the flames it has lit.

[CVN65]

See "History-Arabs kicking Israeli Tail" and notice the number of hits-zero. I think that the Israelis are ready and capable of handling anything the coward Arabs throw at them. For the record, I am not calling all Arabs cowards, just the ones that use babies and women as shields. I am glad to see that you refer to it as a "fake peace process"; I wish more leftists would admit that the Arabs have no real interest in peace or negotiation.

[neutral1]

Hey Arvay, We still believe the democratic system is the best system. Of course just because someone is democratically elected does not mean eveyone else will like them or cooperate with them. You didn't like Bush did you? It has nothing to do with hypocrisy.

The real hypocisy is when Hamas buys rockets instead of food for the people they govern. They shoot the rockets at the ogre next door until the ogre inevitably strikes back at the horrible expense of Palestinian civilians.

Whats up with that? Is that the strategy Palestinians voted for?

[DC]

Moshin,

I do not know what to think. You say, "Indifference gives rise to the toxic combination of helplessness and humiliation that breeds the extremism and terrorism that Israel and the US and the world at large are seeking to eradicate."

Yet the historical facts are that all sides -- Israel, the US, and Hamas, seek to keep the struggle going. That is why Hamas is in power and the PLO is not -- as the PLO was on the brink of transition from an underground terror organization to a recognized partner. Just as the underground, terrorist Zionist Irgun made the transition 60 years ago.

Hamas was nurtured and fed by Is real to prevent peace negotiations, to undermine the PLO and prevent negotiation. If Israel is dragged to the negotiating table, she may have to return to the '67 borders. That is unacceptable to the power elites in Is rael.

Conflict is an industry. If there were real leadership intent on eradicating extremism and terrorism, we would not be in this horribly tragic circle of insanity. Yet here we are. The US feeds the war machine, Israel creates a blockade because they do not want to talk to Hamas, and conducts targeted murders within Gaza, and then Hamas insanely fires rockets in retaliation. And now before the next election in Israel, 300 tons of made-in USA bombs are dropped into Gaza to "teach them a lesson."

So depressing.

[bayside]

When israelites and palestinians, iranians, iraqs, americans, russians etc people get disgusted enough with our govt. killing, military waste, using our children as fodder so war profiteers can get richer..When we the people, say stop throwing away our resources in warfare just so 1 per cent can control the 99 per cent,when rigid thinking and a sense of superiority or judgement , white hood mentality is stopped and our propangnda media. is diversified..When we all start being more tolerant and fair , then and only then will we get to enjoy diverse cultures and have peace..

[kimleehan]

Great idea by the Isreali's, Now all their leaders are going to have to lead from their hiding places, living in fear that Hamas is going to carry out their plans to assassinate them. And than when Hamas finally gets lucky and gets one of them, than they'll get so outraged and offended, than another thousand Palistinians will have to die. What away to live. I wonder if the Isreali officials still think it was a great idea.

[dantheman]

Moshin, I believe you are spot on regarding the disproportionate response by Israel. The points you make are factually supported. Hamas foolishly attacks Israel, and an innocent Israeli is killed. Israel in turn attacks the Gaza strip to "stop the rocket attacks" and kills nearly 300, including scores of women and young children.

Is one Israeli life worth 300 Palestinians?

Israel's actions do nothing to stop the rocket attacks. All they do is fan the flames of hatred. Who supposes that Palestinian children, women, and their families should pay with their lives for the actions of a few terrorrists?

[Mohsin Mohi-Ud Din - Huffpost Blogger]

Hey Dantheman,

Thanks so much for your comment. You seem to be getting what I am trying to say. No human life is worth more than the other, be they Israeli or Palestinian. All life is sacred. Yet it seems today that its okay that 300 Palestinians die, it is unjust and this kind of thinking and indifference must be stopped.
Thanks again,
M

[Gasparilla]

You're talking cliches. No country is going to accept thousands of rocket attacks fired into their territory. Hamas, elected by the people of Gaza, knows who is doing this, or can easily find out. They need to put a stop to it.

[Gasparilla]

Moshin, I don't want you to think I am indifferent. I just think it's time all that energy goes into more useful pursuits than a constant war with Israel. I wish you a Happy New Year.

[ProudAmerican23]

You can call it a "disproportionate response" but I find it quite similar to a little guy poking his neighbor in the arm then acting suprized when the big guy knocks his teeth down his throat... was it a disproportionate response? Probably so but when you start poking someone you better be prepared for whatever response they retort with, and if they are not willing to accept the possiblities then maybe then should think before start poking someone.

[AntiSocialite]

Your analogy only works if that big neighbor is sitting on the little guy's head prior to the little guy poking him in the arm. It's not like the Palestinians are just lobbing those rockets at Israel for their health, they have a legitimate reason to feel marginalized. I'm certainly not saying that I support rocket attacks against Israel, but I do think that when a big guy is sitting on your head sometimes you have to poke him to let him know you can't breathe.

Peace

[lafrance]

both sides are wrong in this. Neither is willing to completely lay down arms and try to find a solution. Only an excuse for hate and war.
I think Israel has a right to defend itself against the threats made to it daily by other countries and groups.
It has a right to security and peaceful existence.
Palastinians have suffered greatly in Israel taking their need for security to an extreme and relying far too much on Bushian tactics and rhetoric. Of that cowboy bullying and war mongering. Too many people are packed into tight little land and expected to exist without trade or goods.
I can understand in frustration the people turning to Hammas but, it was a bad bargain as they are committed to war with Israel and are funded as a terrorist organization.
Until both sides tire of the constant death and suffering and poverty and lay down arms and really want to turn to peace and deal in good faith, this is going to continue in vicious cycle.
Both sides need to be willing to negotiate and see that this tit for tat thinking gains no one, no side a thing. And much is gained with peace and willingness to live in such peace.

[markusmarkus]

"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is brought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?" - Mahatma Gandhi

[jamilk99]

Sure Mohsin, it's Hamas who's corrupt (not Fatah who is on the Israeli and American payroll). Oh you mean because they accept Western money and do as the West demands, Fatah is "moderate." Fatah has been involved with peace negotiations with Israel for the past 16 years and the Palestinians have gotten nowhere. Gaza was under siege during the so-called 6-month truce Hamas agreed to with Israel. The rockets stopped but Israel continued to starve the people of Gaza so Hamas resumed firing rockets.

[musselmanm]

There is not much one can say in reguard to the taking of any life.
If my neighborhood was bombarded with 300 or 3000 rockets for years, I would attack my enemy with 300 times the might.
I hate the loss of life in Gaza but there are two choices after all, war or peace.
Hamas has chosen war with no chance for victory.
In closing please allow that for every action there is a reaction.
I do not agree with the continued suppression of the people of Gaza but I feel the reaction after all of this time is needed.

[ShoshanaNY]

Mohsin, vowing the destruction of a sovereign nation and its people and barraging them daily with rockets doesn't lead to peace either.

[AbhishekThakur]

A largely fair account of the situation, so a job well done Mohsin. However, one must mention in this that the people of Israel actually elected Hamas in 2007 - a really short-sighted decision no matter what the justification. The rest I agree with. There was no need to launch rockets into Israel in what now looks like stupid provocation, and what Israel is doing in with also only make things worse as far as the peace process goes.

[AbhishekThakur]

A couple of typos above. Apologies. (Palestine/Israel, 2006/2007).

[Habbs]

I absolutely agree with Mohsin on this since killing innocent people is no revenge for Israel's threat to peace. Making Intelligent decisions is important in a time of unrest where this destruction will lead to more loss rather than gain.

[Moncar]

Moshin Mohi-Ud Din seems a very reasonable fellow. He chastises Hamas for the rockets and tells us Israel has a right to defend itself. But, he doesn't say how. Did he chastise Hamas last week, or last month, or last year? During this year over 3,000 rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel. Thanks to ineptness and shoddy equipment only a few Israelis were killed or wounded but there's a psychological price to be paid for fear and those living in Southern Israel are paying it.
However, this blog is a step in the right direction. If more of Palestine's supporters would lecture Hamas about it's militant behavior, threatening to withold support until its violence stops, rather than beating the same old drum about Israel's crimes than perhaps there might be progress.

Meanwhile, if punishing Hamas is justified but not by bombing - which certainly is terrible - then the Israelis would have to go into Gaza, root them out and engage in a street fight. Considering the population density there, innocent casualties would soar.

[Gasparilla]

That's the hypocrisy displayed by many, including the Europeans. They're mum on the thousands of rocket attacks until Israel responds. Israel has no interest in going into Lebanon or Gaza. They want the rockets to stop. Every call for Hamas to stop is met with "but Israel". Just stop the rockets. At least Israel is doing targeted bombing, unlike Hezbollah who lobbed ball bearing filled rockets blindly into Israel from Lebanon.

[Chaimirija]

just stop the rockets