Ismail Haniyeh: My message to the West – Israel must stop the slaughter
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Independent Minds
AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian Prime Minister, speaking on Al-Aqsa TV in Gaza earlier this week
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I write this article to Western readers across the social and political spectrum as the Israeli war machine continues to massacre my people in Gaza. To date, almost 1,000 have been killed, nearly half of whom are women and children. Last week's bombing of the UNRWA (UN Relief Works Agency) school in the Jabalya refugee camp was one of the most despicable crimes imaginable, as hundreds of civilians had abandoned their homes and sought refuge with the international agency only to be mercilessly shelled and bombed by Israel. Forty-six children and women were killed in that heinous attack while scores were injured.
Evidently, Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 did not end its occupation nor, as a result, its international obligations as an occupying power. It continued to control and dominate our borders by land, sea and air. Indeed the UN has confirmed that between 2005 and 2008, the Israeli army killed nearly 1,250 Palestinians in Gaza, including 222 children. For most of that period the border crossings have remained effectively closed, with only limited quantities of food, industrial fuel, animal feed and a few other essential items, allowed in.
Despite its frantic efforts to conceal it, the root cause of Israel's criminal war on Gaza is the elections of January 2006, which saw Hamas win by a substantial majority. What occurred next was that Israel alongside the United States and the European Union joined forces in an attempt to quash the democratic will of the Palestinian people. They set about reversing the decision first by obstructing the formation of a national unity government and then by making a living hell for the Palestinian people through economic strangulation. The abject failure of all these machinations finally led to this vicious war. Israel's objective is to silence all voices that express the will of the Palestinian; thereafter it would impose its own terms for a final settlement depriving us of our land, our right to Jerusalem as the rightful capital of our future state and the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homes.
Ultimately, the comprehensive siege on Gaza, which manifestly violated the Fourth Geneva Convention, prohibited the most basic medical supplies to our hospitals. It disallowed the delivery of fuel and supply of electricity to our population. And on top of all of this inhumanity, it denied them food and the freedom of movement, even to seek treatment. This led to the avoidable death of hundreds of patients and the spiralling rise of malnutrition among our children.
Palestinians are appalled that the members of the European Union do not view this obscene siege as a form of aggression. Despite the overwhelming evidence, they shamelessly assert that Hamas brought this catastrophe upon the Palestinian people because it did not renew the truce. Yet we ask, did Israel honour the terms of the ceasefire mediated by Egypt in June? It did not. The agreement stipulated a lifting of the siege and an end to attacks in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Despite our full compliance, the Israelis persisted in murdering Palestinians in Gaza as well as the West Bank during what became known as the year of the Annapolis peace.
None of the atrocities committed against our schools, universities, mosques, ministries and civil infra-structure would deter us in the pursuit of our national rights. Undoubtedly, Israel could demolish every building in the Gaza Strip but it would never shatter our determination or steadfastness to live in dignity on our land. Surely, if the gathering of civilians in a building only to then bomb it or the use of phosphorous bombs and missiles are not war crimes, then what is? How many more international treaties and conventions must Zionist Israel breach before it is held accountable? There is not a capital in the world today where free and decent people are not outraged by this brutal oppression. Neither Palestine nor the world would be the same after these crimes.
There is only one way forward and no other. Our condition for a new ceasefire is clear and simple. Israel must end its criminal war and slaughter of our people, lift completely and unconditionally its illegal siege of the Gaza Strip, open all our border crossings and completely withdraw from Gaza. After this we would consider future options. Ultimately, the Palestinians are a people struggling for freedom from occupation and the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital and the return of refugees to their villages from which they were expelled. Whatever the cost, the continuation of Israel's massacres will neither break our will nor our aspiration for freedom and independence.
The writer is the Prime Minister of Gaza
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Comments
I ask the ppl living generally a peaceful life in the West; tht if someone kills your child(/ren), makes them handicapped (cuts their arms or legs or makes them deaf/blind), destroys your homes & makes your family refugees (sometimes even more than 4/5 times), doesn't allow u or your children to have enough food/water/medicines or even the basic necessities of life for yrs & yrs; then wht would be your reaction???!!! There is a limit to tolerate anything... if someone has been ruining the lives of your generations for more than 40/50 yrs, then wht would be your stand???!!! Before condemning Palestinians for their REactions, plz consider these things & much more tht can't be expressed in words!!!
1 more misconception tht zionist controlled media has put in our minds is tht Hamas broke the truce which is UTTERLY wrong!!! Israel broke the truce 1st by killing Palestinians on 4th Nov 2008 (U can refer to Robert Fisk's article on this.. even CNN admitted the fact tht it was mere propaganda against Hamas)!
Finally, I would like to ask this question tht every sensible human-being is asking now... "If the gathering of civilians in a school building only to then bomb it or the use of phosphorous bombs and missiles are not war crimes, then what is? HOW MANY MORE INTERNATIONAL TREATIES & CONVENTIONS MUST ZIONIST ISRAEL BREACH BEFORE IT IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE???!!!"
With all the victories through crimes that Nazis earned for many years, their end was the end that ultimately awaits all agressors - including zionist Israel.
The Israeli government and the people have to recognize that they are an occupying force. Worse still, they are a brutal, oppressive, military occupiers.
Israelis say they simply want to live in peace, but they do not seem to want to allow the same level of rights, dignity, and sovereignty for their neighbors. If any of us lived the way the Palestinians have been forced to live, we would resist as well. And yes, some of us in our hopelessness and anger, might also pick up weapons. While I believe that is counterproductive long term, I can understand feeling that way.
In short, the more I learn about this conflict, the more it seems to me that Israel is the master of the double standard and believes they are always blameless. But the world is waking up - the blood of countless children are on their hands. And as their tanks continue to roll and their bombs drop, it is becoming impossible for them to keep playing the victim.
Bravo
Ros Campbell
God Bless
HAMAS' charter is to destroy Israel..it reads "Israel shall continue to exist untill Islam obliterates it". Shall Israel keep watching this plan unfold? Of course this is an openly declared war.
Any country would defend itself in a manner Israel did, if not worse, if an organisation has a mission to destroy that country. We need to be alert to HAMAS objectives as well and not turn a blind eye to truth simply because we are seeing "grim realities" of war.
Israel's campaign even though aims to minimize civillian casulaties, is being played by HAMAS whose obvious pattern is taking human shields and presenting their bloods to the cameras.
HAMAS has no such concern when rocketing southern Israel. It is not out of ignorance that the world declared HAMAS a terrorist organisation...it is based on its own declared charter and anyone can check it out.
The common people: Palestinians - non-Palestinians; Arabs - non-Arabs; Muslims - non-Muslims across the globe are disgusted and horrified by the massacres that are taking place. I ask you this: 'If it were the helpless civilians of England or France that were under attack, would the world leaders not condemn such actions? What about if it were the people of the United States of America?... Without a doubt, the whole world would stand still, just as they did for 9/11. But unfortunately, like with the situation in Iraq and Afghanisatan, it is countries such as the United States that continue to place the bullets in the gun - not the common people, but the selfish and ignorant leaders, to whom the drop of oil is more precious than human blood.
I assure you, without a doubt in my mind that they: the evil perpetrators; murderers; bombers and ... leaders will one day learn the true extent of their crimes. A day when regret shall avail them nought. They will witness before their very own eyes, standing before every soul ever to step foot on earth, the evils of their greed selfishness and self-pride. But that Day, The Last Day, The 'Day of Regret', it shall be too late... for all along they were carrying blood on their hands and verily the unjust shall be repaid for what they use to do... "The unjust will endure a painful torment. You will see the unjust fearful (of the consequences of) their deeds, and it will certainly befall them" [Al Qur'an, 42:20-21].
[Umm Thameenah]
Let's put things in context.
Before we ask if any country would allow their citizens to be massacred, we should also ask: Should any country allow itself to be constantly rocketed?
Lets put first things first. the rocketing was the reason for the war...we all have witnessed that...when Livni and Olmert were crying to the media. No one spoke then.
This explains why the world is not taking huge reaction. Israel has the right to defend itself...but I will have to admit that it took it a bit too far...however the blame lies more on hamas, no doubt.
The other fact is that the Gaza people had no freedom and the Zionists oppressed them even while in agreement which was broken by the Zionist Jews.
How long can you stay in your house waiting for the bullies outside to go away before you can leave your house ???? You will get to a point where you will fight your way out!!!!!!
About time a newspaper published an article from the poor Gaza People
That is what everyone is trying to forget "What happened first".
We sure are living in a very immoral and senseless century, thanks to Zionists and American right wing self-appointed Messiahs.
The Israelis always knew exactly what they had to do to avoid further hostilities - lift the siege! But they chose not to do that, because they wanted to replace the elected government of Gaza. First they attempted to engineer a coup d'etat, which Hamas successfully resisted. Then they used the truce period to plan a war - 'regime change' was on the lips of Mrs Livni and Israeli think thanks long before the December attacks. So what's their agenda ? not self-defence at all but the re-colonisation of Gaza.
I am sure that even after reading this article and listening to what Hamas has to say, there are people who would read to criticise not to understand and see the point of the other side. But that is only normal, Most people find it extremely difficult to change their ideologies, thoughts and philosophies even if they were proven wrong, and they would fight to convince others of them no matter how wrong they sound. Few only who read searching for knowledge and wanting to find out the truth and the real truth, those are the ones our modern societies count on. The people in search of truth, justice and peace, for all, are our hope for a better world.
So, do keep it up Independent. We admire your bravery, especially in a world crumbling down infront of the ruthless powers and their suffocating pressure. We should all remember, no one is above the law, NO ONE. No blood is more precious than another. Justice for the real people who need justice. Do open your eye's and conciense when you call for justice and see if its really deserved.
USA do not give visa to terrorist,but they gave Zipi Livny the visa to go there.. How can they give such a terrorist who killed children and innocent people in Gaza a visa to go to usa?! Will you define the word TERRORIST? Oh.. Yeah .. I remembered when George Orwell once said in his story ( The Farm): " All people are equal but some people are more equal than others."
That is why they are fighting Hamas (The elected democratically under the observation of Jimmy Karter)
please support the palestinian ppl...there r few voices in the british press that fairly and sincerely do
sara
sooner or later the truth will ALWAYS comes out
Thank GOD, NOW people are waking up to what these devils are doing to the Palestinians and have been doing for the last 60 years!
Saturday, 17 January 2009 at 08:17 am (UTC)
"Let's put things in context."
Yes, you are right. So read the transcription of the debate "Former Amb. Martin Indyk vs. Author Norman Finkelstein: A Debate on Israel?s Assault on Gaza and the US Role in the Conflict".
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/1/8/fo
In order to believe this pabulum one has to be ignorant of or disbelieving of the nature of Hamas. As if their actions were not sufficient to demonstrate their barbaric character, Hamas documented their beliefs in their covenant. A copy can be found at: avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.a
In Article Thirteen, they describe their view on peace this way ?Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement?. This is a group that believes, and I?m not making this up, that the Rotary and Lions Clubs are sabotage groups. What part of ?Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it? is unclear?
They further clarify their beliefs by stating ?Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious. It needs all sincere efforts. It is a step that inevitably should be followed by other steps. The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah's victory is realized?.
According to Hamas, ?There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad? and that ?Jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes?.
Israel can have peace, if only it wants to. But, the trouble, I suppose, is that Israel cannot afford peace because it's mantra is, has to be, as late Moshe Dayan spoke out, that Israel can "only exist by the sword", because otherwise it needed to become a democracy for all the people whoes homeland is Palestine.
Unless the west, mainly the United States of America do not signalize Israeli leaders that it's future is DEMOCRACY, there will be no future. Israel as a thorn in the Orient cannot survive.
The people of Gaza, just as the people of the occupied westbank won't go away, because they love their land, herited from centuries of ancestors. The land which is and always will be PALESTINE
May I just express one wish to you, PM Hanijeh: please consider, with your pairs of Hamas-Movement to abolish
the Hamas-Charte from the eighties, a charte which has become obsolete since and which only is being used by
sionists to discredit your ability to constuct a peaceful Palestine, for all it's inhabitants. I am sure, you'll provit from the dividente by abolishing this charte, having become useless.
Isn't it time that Britain gives some justice to the Palestinians, as Palestine was a British protectorate!!!! Shouldn't British people feel guilty because it was Britain who has created this country called Israel on an occupied land???????
When you force me out of my house for 60 years because your read a "book" that says your ancestors have lived in this house thousands of years ago!!!!!,
You prison me in a small shed in the garden, deny me access to the simplest means of survival; I scream, but the whole world watch me die and doesn't do any thing, on the contrary it supports you by not not allowing any one to help me; what would you expect me to do? I scream but in other manner I launch rockets . These "rockets" which are compared to your "might" are merely stones!!!!! fired in "your garden" that you have stolen from me 40 years ago!!!!
Although these "stones " can hardly reach the stolen house where you live, you wage a mad war on me because I have scared your family.
So I resist with other " rockets= stones". You can't kill me because your not brave enough to come and fight man to man, You drop a bomb on the shed where my family lives, kill my children, and your excuse is that I have used my family as a human shield , knowing that this shed is the only place you left me after you stole my house and my garden!!!!!
The whole world, sorry the governments of the west and UNA stand up with you and say I am the oppressor I shouldn't have scared your children!!!!!!!!
Please can any tell me is it my fault ???? have I not got the right to seek freedom and get my house back, by resisting. knowing that I have been negotiating peace for 16 years?
One thing that I really don't understand is that while Britain, France, and other western countries are proud of their resistance against the Germans in the 1 & 2 world war, they deny the Palestinians their right to resist in order to get their Independence, and the excuse is that Hamas are firing rockets on Israeli land!!!!! IT IS NOT AN ISRAELI LAND it is AN OCCUPIED LAND!!!!!!
The zionists think that by repeating lies people will believe them, they keep on saying that Hamas is a terrorist organisation and it doesn't want talks. Did you know that Hamas is the only government in the middle east that was elected democratically. The former US president Jimmy Carter and his observers described it as " one of the cleanest and fairest elections" He had ever witnessed. But of course the west doesn't want democracy in the Middle East because democracy would simply mean, cut links to Israel and close the oil routes to the west until they too opposed Israeli's barbarism.
Including the real reason being the offshore Gas...
These people welcomed the isralees years ago and now what thanks have they got I wonder if it were a christiancountry would they be allowed to continue this abuse, and who are the terrorists?
I also salute Mr H for his brand of firm pragmatism. Hamas has its internal disputes but it keeps to the goal, short term and longterm clearly and distinct, each, and works for the short term within the context of the longterm. They have ignored their racist charter of the eighties for some time, and the stuff about Israel not existing; since the time they were beginning to think politically. However no one can expect people in resistance to make theroretical concessions (the IRA have never formally renounced their goal of a united ireland for example) until they are much further down the track towards a free palestine. When Hamas are recognised by the US and the EU as the party in power, even if the Fatah president remains the formal peace negotiator, then we will be nearer to a free Palestine. and the Israelis, with all their wealth and comfortable lives, will sooner or later learn to live with it.
I met Prime Minister Haniyeh in August when I visited Gaza. Getting to Gaza by sea under threat of being blown out of the water for daring to be among 43 people who went to Gaza by boat with the permission of Palestinians in Gaza rather than the brutal occupier Israel.
Prime Minister Haniyeh honored us with hospitality and most graciously by welcoming us as brothers and sisters and bestowing on all Palestinian citizenship. My heart grieves for my new country and its people. Israel has tried to block the self determination of the people of Gaza and Palestine by wiping out its leaders through imprisonment, assassination and now attempting to bomb everyone no matter who they voted for. Israel bombed all the towns, camps, neighborhoods and the Parliament building,the symbol of democracy. Israel has lost this battle. They massacred unarmed men women and children. They will live in infamy for this crime against humanity. Shame is theirs not victory. We will not forget those suffering loss of life and family. The world must unite to stop Israel from ever doing this again. Never again.
We thank you and encourage you.
and the continuation of Israel's massacres will neither break our will nor our aspiration to settle the rightous justice !
We in the US Have done similar things to the native American Indians and therefore to deny our guilt we supported Israel actions with the Palestenians.
Our hope is that President Obama will have the courage to do the right thing that many of his predecessors were afraid to do during their terms in the white house and only spoke about it later.
Most Israelis consider themselves "the chosen people" and look at the rest of us as "fillers" who were created to serve their needs and desires.
Thanks
There are many who forget Hamas is a political party and has a miltary wing just as Fatah and Israel but is not a miltary organisation.
Well done for publisihing!
Congratulations.
We hope to see more articles where truth is spoken, where there is no fear or favor or caving in to the pressures of the strong Zionist lobby.
Roubin
Dr. Eesa M. Bastaki
UAE University