Gaza’s Innocents Suffer Amid The Anarchy
Amid the Israeli air strikes there is a lull in the infighting, which had once again threatened to bring Gaza to the brink of civil war. Many Palestinians here fear it could be short-lived.
For Gaza’s latest descent into anarchic violence represents more than just another broken ceasefire. The bloodshed and intimidation threatened every aspect of society as Fatah and Hamas gangs struggled for control of strategic parts of the city.
The street battles verged on war. Fighters brought out caches of heavy arms, RPGs and mortars. Israeli bombardments added to the Strip’s misery.
Civilian life was the first casualty. Residents dared not leave their homes while masked gunmen held positions on the street and snipers controlled roof tops. Piles of burning rubbish poured smoke into the air. Shops were closed.
Khalil Yaziji, a shopkeeper in western Gaza City, explained how two dead and bleeding bodies had been dumped on the pavement, blocking the shop’s entrance. “I honestly feel that at any moment, someone could come in and shoot me,” he said. “Our only way out is for Israel to keep bombing us until we die,” he sighed. “At least that way it’s more honourable.”
As always, it was the innocents who suffered most. Umm Muntaser, a 42-year-old who has seven children, was trapped inside Borj el-Saleh, a residential tower block placed under siege by Hamas gunmen. “We have been living in our kitchen for the past two days,” she said. “Eleven or 12 apartments have been burnt… there are snipers everywhere. We are human beings, what’s our fault in all this?”
Hadeel Abu-Dayyal, a 17-year-old student, found herself trapped in Bourj el-Nour, another building. Fearing for her life, she and her family went to the building’s basement. Hamas fighters followed them. Soon, Fatah gunmen were firing into the basement. Like many Gazans, Hadeel is losing faith in her country. “After I saw that even ambulances weren’t allowed to reach us, I thought, ‘what is this nation, these people, that I am working so hard to build?’” Many people want to emigrate, but with Israel still in control of the borders, even leaving the Strip is a challenge.
Stories have also begun to emerge of summary executions at roadblocks. The assassination of Sheikh Nahed Saleh al-Nimr, a well-known religious figure, was so brutal it shocked even the war-weary people of Gaza City. His body had been severely beaten and he had been shot between 42 and 50 times. “He was like a sieve,” his brother said.
© 2007 The Independent
The truth about Gaza, indeed about the sordid state of affairs in Nazi-Israel, has been hidden from us in (what has turned out to be) Amerikkka for so long. It’s SO horrible that we don’t know what to even say when we read of these type atrocities… I see a future where they bring it all here in order to keep us supressed, oppressed… perhaps others are having such a disturbing vision as well…
All I can say to Saeed Taji Farouky is that I a really feeling your pain, and it hurts very much.
Anarchy defined:
The basic tenet of anarchism is that hierarchical authority — be it state, church, patriarchy or economic elite — is not only unnecessary, but is inherently detrimental to the maximization of human potential. Anarchists generally believe that human beings are capable of managing their own affairs on the basis of creativity, cooperation, and mutual respect. It is believed that power is inherently corrupting, and that authorities are inevitably more concerned with self-perpetuation and increasing their own power than they are with doing what is best for their constituents.
Liz A. Highleyman, “An Introduction to Anarchism”
I am an Anarchist! Wherefore I will
Not rule, and also ruled I will not be!
John Henry Mackay, “Anarchy”
A common description of anarchism is that it has as its aim the abolition of the state. Now, while this is certainly correct — it would indeed be hard to find an anarchist who is positively enamored of any government apparatus, be it located in Chicago, Washington, Moscow, or Baghdad — it is not (to my mind) the best way of describing the anarchist goal.
Rather, anarchism should be understood as aiming at the abolition of all forms of domination. That is, anarchism is resolutely opposed to any relations between humans in which one decides for another, without the other’s consent, how that other is to live and coerces that other into living that way. So anarchism is opposed not only to government, to the police and military and legislature and judiciary. It is also opposed to capitalism, in which a few possessing the means of production compel the rest, on pain of starvation, to produce for the profit of those few in return for a wage; and to racism of any form; and to any sort of oppression on the basis of one’s sexuality. In place of all this, which is inherently reprehensible (and if you want a justification of this claim, try living in an explicit state of being dominated and see what you think of it!), anarchists seek to bring about a situation in which everybody determines for oneself as much as possible, as free and cooperative as can be devised, how one is to live one’s life.
Ron Carrier, “Anarchism and Power”
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5065/definitions.html
Bleh. A situation where there is no effective governmental apparutus is an anarchy. You can play word games if you want. Why not do the lingust thing and admit that Anarchy1 (your silly impractical notions of people just getting along together) is not the same thing as Anarchy2 (what actually happens when there is no govenment).
Anarchism and anarchy are different things. One is a collective state of governance while the other is a lack governance period. Using the term in capitalized letters implies the first case, thereby giving a bad name to the term. Not unlike the neo-cons’ desire to topple countries in the middle east with the excuse of bringing them democracy giving liberal interventionist a bad name.
Genocide.
The Israeli government has cynically devised a plan to starve the people of Gaza just enough so that they have energy left to fight over the scraps of food that are available.
The people of Gaza are on a coast but they cannot leave on boats to trade. Any boat leaving the Gaza shoreline is sunk by the Israeli Navy. Likewise ships approaching the Gaza shore are sunk even if they are carrying only food. The people cannot leave.
Any effective leadership that emerges in the occupied territories is reduced by a policy of assasination until only street gangs are allowed to survive.
There is a government in Gaza and that is the Israeli government that controls the food supply, the power supply and the water supply. The Isreali government controls the supplies of everything but the air. Is there any doubt they approve of the conflict inside Gaza?
We can see the walls and the wire; why aren’t allowed to see the people dying as journalists are now on the assasination lists also. Is there really any doubt that Israel plans a “final solution” to the palestinian problem? Any doubt at all?
Is this the “Right Road To Peace” between the Palestinian Arabs and Israel? Frankly.. I think this plan, proposed by Benny Elon deserves very serious consideration. Essentially the plan rejects a so-called “two state” solution.*
Some key features - summary below:
1- Israels’ sovereignty would be asserted over Judea, Samaria and Gaza (the West Bank).
2- The Arab residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza (the West Bank) would become citizens of the Palestinian state in Jordan. The status of these citizens, their connection to the two states and the manner of administration of their communal lives will be decided in an agreement between the governments of Israel and Jordan (Palestine).
3- Jordan would be officially recognized as the Palestinian State. Israel, the United States and the international community will recognize the Kingdom of Jordan as the only legitimate representative of the Palestinians. Jordan will once again recognize itself as the Palestinian nation-state.
4- There would be a regional effort to bolster Jordan’s economy and security: In the context of a regional economic development program, Israel, the United States and the international community will put forth a concerted effort for the long-term development of Jordan, to rehabilitate its economy and enable it to absorb a limited number of refugees within its borders.
For more information:* http://www.therightroadtopeace.com/eng/defaulteng.html
Conflicts and appeasement have failed. The “Road Map” is at a dead end. Elon’s vision for peace could succeed - if given a chance.
from Marblehead, MA USA
Forced emmigration is no answer and I very much doubt that Jordan would agree. Better to incorporate the west bank and gaza and declare all residents equal citizens.
What a ridiculous plan. Just look at all the points made, they start with “Israel, the United States and the international community”. What are the Palestinians? Bargaining chips? Commodity? This is nothing more than a “we have the capability to decide” “they are too primitive to decide for themself” attitude that western imperialist empires imposed on all their outpost colonies when they decided to abandon them.