Ridiculous Idealism

So this is what they call Human Rights

I've been following the events surrounding Israel for quite sometime now.

I haven't been very happy with what I've seen.

Sometime back, I wrote an article on Hamas for M-L. It wasn't published. I don't think it is going to be. Probably a little radical for them.

I've decided to post it here.

The Victory of Hamas

I first read about the Israel vs Palestine conflict in an Erich Segal book (I think it’s The Class, I’m not sure) At that time I was very influenced by Segal’s views on the matter (he was very obviously pro-Israel). The Jews wanted their home back. I could relate.

In the past years, I always thought that since both the US and India were pro-Israel, they must be right, Palestinians should give up their land for them, etc. etc. In the recent past however, I have been forced to rethink my stance on this matter.

This began first when I read about Arafat’s sudden and mysterious death and his circumstances before his death. Then the papers reported the assassinations and murders of top officials in Palestine. Then a friend told me of the situation in the Ghaza strip.

Which was why, when Hamas won the recent legislative elections in Palestine, I was unsurprised.

It was a resounding exercise in democracy. There was a voter turn-out of 77 percent. It was the first seriously contested election in the region. It was universally hailed as free and fair. And it was met with approval from all quarters until the results came out.

When Hamas swept the elections, winning 76 seats of the 132 member Palestinian Legislative Council, the international community was shocked, especially Israel and its greatest supporter, the USA. Israel immediately cut down all communications with Palestinian leaders, refusing to deal with a ‘terrorist organisation.’ In the US, a blame-game has already started with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice saying first that the country will not deal with a party with ‘one leg in politics and the other in terror’ and then saying that ‘somebody’ should have seen this coming. The European Union has suspended all direct aid to a nation where most people are living under 1 $ a day, where basic amenities are a scarcity.

It seems to me that the international community approves of democracy only when things swing the way it wants them to.

This whole thing stinks of hypocrisy. Israel is no martyr. Since the 1993 Oslo Accords signed by Palestine and Israel, the Palestinians have only known untold misery from Israel’s side. Israel has refused to stick to the conditions in the Oslo Accords. It has sponsored acts of terrorism in Palestine for time immemorial. Take the case of Arafat. He was imprisoned, confined into a room and half in his bombed presidential home. He then died, rather mysteriously in Paris.

And that’s not all. Israel assassinated some of Palestine’s top leaders. Before the elections, Israel arrested some of Hamas’ top leaders. Months before, Israel tried to incarcerate all candidates who filed their nominations on behalf of Hamas.
And yet, this state-sponsored terrorism is ignored. The Palestinians are expected to prove that they are not terrorists while their ‘sainted’ neighbours go scot-free. The Hamas victory shows the Palestinian’s entirely justifed rejection of this expectation by the international community.

Indeed, I would have been surprised if the Hamas hadn’t won. In the past few years, the previous leading political party, the Fatah, has deteriorated into corruption and inefficiency. The Fatah were unable to do anything, even as they watched Israel undermine its authority, blatantly violating the Oslo accords. Millions of dollars, pumped into Palestine by the EU has disappeared into the Fatah, and conditions haven’t improved there at all. When Israel built the separation wall in the West Bank with US approval, Qualqilya, a Palestinian city of more than 500000 people was completely hemmed in. Before the wall, Fatah enjoyed totally majority there. Now it is a Hamas stronghold.

More than a Hamas victory, the elections were a loss for the Fatah. A divided Fatah, where the armed faction had already begun to side with the Hamas clinched the victory for them. Plus the Palestinians’ wish to finally end this misery is what saw the ‘surprising’ victory of the Hamas in the polls.

I don’t really see why the world has turned away from Palestine. The Hamas are willing to negotiate terms of peace. They support the two-nation theory. They have dropped the call for Israel’s destruction, even though they don’t recognize Israel as a separate state. Yet they have shown themselves to be quite flexible on this issue. They have initiated a cease-fire. They have honoured their military truce with Israel despite being seriously provoked. Senior Hamas leaders want peace, but they are not willing to be drawn into long winded talks with Israel, or to be duped by them again. All this seems perfectly reasonable to me.

And yet Israel is unwilling to deal with any Palestine government that includes armed ‘anti-Israeli groups.’ The Bush administration have refused to have any dealings with any group that is ‘against Israel.’ More countries are following the examples set by these two countries.

As aid is now cut off, Palestine faces grave consequences. Without external finances, Palestinians doctors, civil servants and others will have to go without their salaries. Palestinians living under Israeli occupation will face worse straits than they are facing now. Indeed, this will only force them more towards extremism.

People have spoken up against this. Former US President Jimmy Carter who led the international observer mission for the PLC has asked the international community not to suspend aid. “The Palestinian government is destitute and in desperate financial straits. I hope that support for the new government is forthcoming,” he said. Russian Premier Vladimir Putin, while calling on Hamas to engage in peace talks with Israel, also said that imposing restrictive measures on the Hamas would only have negative consequences.

Indeed, Hamas has made significant concessions and contributions to the peace process. What I don’t get is why innocent people should suffer, or be punished only for wanting an effective government which will bring them peace and happiness, instead of the abject sorrow and misery they live in now.

Recent events have only compounded my views on Israel. Recently, an orkuter who took exception about me being a little anti-Israel sent me this email:

India and her secular seclusion


TR Jawahar


Chennai, July 18, 2006



As I write this, the Israeli military is relentlessly bombarding the airport of Beirut. The reason for the rain of hell fire is the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by the Lebanese terror outfit, Hezbollah.

So, is Israel overreacting? Apparently yes.

But given the history of Islamic violence that Israel had to contend with particularly in the context of its vulnerable geography too, surrounded as it is by hostile Islamic nations, its actions reveal a stern wisdom borne out of experience: the only language Islamic terror understands is counter terror, preferably pre-emptive!

Nip it in the bud, before they turn you into a corpse, which is not a possibility but an eventuality. Little surprise, therefore, that the jehadis deem Israel a tough nut to crack.

I present this prelude out of both frustration and inspiration; frustration because of the way Indians have been rendered sitting ducks by a combination of factors, mostly self-inflicted, to the bombs of Islamic terrorists: inspiration, because if India has the will, Israel has already shown the way...


But India, which has been at the receiving end of jihadi violence for long is in deep slumber . secular slumber.

On the other hand, the 'free and secular' western world, wears its religion and culture like a talisman, to ward off the Jihadi threat even while flexing its muscles and delivering punches, when necessary and even when not so...


On the contrary, the rulers bend over backwards with bouquets of reservations and what not in a wishful fit of appeasement, reminiscent of a sheep's optimism when faced by wolves.

Now does a nation, so committed to hara kiri, need enemies?

The article above (not reproduced in full) goes on about how the world, taking Israel as an example, is cowing terrorism using force blah blah while we Indians still try looking for alternate means to end terror.

Well, there are indeed somethings I'd like to say to that. On Israel's 'war' against Lebanon and the Hizbollah, don't even get me started. There are so many things wrong with it! First, the fact that Israel is targetting only specific areas of Lebanon, leaving the Christian areas relatively untouched. Second, that this started out of the kidnapping of two people! Scores of innocent people getting killed for that! Third, that the bombers are specifically targetting, not the Hizbollah, but ambulances, hospitals and the like. Fourth, that over the years, they have kidnapped more than five hundred Lebanese, most of whom are still languishing in prison. Fifth, that they don't care who they bomb. Not that bombing anyone can be justified, but come on. Children?

It is obvious what's happening here isn't it? Israel with it's powerful ally the USA, are obviously hoping to make this part of the world crumble. They probably hope to institute weak governments that are easily manipulated, easily threatened, easily cowed.

It's sick.

And the rest of the world...just looks on.

posted by Books inc @ 9:36 AM