.Commentary: Condoleezza Rice also responsible for Gaza incursion
When it began, even leaders of the Arab world blamed Hamas, in large part, for Israel's invasion of Gaza.
As Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, put it a few days after it began, Hamas "served Israel the opportunity to hit Gaza on a golden platter." Now, however, most of the world is calling for a cease-fire – and I agree, if Hamas commits to stop firing rockets.
While responsibility for this war lies largely with Hamas, I have another candidate for blame: George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice.
The Bush administration's slavish support of Israel, with nary a critical word, may seem a blessing to Israel's supporters in the United States. But true friends stand up and say something when a friend is making a mistake. Weeks from now, I fear, the invasion will seem as unproductive as the war over Lebanon in the summer of 2006.
In southern Lebanon today, Hezbollah, the target that war, is rearmed and has more missiles than the group has ever had – all supplied by Iran, Syria and other Arab states. If and when Israel leaves Gaza, Hamas will import as many missiles as it wants through the dozens of smuggling tunnels from Rafah, Egypt - all supplied by Syria, Iran and other Arab states. After all, Hamas is firing missiles into Israel even now, with thousands of Israeli troops in Gaza.
Israel has continually bombed the ground over the tunnels and perhaps collapsed many of them. But it won't take the Palestinians long to dig them out. Since Rafah, Egypt's, economy depends on the income from smuggling goods and weapons to Gaza, new tunnels will be dug to replace any that are destroyed. Hamas, meanwhile, will have accomplished exactly what it wanted: It has put itself on the front page of every newspaper in the world. Its leaders are determined to show they cannot be ignored.
The Bush administration's responsibility runs deeper than uncritical support. Most everyone has probably forgotten the agreement Rice negotiated in Nov. 2005 – a full 18 months before Hamas seized control of Gaza – to give Palestinians free access to and from Gaza. Rice worked late into the night with Israeli, European and World Bank leaders and announced it with great fanfare at a news conference early in the morning.
"It is a major step forward for the Palestinian people in their own movement toward independence," Rice boasted. "This agreement is intended to give Palestinian people the freedom to move, to trade, to live ordinary lives." Under the five-page pact, Israel would allow Palestinians to operate convoys of people and goods between the West Bank and Gaza, escorted by Israeli security. Bus convoys were to begin in a few weeks and trucks a short time later. The Palestinians were given permission to build a seaport. And they would take control of the Rafah border crossing to Egypt.
Less than a month later, Rice was back in Washington, and not surprisingly the agreement began to unravel. At her news conference in November, Rice had averred: "The parties are establishing new patterns of cooperation." In December, the opposite seemed to be true.
Israel, as always, was loading down the agreement with a dozen unachievable demands. The Palestinians, as always, were larding the discussions with a dozen extraneous requests. The news conference, the photographs and congratulations were long past. Now, Condoleezza Rice is nowhere to be seen. With no one there to mediate, the agreement collapsed. Not one bus, not one truck, ever left the terminal.
Now here's a question: What would have happened if Rice had followed through and made sure the agreement was actually implemented. What if Gazans had been allowed to travel freely to and from the West Bank - if they had been able to sell their goods in Ramallah, Jenin and Nablus, then import food and consumer products for sale back in Gaza? Yes, it's entirely possible that they would have used this opportunity to arm themselves, as Israel feared, and attack Israelis in myriad ways. But it's also possible that they would finally have been able to establish a sustainable economy in Gaza - denying Hamas the opportunity to capitalize on their anger and misery.
Instead, by the time Hamas seized Gaza in June 2007, Gazans had been bottled up for almost two years. Not surprisingly, they were angry, resentful and hungry for retribution.
Rice, like Bush, blames Hamas for today's crisis.
Yes, but Madame Secretary, here's my suggestion: Look at yourself in the mirror.
McClatchy
They keep repeating that, hoping that it will be true one day. You know the old saying. But what peace deal that that they will sign will be stronger than the peace we see today between Israel and Lebanon. Even under pressure the pressure of war, of the TV, and propaganda, and all Hizbollah can muster are three rockets to save face.
You have to be stupid or blind or both. Luckily I am neither
As Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, put it a few days after it began, Hamas "served Israel the opportunity to hit Gaza on a golden platter." Now, however, most of the world is calling for a cease-fire – and I agree, if Hamas commits to stop firing rockets.
While responsibility for this war lies largely with Hamas, I have another candidate for blame: George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice.
The Bush administration's slavish support of Israel, with nary a critical word, may seem a blessing to Israel's supporters in the United States. But true friends stand up and say something when a friend is making a mistake. Weeks from now, I fear, the invasion will seem as unproductive as the war over Lebanon in the summer of 2006.
In southern Lebanon today, Hezbollah, the target that war, is rearmed and has more missiles than the group has ever had – all supplied by Iran, Syria and other Arab states. If and when Israel leaves Gaza, Hamas will import as many missiles as it wants through the dozens of smuggling tunnels from Rafah, Egypt - all supplied by Syria, Iran and other Arab states. After all, Hamas is firing missiles into Israel even now, with thousands of Israeli troops in Gaza.
Israel has continually bombed the ground over the tunnels and perhaps collapsed many of them. But it won't take the Palestinians long to dig them out. Since Rafah, Egypt's, economy depends on the income from smuggling goods and weapons to Gaza, new tunnels will be dug to replace any that are destroyed. Hamas, meanwhile, will have accomplished exactly what it wanted: It has put itself on the front page of every newspaper in the world. Its leaders are determined to show they cannot be ignored.
The Bush administration's responsibility runs deeper than uncritical support. Most everyone has probably forgotten the agreement Rice negotiated in Nov. 2005 – a full 18 months before Hamas seized control of Gaza – to give Palestinians free access to and from Gaza. Rice worked late into the night with Israeli, European and World Bank leaders and announced it with great fanfare at a news conference early in the morning.
"It is a major step forward for the Palestinian people in their own movement toward independence," Rice boasted. "This agreement is intended to give Palestinian people the freedom to move, to trade, to live ordinary lives." Under the five-page pact, Israel would allow Palestinians to operate convoys of people and goods between the West Bank and Gaza, escorted by Israeli security. Bus convoys were to begin in a few weeks and trucks a short time later. The Palestinians were given permission to build a seaport. And they would take control of the Rafah border crossing to Egypt.
Less than a month later, Rice was back in Washington, and not surprisingly the agreement began to unravel. At her news conference in November, Rice had averred: "The parties are establishing new patterns of cooperation." In December, the opposite seemed to be true.
Israel, as always, was loading down the agreement with a dozen unachievable demands. The Palestinians, as always, were larding the discussions with a dozen extraneous requests. The news conference, the photographs and congratulations were long past. Now, Condoleezza Rice is nowhere to be seen. With no one there to mediate, the agreement collapsed. Not one bus, not one truck, ever left the terminal.
Now here's a question: What would have happened if Rice had followed through and made sure the agreement was actually implemented. What if Gazans had been allowed to travel freely to and from the West Bank - if they had been able to sell their goods in Ramallah, Jenin and Nablus, then import food and consumer products for sale back in Gaza? Yes, it's entirely possible that they would have used this opportunity to arm themselves, as Israel feared, and attack Israelis in myriad ways. But it's also possible that they would finally have been able to establish a sustainable economy in Gaza - denying Hamas the opportunity to capitalize on their anger and misery.
Instead, by the time Hamas seized Gaza in June 2007, Gazans had been bottled up for almost two years. Not surprisingly, they were angry, resentful and hungry for retribution.
Rice, like Bush, blames Hamas for today's crisis.
Yes, but Madame Secretary, here's my suggestion: Look at yourself in the mirror.
McClatchy
They keep repeating that, hoping that it will be true one day. You know the old saying. But what peace deal that that they will sign will be stronger than the peace we see today between Israel and Lebanon. Even under pressure the pressure of war, of the TV, and propaganda, and all Hizbollah can muster are three rockets to save face.
You have to be stupid or blind or both. Luckily I am neither
posted by madtom at 7:10 PM
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