The day after the bombs and rockets stopped between Israel and Hamas, the sceneries are as follows:
- Destruction and killing
On the Palestinian side in Gaza more than 1300 deaths and 5400 injured, 40% of them children and women, more than twenty thousand people homeless, their houses destroyed and thousands of them are wandering around Gaza Strip without any alternative, waiting international help. The consequences are: 4500 buildings erased; schools, kinder gardens, hospitals, even ONU’s installations and government buildings among them. Gaza economic damage has been estimated in 1.9 billion dollars.
Physical and psychological after-effects will accompany the injured and the whole population for all their lives; moreover, it will be a germ of hate and revenge.
The human catastrophe in Gaza is the new cause of shame for human beings and especially for all the political powers because of their indifference when they could have avoided it, but they just let it be done.
- The scenary of International diplomacy in the area:
The petition of a permanent ceasefire for both sides proposed by the Franco-Egyptian Initiative, in fact was arranged previously in the agreement between Israel and the United States, that has established the compromise for both countries collaboration in order to guarantee the strict control of gun running and movement of people through Gaza borders.
The consecutive Summit Meeting of Sharm el- Sheij, as the later in Jerusalem, appeared as a ceremonial staging to reaffirm and support the Franco-Egyptian request to ceasefire, open Gaza borders to the exterior, and insists in the need of immediate humanitarian aid as the EU assumption of an economical and material compromise to reconstruct Gaza Strip.
In these meetings the European leaders didn’t pronounced a single word to condemn the massacre committed by Israel in Gaza against civil population, and the use of weapons as white phosphorus. Neither was heard a sentence of condemn against Israeli prohibition imposed on press to silence any kind of images, voices or reports that could be shown about the bloody reality.
Ehud Olmert’s apologies for the casualties among Palestinian civil population achieved the top level of cynicism: "We genuinely never wanted to cause any discomfort, to attack any uninvolved civilian in Gaza. We regret very much the fact that there were so many who, in spite of the genuine efforts made by the Israeli Army, suffered from this confrontation. And I want to apologise on behalf of the government of Israel for everyone who was unjustly affected in Gaza, by this operation." (Jerusalem, 17th January, 2009).
Palestinian dead and injured, victims of this uneven and avoidable war have no opportunity to apologize Mr. Olmert; the former because they are not here anymore, the latter because are wandering around among the rubble, shortage and horror.
Statements without resolutions and specific actions for the ending of this Conflict that last for more than 60 years, is nothing else than incoherence, mockery and humiliation for the weakest.
EU wants to show a pretended political weakness, and therefore, doesn’t act with a real leadership to end once for all this conflict. Without any doubt, if they would have decided joining its political power with the Arabic countries of the region, the situation would be too different for the peace process. One of the decisions that must have been taken since the very beginning of this war is the envoy of international interposition forces between Israel and Gaza, proposal that this Platform considers to be indispensable .
Sooner or later, Obama’s degree of implication for resolving this Conflict must be proved. His mediation in the next future still is a big question. His pro-Israelis declarations and attitudes, on his visit to the region during his electoral campaign, haven’t given too many expectations to peace field.
If Obama’s administration joins European and Arabic initiatives that are seeking peace, he will be welcome, but Europe can’t allow itself to be pointed as an accomplice of injustice.
Obama has already made telephone calls to PNA’s President Mahmud Abbas, Israel Prime Minister Ehud’s Olmert, Egypt president Hosni Mubarak and Jordan’s King Abdala II. He has also appointed George Mitchell as US special envoy for the Middle East, who will arrive to the region during the following days.
We wonder if Obama’s movements are related to with the last PLO statements, which declares that they would not take part in any peace negotiation table with Israel if previously, a concrete retirement agenda is set over the table for all the occupied territories since 1967.In this context, High International diplomacy must question itself:
How Israel’s army, one of the most powerful and best trained in the world, doesn’t have strategists and diplomacy experts that could have anticipated that Gaza’s attack was going to cause the civil killing it did?
Has it some risk to think that what Israel really wanted with this attack, was to improve Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni’s popularity for the close elections, instead of attempting to stop the launching of Hamas rockets?
Going deeply in our analysis, could it be possible that Israel offensive took advantage of all these circumstances, looking really for a new ethnic cleansing?
- The scenary in the Arab World.
Egypt and moderated Arab countries end up reinforced from this conflict, due to the Franco- Egyptian mediation initiative to achieve cease fire.
Egypt will have a fundamental role in the Gaza blockade lifting, in coordination with the International Community.
Although its mediation in the conflict is highly esteemed, it’s seen by Hamas and other radical groups and part of Palestinian population as the loyal ally of Israel and Occident, that didn’t allow Palestinian people leave the Strip.
Arab countries unity was affected by a deep division among moderate (Egypt and Saudi Arabia) and radical (Syria and Qatar) that reproduce with their respective positions the division among PNA and Hamas. Kuwait’s Meeting reaching no agreement about a common economical fund for Palestine confirms this fact. Only Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have committed to do it.
Palestinian and Israeli scenary
In relation to the war both Israel and Hamas attribute themselves the victory.
From the military point of view is logical to affirm that Israel won the war. Nevertheless, it must be shown the civilian and diplomatic angle of the vision, who clearly demonstrates that Israel has lost this war.
It has lost its international credibility, except for the United States that has always supported it unconditionally till now.It has lost Civil Society’s sympathy around the world. From now on Israel citizens will be observed as accomplices of barbarism.
It has lost part of the unconditional support and unity of Jews and Israelis that live abroad and are in favour of a fair peace and the solution of two states, but do not agree with the massacre done by the army, and do not endorse the unavoidable condition of the war argument. English Jewish community made this point clear in the London’s demonstration carrying a David’s star and signs reading: “Not in my name”.
It has lost because its arguments of self defence can’t be held with the massacre committed in Gaza.
It has lost, because they couldn’t stopped Hamas launching rockets till the last day of the war.
It has lost because anti-Semitism has re-emerged in Europe and rest of the world.
It has lost because in Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Hamas is getting more supporters than before the war and PNA has lost credibility.
It has lost because at the end of this story, Israel will be obliged to seat down with Hamas, whether the Israeli Government want it or not, in order to negotiate directly or with the participation of a neutral country or organization, as Jimmy Carter confirmed in his trip to the region, and as this Platform have affirmed in previous articles.
It has lost because one day Israeli population will take conscience of what has happened, through the images and reports and facing his own leaders.
Of the Palestinian side: PNA headed by Abbas has weakened because it has reacted to Israeli attack late and wrongly. His proposals made to Hamas for Palestinian National Unity Government arrived later, when all the damage has been done in Gaza.
The political benefits of PNA leaders are non existent because Annapolis has failure, and it is seen by his own population as an Israeli’s puppet. The peace process could advance only if EU and Obama Administration do change their political positions in the core issues of the Conflict, so they could back up an autonomous Palestinian leadership.
Integrist groups have won the game in this war. Gaza’s massacre is the breeding ground to generate more hate towards Israel and its destruction willing.
Hamas game wins because no peace agreement will be achieve if either Israel or any negotiator don’t count with Hamas as a necessary actor .
From this Platform we have always set out that Palestinian unity is crucial for ending occupation and war.
Hamas could have a place in peace conversations if they give up terrorism, as EU has recently affirmed. However, France requires its inclusion now in peace conversations.
Civil Society’s awakeness
It is Civil Society precisely who has shown in countless massive demonstrations against the war, in the most important European cities and in Muslim world. These rallies evidence, that tolerance against barbarism has reached the bottom of patience for the citizens of the world. Also the silence of their respective governments will change from now onwards.
European society, that has always seen Israel as an Holocaust victim and has respected its fight to get justice for Nazism crimes, is now confused by its government’s attitudes which compromises that historical inheritance. The victims of the past must not be transformed in the executioners of the present.
Civilian indifference belongs to the past. From this Platform we congratulate together with other millions of citizens in the world that had taken the streets claiming a ceasefire on Gaza War, defending peace and negotiations as the only way to solve the conflicts but not encouraging violence.
It’s time now that civil societies and its organizations beat the rhythm of big politics. The regular citizen doesn’t tolerate any more war or barbarism. This conscience that started with Iraq’s occupation continues with Gaza’s War. The crimes perpetrated can’t and mustn’t go unpunished. A durable peace only will be possible if it comes together with justice and damage reparation, and a process of negotiations where both parts are in equal conditions.
