Last Friday, Israel barricaded border crossings into Gaza, denying access to UN trucks carrying food and water. A humanitarian crisis is looming, and perhaps it is fear of the inevitable label of anti-Semitism that keeps those of us who can wield the pen as sword from examining this issue more thoroughly. And make no mistake about it; this is a moral issue that needs serious examination.
The UN Human Rights Council criticized Israel on Thursday for its blockade of Gaza, but the vote is under scrutiny because European Union members did not vote, citing “lack of balance” in a calculated political maneuver. Western powers criticized the resolution, saying that it made no mention of Palestinian rocket attacks launched from Gaza into Israel.
The rocket attacks are not surprising, considering that Israel cut power to the only sub station in Gaza that is capable of providing electricity that is essential for water and sewage treatment. Hospitals do not have the ability to run neo-natal incubators and other essential life-sustaining equipment.
So the innocent suffer.
It is unconscionable that Israel would turn its chokehold blockade of Gaza into a full-scale lockdown of all food, water and humanitarian aid. Bowing to international pressure instead of the pressures of morality, Israel on Tuesday permitted shipments of cooking gas and fuel to power Gaza's one power station.
In a 30 to one vote, the Human Rights Council adopted the resolution that called for "urgent international action to put an immediate end to the grave violations committed by the occupying power, Israel, in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
Palestinian militants set off bombs on Wednesday and destroyed the Israeli-built southern border wall, allowing thousands of Gazan refugees to pour into Egypt, creating yet another refugee crisis.
The life and work of Holocaust survivor, former teacher, and mentor Elie Wiesel has driven the work of this writer since college. Wiesel eloquently said: “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
As I considered this crisis, I naively thought, surely this man will have spoken about the current moral dilemma in a way that would provide guidance for those of us who want to shed light into the dark corners of oppression. There are reports that 80 percent of the 1.5 million people living in Gaza are dependent upon the food aid that Israel has denied.
Thorough searches of the Internet and libraries have provided no guidance from Elie Wiesel. He has been silent on Gaza, except to say that the Palestinians did not show the proper respect for Jews forced to leave Gaza by Israeli Prime Minister Sharon in 2005.
However, the United Nations has provided some guidance in terms of analysis of the oppression that Israel is now perpetrating upon the Palestinian people.
Doctor Wiesel, you wrote to me several years ago about my work and writings regarding the Rwandan genocide.
Do you remember the time you sat across the table at a dinner at Professor William Hill’s home in Chicago in 1972? Your soulful obsidian eyes with the deep, dark circles underneath looked into mine as you told me that surely I would be called upon to be a witness in my life. I was young and brash and ready for any challenge, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be asking you, you who know so well the feelings of persecution and misery, to come forward and offer hope for both Palestinians and Jews alike. Where is your compassion for the people of Gaza?
You speak about the dispossessed having to carry their “holiest possessions” to new homes when you speak of the relocated Jews.
Please, Doctor Wiesel, come forward and tell me, your former student, how I can help the holy mothers of Palestine who have no food to nourish the breast milk for their infants? Surely you of all people can understand the moral obligations we face? Humiliation and suffering know no international borders. You taught me this many years ago.
I am a writer with only my sword arm that now wields the pen, and my arm is broken. What can you offer me now in the way of wisdom and strength?
Georgianne Nienaber is a writer, author, and investigative journalist. She lives in the world. Her articles have appeared in The Huffington Post, SCOOP New Zealand, Glide Magazine, Rwanda's New Times, India's TerraGreen, COA News, ZNET, OpEdNews, The Journal of the International Primate Protection League, Friends of the Congo, Africa Front, The United Nations Publication, A Civil Society Observer, and Zimbabwe's The Daily Mirror. Her fiction exposé of insurance fraud in the horse industry, Horse Sense, was re-released in early 2006. Gorilla Dreams: The Legacy of Dian Fossey was also released in 2006. Nienaber spent much of 2007 doing research in South Africa, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was in DRC as a MONUC-accredited journalist, and recently spent six weeks in Southern Louisiana investigating hurricane reconstruction. She is currently developing a documentary on the Gulf of Mexico DEAD ZONE.
The rocket attacks are not surprising, considering that Israel cut power to the only sub station in Gaza that is capable of providing electricity that is essential for water and sewage treatment. Hospitals do not have the ability to run neo-natal incubators and other essential life-sustaining equipment.
The media leaves the false impression that Israel has completely cut Gaza's electricity...
...Despite ongoing Qassam attacks from the territory, Israel has not switched off the electricity. In fact, Hamas itself shut down Gaza's only power station after inviting the media to watch it do so...
...While Gazans are undoubtedly suffering, the dark picture painted by the mainstream media is different from the reality. As the Israel's Foreign Ministry notes, the supply of electricity to Gaza from the Israel and the Egyptian power grids (124 Megawatts and 17 Megawatts respectively) has continued uninterrupted. These 141 Megawatts of power represents about three quarters of Gaza's electricity needs...
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Barbara Peterson (46 articles, 80 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 416 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 11:18:40 AM
Barbara, Hamas shut down the power plant because Israel blocked fuel deliveries. Do you think they were they going to run the generators until they come to a grinding halt?
LONDON: Britain has condemned the escalation of suffering, as Israel blockades Gaza in response to a series of rocket attacks.
A call for an end to the aggression came in a joint statement by Foreign Secretary, David Miliband and Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander.
"The recent escalation of violence between Gazans and Israelis is extremely grave," it said.
"We deplore the fact that innocent civilians on both sides are suffering and the increasing number of casualties. Both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace and security. We urge all parties to exercise restraint."
Blame lay on both sides and each must back international moves for peace, said the statement.
"The rising number of rocket and sniper attacks from Gaza into Israel is unacceptable, as is the number of Palestinian civilian casualties," it said.
"We do not support Israel's decision to close all crossings into Gaza, preventing the delivery of vital humanitarian supplies as well as fuel to the Gaza power station.
"Reports that electricity has been cut due to fuel shortages are particularly alarming and require urgent attention. Continued fuel shortages will have immediate humanitarian consequences, including on the supply of clean water.
"We appeal to all parties to work for the reopening of the crossings.
"The UK will pursue this with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the UN, the EU and other partners," it added.
Miliband also held talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and called for restraint as Israel partially lifted a blockade on Gaza.
Miliband said that the international community had a role to play in calming tensions in the region.
"In Gaza, life has become completely unbearable, and that situation should not be allowed to continue," Fayyad said.
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Mac McKinney (42 articles, 69 quicklinks, 164 diaries, 1063 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 12:07:24 PM
For some reason, the 'reply to' link is not showing to your posting. Anyway, If I was being barraged by rockets I cannot say that I wouldn't cut off fuel to the group launching the rockets. What is not being said is that Israel supplies 3/4 of the electricity to Gaza, and is still doing so. This was never cut off.
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Barbara Peterson (46 articles, 80 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 416 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 12:21:08 PM
While the fuel supply from Israel into Gaza has indeed been reduced, due to the Hamas rocket attacks, the diversion of this fuel from domestic power generators to other uses is wholly a Hamas decision - apparently taken due to media and propaganda considerations.
Noteworthy is the fact that while the Gaza population remains in the dark, the fuel generating power to the Hamas rocket manufacturing industry continues to flow unabated.
Gaza's only electrical plant shut down Sunday after Israel blocked the shipment of fuel that powers them, plunging Gaza City and the northern strip into darkness and sending already beleaguered Gazans to stock up on food and batteries in anticipation of long, dark, cold days ahead.
Four hours after the blackout, Hamas says that five patients died because of the cutoff of electricity in hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force attempted to assassinate an Al Aqsa Bridage senior official late Sunday night in an air strike in northern Gaza. The official was injured in the strike and one of his men was killed.
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Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal appealed to Arab leaders and his rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on Sunday asking them to forget their differences and help the beleaguered Gazans.
The plea was rare show of emotion for the hard-line Khaled Mashaal, who lives in exile in Damascus, Syria.
"All Arab leaders, exercise real pressure to stop this Zionist crime ... take up your role and responsibility," he told Al-Jazeera satellite TV in a live interview from Syria. "We are not asking you to wage a military war against Israel ... but just stand with us in pride and honor."
Mashaal said he had been in contact Sunday with some Arab countries including Egypt and Saudi Arabia to see if they would pressure Israel.
A UN agency and human rights groups condemned Israel, but Israel said they should direct their criticism at Palestinian militant groups that fire rockets at southern Israel every day.
Shlomo Dror, a spokesman for Israel's Defense Ministry, said Gaza has enough fuel and accused Palestinian officials of trying to create the impression of a crisis that did not exist. Israel sealed all crossings into Gaza last week because of a spike in rocket barrages against southern Israel from the territory. The fuel supply into Gaza was reduced several weeks ago as a pressure tactic.
In addition to the fuel it receives from Israel to power its electrical plant, Gaza gets about two-thirds of its electricity directly from Israel. Israeli officials said that supply would not be affected.
According to a report by Israel Radio, the southern Gaza cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis have begun to receive electricity from Egypt.
Hamas officials shut down the plant and plunged Gaza City and the northern strip into total darkness, Gaza Energy Authority head Kanan Obeid said. TV crews and reporters were invited to witness the shutdown just before 8 P.M., when Gaza residents took to the streets in protest.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas demanded that Israel cease its blockade of Gaza and renew the flow of fuel to the Strip.
Health Ministry official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain warned that the fuel cutoff would cause a health catastrophe. "We have the choice to either cut electricity on babies in the maternity ward or heart surgery patients or stop operating rooms," he said.
Residents of Gaza City were buying up batteries and candles, as well as basic foods like rice, flour and cooking oil, said grocery store owner Sami Mousa. "More would be doing the same," he said, "but the problem is that the people don't have the money to buy."
Bakeries stopped operating because of the blockade, bakers said, because they had neither power nor flour.
There were no signs of panic, as Gazans have been living with fuel cutbacks, power outages and shortages of supplies since Islamic Hamas militants took over the seaside territory in June. But the power plant's closure would mean the loss of a third of the electricity for the territory's residents, largely affecting the 400,000 people in Gaza City, the main population center.
The regular fuel shipment from Israel hadn't arrived Sunday because the fuel terminal was closed, and the plant has nearly no stored reserves, said Rafik Maliha, director of the power plant. As of late afternoon, power outages were noticeable in parts of Gaza City.
Earlier, Obeid called on Gazans to cut back their use of electric appliances. The UN organization in charge of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, warned the move would drastically affect hospitals, sewage treatment plants and water facilities.
"The logic of this defies basic humanitarian standards," said Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency. Human rights groups also condemned the fuel cutoff, with the British group Oxfam calling it ineffective as well as unlawful. Gisha, an Israeli group that has fought the fuel cutbacks in Supreme Court, said "punishing Gaza's 1.5 million civilians does not stop the rocket fire; it only creates an impossible 'balance' of human suffering on both sides of the border."
Fayiz Abu Shammaleh, mayor of the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis, said if the fuel stoppage continued the municipality would have to stop collecting garbage, pumping water and treating sewage, instead funneling waste directly into the Mediterranean.
Hospitals can move to generators when the power goes out, but will have to cut back some activities like laundry, waste incineration and sterilization, hospital officials said. People still had enough fuel to cook Sunday and were able to power their electric heaters, but it was not clear how long that would last.
Dozens of people were seen lining outside a bakery in downtown Gaza, fearing the electricity cutoff would lead to a bread shortage.
Cabinet minister Zeev Boim said that rather than condemning Israel's move, the UN should condemn Palestinian militants for subjecting Israeli civilians to barrages of rockets. "I don't hear the UN's voice," Boim said.
Israel, with Egypt's cooperation, has largely blockaded Gaza since Hamas violently seized power there in June. Under Hamas rule, militants have been free to fire near-daily rocket barrages at western Negev towns around Gaza. Rocket attacks have markedly increase since last week due to an escalation in violence between Gazan militants and the Israel Defense Forces.
Despite imposing the blockade, Israel allowed basic food items and humanitarian supplies into Gaza. That changed Thursday, when Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered all crossings closed after days of exceptionally intense rocket fire.
The fuel terminal that supplies Gaza remained closed Sunday because of the Palestinian rocket fire, Defense Ministry spokesman Dror said. "But there is still fuel in Gaza, and the closure will not lead to a crisis," he said.
"If they shut it down, it's not because of a fuel shortage, but because they want to create the impression of a crisis," Dror said. "The power plant shutdown," he said, "would not be comfortable, but it's not a humanitarian crisis."
Officials had no precise definition of what constitutes a humanitarian crisis.
Despite the damage the sanctions are causing Gaza's population, Hamas said its attacks on Israel would not cease.
"We will not raise the white flag, and we will not surrender," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
Hamas' rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also protested the sealing of the crossings. "This is a painful time for the president. He is trying to stop this closure," said Nabil Shaath, an Abbas spokesman.
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Mac McKinney (42 articles, 69 quicklinks, 164 diaries, 1063 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 6:39:40 PM
Here are portions of an article in Ynet News about another issue that is overlooked:
"We're Supplying Electricity to Gaza Under Qassam Fire"
Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) workers' committee chairman, Miko Zarfati, livid at claims that Palestinians facing power shortage, saying his organization supplying vast majority of electricity to Strip
The Israeli Electric Company (IEC) is supplying nearly 70% of electricity to the Gaza Strip despite Palestinians' claims of a power shortage in Gaza, said Miko Zarfati, the chairman of the workers' committee at the power company.
"This is Palestinian spin. No one has stopped the supply of electricity to the Strip," Zarfati told Ynet. He claimed that his employees worked day and night in a power plant in Ashkelon while putting themselves in danger of being hit by Qassam rockets falling in the area....
"The situation is totally absurd. We're continuing to supply them electricity despite the (demand) overload for electricity in Israel and despite the fact that Israeli residents and Electric Company workers that are being sent to Gaza Vicinity communities are under threat from Qassam rockets," Zarfati railed...
"The Electric Company sends people to fix power outages that are caused from the Qassam barrages everyday in Sderot and the Gaza vicinity and more than one worker has already been injured in these rocket attacks."
The Gaza power plant only produces 30% of the electricity consumed in the Strip while Israel supplies the rest. Read more...
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Barbara Peterson (46 articles, 80 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 416 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 8:55:47 PM
Only 30% translates into some 300,000 to 400,000 people without electricity. Isn't this what's known as trying to put lipstick on a pig? It's not a complete catastrophe, only a partial catastrophe.
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Mac McKinney (42 articles, 69 quicklinks, 164 diaries, 1063 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 10:34:50 PM
Since no-one is disputing Barb's contention that Israel is still providing 75% of the usual amount of electricity Gaza uses, it's hard to imagine that electricity would be shunted away from hospitals.
It's easy to imagine that Hamas would learn from George Herbert Walker Bush and lie about hospital patients, which is what Bush Sr. did to justify attacking Iraq in the early '90s.
It's sad. Israel, Gaza, the US-- the all have bad leaders who really don't want and won't do what it takes to attain peace.
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Rob Kall (807 articles, 3921 quicklinks, 332 diaries, 1702 comments)
on Friday, January 25, 2008 at 8:03:41 AM
My point exactly. It is difficult to think beyond emotions in this issue, but isn't that just what Bush played on after 9/11? When emotions are high truth takes a back seat, and adept "leaders" take full advantage to create spin. This is not limited to the U.S. or Israel. All "leaders" are suspect.
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Barbara Peterson (46 articles, 80 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 416 comments)
on Friday, January 25, 2008 at 11:30:05 AM
The electricity is just symptomatic of a larger problem, this whole idea of collective punishment, which just goes on and on injuring the innocent on both sides and creating more anger, injustice, resentment and enemies. It is a perfect vicious cycle. It's like the left hand attacking the right hand with an ice pick because one finger is obnoxious, and then the right hand retaliates, until both hands are bleedling profusely and full of holes. This is all predicated on the idea that neither hand has anything in common, while they are both attached to the same body, so the whole body suffers pain and sickness as well. Now equate the body with humanity and Israel and Palestine with the hands.
There is a better way. How many avatars have to come down on earth and say: Hatred never banishes hatred. Only love can eliminate hatred. But that means everyone has to let go of their personal and collective egos long enough to forgive each other. Egotism only makes individuals and nations stupid and destructive.
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Mac McKinney (42 articles, 69 quicklinks, 164 diaries, 1063 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 1:37:11 PM
I have traveled the middle east and I can say for a fact that the people of the middle east are just like you and me, they just wana survive and feed their families.
If our governemnt cut off power and food you can be we would be doing the same things.
I think the world should read the book "How to make a Terrorist for Dummies". Maybe they would try a different approach.
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Michael Morris (18 articles, 0 quicklinks, 15 diaries, 300 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 11:58:40 AM
painfully obvious that Israeli govt is the enemy of its own people. If Israelis really want security only ( screw peace) they should have occupied and annexed Gaza. If they value peace and security they should be the first to help the Gaza population so that those people see who their real friend is. But the Israeli govt, paralysed by our involvement and also by their own paranoya uses its own citzens as pawns in the game of bantustans. They just play hide and seek which goes nowhere and will achieve nothing. Now, it is inconceivable to me that the people here, on this site do not understand that the problem in the Middle East is us. The UN, the one that gave mandate to the US on Iraq(!) has no credibility. It is a horrible abscess we are creating and those who play on it, on all sides are criminals indeed.
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Mark Sashine (50 articles, 19 quicklinks, 244 diaries, 3453 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 12:33:04 PM
We need the UN, with all its flaws as a human instutution. I have seen MONUC at work, and Congo would be even more of a disaster without MONUC there. Same goes for much of Central Africa...and let's not get into what happened in Rwanda which was the fault of the Clinton administration.
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Georgianne Nienaber (145 articles, 46 quicklinks, 13 diaries, 337 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 12:38:52 PM
A very good analysis! The governments of all the players are using their own people as pawns. And as far as the UN goes? This organization is as corrupt as it gets. Good post.
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Barbara Peterson (46 articles, 80 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 416 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 12:53:17 PM
I enjoyed the article, but I wouldn't expect much from Elie Wiesel---although I respect you confronting him. For a long time now he has worked to cover-up and sanctify the injustice of the Israeli state, as well as other atrocities like the US attack on Serbia in '99---of course all in the name of "The Holocaust." Also, in Chomksy's book "Turning the Tide" on Latin America, he documents Wiesel's complicity in perpetuating the horrors of US/Israeli backed death squads---many of whom were open admirers of Adolf Hitler.
What an outrage that a charlatan like Wiesel continues to be respected by the mainstream media and many on the left. Thanks again for your article.
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Hans Bennett (19 articles, 58 quicklinks, 62 diaries, 104 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 12:45:03 PM
As a person of Jewish origin, a ' child of miracle' ( because we were all supposed to be dead) who lived half of his life right in front of the Baby Yar ( the one of the most horrible places of masacres of the Jews) I testify that the people who perished in the Holocaust were in their overwhelming majority secular Jews and surely non- Zionist. In fact, the Jewish people in Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Baltics, Moldova, etc were primarily secular to the core. They, if they could speak would not understand why their memory is misused by the people who never had anything in common with them. Secular Jews are considered by the Zionists as the worst enemies of the movement. The horrible fate of those people cannot in any way justify any abuse by the Israelis of any Arabic population. I mentioned many times and in many articles of mine that the govt of Israel hijacked the Jews as people: now very rarely people distinguish between the Jewish people and Israel: Israel claims to speak for all Jews. Nothing can be further from the truth. Jewish people in all countries whenever they live are first and foremost citizens of those countries and they do not have 'two countries'. Israeli govt has no right to claim Jews, whether alive or dead as their property. Thus usage of the Holocaust in any way to justify the actions of the Israeli govt is an insult to the memory of those who perished.
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Mark Sashine (50 articles, 19 quicklinks, 244 diaries, 3453 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 1:50:31 PM
