There are many things indeed in the political realm that make me weary. One of the worst is the notion that the conditions in Gaza are the responsibility of the Israelis. Why are the Palestinians not responsible for themselves or if not them directly what not their fellow Arab and Muslim neighbors? History would tell us that this latest allegedly peaceful protest entitled the "March for Return" is not a change in attitude but rather just a temporary change in tactics.
The Gulf States both Sunni and Shia make billions and billions of dollars every year from the sale of oil. But what funds they do funnel into Gaza and the West Bank goes largely into political operations, arms purchases and the straight up corruption of those in power with very little if any actually getting down to ground level for needed infrastructure and social services. For that they are sent with their hands out to the rest of the world saying "Oh look at how poor and deprived we are. You must feed and cloth and house us."
Anyone who thinks that given the opportunity the Arabs would not enter into another paroxysm of genocide again against the Jews is either naive, a fool or a flat out liar. It's been Muslim policy since Mohamad sent his army to slaughter the Jews of Medina for the offense of ridiculing him. It has shown little abatement since.
But rather than dwell on 1400 year old history let's concentrate on the more recent past. In the late 1930s the British expelled the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem for stirring up violence against the then very small Jewish popjlation of Palestine. He went to Damascus and then after the fall of France made his way through Vichey to Berlin where he entered into well documented discussions on how to exterminate their common enemy, the Jews. Hitler provided him with a large estate outside Berlin (seized from murdered Jews) where he remained throughout the war. In exchange for this hospitality he made shortwave radio broadcast to the Arab world extolling the virtues of the Nazis and calling for them to join in an alliance against the dcadent West and the Jews in particular. He personally went to Nazi occupied Yogoslavia and recruited Muslim troops that became the dreaded 13th Waffen SS Division that became notorious for hunting down and murdering Jews all across the Balkans.
After the war when the British blocked attempts to have the Mufti tried for war crimes at Nuremberg he went to Egypt and joined the nacent Muslim Brotherhood and injected his virulent hate into that organization.
Then came 1947 and the partition of Palestine. This became the first opportunity to create a free and independent Palestinian state. They rejected the UN offer, in no small part because of the Grand Mufti. They choose a war of extermination instead, determined to finish what Hitler had started. They failed.
In the wake of that failure it was not the Israelis who confined the Palestinians to the refugee camps. It was their Arab brothers in Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. For nearly twenty years there after these same Arab states, especially Eqypt and Jordan had every opportunity to create an independent Palistinian state in Gaza and The West Bank. They made no such effort. It wasn't even discussed. What the world got instead was hate and threats and preparations for war from the U.A.R. and more failed attempts to destroy Israel.
When the Israelis withdrew from Gaza they left behind considerable amounts of economic infrastructure both agricultural and industrial. The Gazan's reaction was destroy the greenhouses and truck farms. Rather than use the industrial infrastructure to build farm equipment or exportable goods they converted them to building arms and converting needed construction equipment into rocket launchers.
In the 70 years since their independence the Israelis have become famous for making the desert bloom and becoming not just agriculturally self-sufficient but exporters of food to the world, much of which they give to the Palestinians along with free emergency medical care.
The only thing stopping the Palestinians from providing for themselves is their hatred, their arrogance, their ignorance and their political leaders who care more for destroying Israel and killing Jews than they do for providing for the welfare of their people.
He Gazans are suffering all right but their afflictions have been put upon them by their own leaders and their Arab brothers who have manipulated their plight for their own purposes for seven decades. Frankly I don't see that changing any to soon. Certainly not if history is any acceptable guide.
Gaza could be the "Singapore of the Mediterranean". Gaza has beautiful beaches, a warm climate, proximity to archeological tourist sites in Israel and not much farther away in Egypt. It has a prime location for trade.
ReplyDeleteThe current situation in Gaza, and with the "Palestinians" in general, is entirely of their own doing.