As
Hamas continues to exploit protests to foment violence against
Israel, finding a way to help the people of Gaza in any meaningful
way becomes more and more challenging. All parties interested in
bringing change to Gaza need to face the reality that Hamas has
failed its own people.
A
New York Times article titled "Plan to storm fence gets bloody
preview in Gaza," by Iyad Abuheweila and David Halbfinger, is
one of several recent reports that have started to capture more
accurately the reality of Gaza, why the people there are suffering,
and what these so-called protests are really about.
As with so many issues with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, things are not black and white.
The
article does not shy away from hard facts. The authors describe
Israeli concerns about "the idea of swarming across the barrier,
a mass of tens of thousands of people too numerous for Israeli
soldiers to arrest or even to shoot."
They
cite an Israeli colonel's explanation that the protesters are "trying
to infiltrate into Israel, damage our infrastructure and kill
Israelis," and that Hamas leader Ismail Radwan urged protesters
not to fear death, but instead to welcome martyrdom. For additional
context, let's not forget that another leader, Yahya Sinwar, exhorted
protesters on April 6 to "tear down the wall and tear out their
[Israelis'] hearts."
The
April 27 New York Times opinion piece titled "Why I March in
Gaza," by Abu Shammalah, is an instructive contrast to the
Abuheweila-Halbfinger article. This op-ed has touching aspects -
written by a father who says he cherishes his life, speaks about his
precious children and his wife.
But he also describes the protesters as unarmed, when many are actually armed. And his characterization of the protests as nonviolent ignores the protesters who are quite violent. An inspiring description of how "kites flew" toward the fence must be balanced by pointing out that petrol bombs and swastikas were attached to some of those kites.
Many
blame Israel, Egypt and/or the Palestinian Authority for the
situation in Gaza. Too few, however, focus their criticism on Hamas,
which has been the de facto ruling entity of Gaza for a decade.
Let's
get real about this: Hamas, and its enablers, such as Iran, are
squarely to blame for the desperate situation in Gaza. Hamas has
consistently put its own destructive priorities above those of Gaza's
weary and increasingly desperate population.
The
Israelis have indicated that they want to do more to help the people
of Gaza, if they could be assured that additional things they allow
into Gaza will not be repurposed into weapons or used to build
tunnels to attack Israel. Israel might choose to ease restrictions on
travel if it could be assured that those who are crossing into and
through Israel will not commit acts of terror or be smuggling weapons
or cash to be used for terrorism.
Egypt
could also do more to help the people of Gaza, but Egypt shares the
same legitimate security concerns as Israel. President Mahmoud Abbas
and the Palestinian Authority could restore all salaries and payments
in Gaza. But Abbas also has legitimate concerns, even if the steps he
has taken are unfortunate and damaging.
Certainly,
we would not want to see the Palestinian Authority running an
above-ground government and Hamas running a shadow government below
ground. But neither Israel, Egypt nor the Palestinian Authority are
the actual cause of the problems; they can only be part of the
solution if given the right opportunity.
Deep and pervasive donor fatigue has set in. In the 15 months I have been on the job, I have heard only quick, temporary, small fixes for the people of Gaza. Donors understand that none of us can significantly change the situation in Gaza in the current environment.
No
one wants to spend money building and rebuilding, only to find what
they build is damaged or destroyed in yet another conflict.
I
have met many people from Gaza - impressive, resilient people. But
there will be a limit to what we can do for them while Hamas is in
charge. Hamas has managed to bring the people of Gaza, a people with
a proud history and great potential, nearly back to the stone age.
What an embarrassment, what desolation, what failure.
