Issues Under Fire: Gaza's Seven Days in Hell and Counting
After days of unleashing hell on Gaza, Israel appears to have come to its collective senses. Releasing a short statement indicating they'd accepted the terms of a hastily constructed ceasefire agreement by the Egyptians, Israel may be signaling the bloodlust of the ultra-right may have been satiated. Still, one can only speculate if this latest spectacle of brut force will curb the cravings of the cold-blooded for very long.
More likely than not, the stories of the daily bloodletting of innocents bleeding across the front pages of newspapers, TV screens and the Internet, gave Israeli hard-liners reason for pause. Facing a public relations nightmare, international condemnation, growing global protest and certain isolation, no amount of spin or US Congressional support could assuage world anger, if Israel didn't find a way to cease and desist.
But not so fast, for at this writing, it appears Hamas has rejected the terms of the ceasefire agreement and look to be holding out for terms Palestinians can actually live with. They vow to continue the resistance until Israel release hundreds of Palestinians rearrested after being freed during a prisoner exchange for a kidnapped Israeli soldier. Hamas is also demanding an end to the Gaza blockade and the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Rather than engage in negotiations that could drag on for weeks months or even years, "some" Palestinians seem prepared to suffer in bloody hell for the short term in order to secure real and lasting concessions. From the more militant among them, it makes little sense for Palestinians to simply go back to a life not worth living. Returning to a life of rubble, ruins and permanent lockdown is hardly anything to get excited about.
Besides, Hamas is claiming they were never actually consulted about Egypt's ceasefire proposal, nor even received a copy of the document prior to its release. And that, could be the main problem. If somebody, anybody, in the outside world don't find a way to create some form of direct dialog with Hamas this could all be revisited again in six months or less.
Bottom line: After this latest savagery, the Palestinian people want serious assurances on the front end of any ceasefire deal. Their terms are simple and legitimate. In short, the Palestinian people want their get out of hell card and they want it now.
BTW, no Podcast of Issues Under Fire today. Unfortunately, we simply didn't have the energy or the stomach for it! However, there is an exciting episode of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe entitled The Restless Day to enjoy and share just below.
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