Issues Under Fire: The Other Border War: Gaza Vs. Israel
Although the borders between the United States and Mexico and the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea get all the attention these days, the divide between the Israelis and the Palestinians is perhaps the most dangerously contentious in the world. After 70 years of conflict and separation, the Israelis and Palestinians will face-off in another deadly confrontation today. And that deadly confrontation will take place near the border. In fact, the clashes have already started. In anticipation of a replay of last week's March to Return protests, demonstrations, some say bloodbath, Israel conducted air strikes into Gaza to warn its prisoners to avoid further confrontations. But wait, I may be getting ahead of myself. You need the backstory.
Friday last, the people of Gaza came together to protest against the theft of their land and the right to return. While I haven't independently confirmed the total number of protesters, I can say with certainty it was in the tens of thousands. Unfortunately, it turned out badly. By all accounts, the people of Gaza were shot down like ducks in a barrel for the unmitigated gall. Seventeen Palestinians were killed by sniper fire with hundreds more wounded. Yet, there were few if any IDF soldiers reported injured. But that should be expected, considering the Palestinians were throwing rocks and burning tires. Yep, that's what the Israelis call a threat. And that's what makes this story so interesting. Talk about David against Goliath.
Well, that ugly confrontation will be repeated this Friday, as the people of Gaza will rise up again to express their anger, despair, and desperation against their jailers. And honestly, there's no other adjective to adequately describe those who're maintaining total care, custody, and control over the lives of the people of Gaza. Existing in what's been characterized as the world's largest open-air prison for decades, the stress of hopelessness becomes overwhelming over time and that stress can only be addressed with protest, demonstrations and yes, bloodbaths. The Israelis have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to aggressive dissent. So, whenever the people of Gaza try to approach the border today to make their feelings known, they can expect more of the same. A bullet to the head!
Sadly, with no solution to their plight in sight, the people of Gaza will continue to fight. They'll risk that bullet to the head with the slim hope, that someone on the other side of the world will see it and say something. They have no choice or alternatives. Unlike Mexicans, Hondurans, Guatemalans, Salvadorians, who can run for their lives and seek sanctuary, asylum or refugee status, there are no paths to freedom, because there is no way out. And even though those who can make it to America know they're not wanted, at least they don't face a bullet to the head. (Well, not yet anyway.) The people of Gaza are trapped and many have been so their entire lives. Having committed no crime, other than being born in the wrong place and time in history, generations of Gaza's people have been in a lifetime of lockdown.
The youth of Gaza know very little, if anything, about the world beyond unreliable satellite signals and intermittent Internet access. Every once in a blue moon, the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt will open temporarily for medical and humanitarian emergencies, but it's only temporary. So, one can imagine how the people of Gaza gather en-masse at the gates praying for an opportunity to breathe the fresh air of freedom, if only for a few hours before they're forced to return. Perhaps, that explains why hundreds of Palestinians were spotted bringing tires toward camps established along the border to burn today when the deadly protests resume. Again, they have no other choice or alternative. One can only presume the people of Gaza would rather fight and die quickly than live a long, hopeless and painful existence. Few would wish this unwarranted punishment on their worst enemies.
Bottom line: When you read, hear or see conflicting reports of what happened on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip today, I would encourage you to take the time to understand this conflict in its entirety. It's complicated, I know, but the mainstream media, i.e., CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox News, The New York Times and The Washington Post are notorious for downplaying the one-sided carnage, misreporting the facts and low balling casualty counts of Palestinians killed and wounded in these all too frequent violent encounters. And although I must admit, this post could easily be construed as a one-sided presentation of a complex situation, I make no apologies because I know the truth when I see it. Podcast below.
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