The Gaza Withdrawal - Another Drama Enacted
[ The present discourse, unveiling the real design of Israeli ruling class and American imperialism behind the withdrawal of Jews settlers from the Gaza and West Bank areas of Palestine, reached the editorial board quite a few days ago. But due to various reasons publication of FAPP got delayed. Naturally, during this period, some more events took place in Israel and Palestine. Since the main article is still relevant so it is decided to publish it while adding the subsequent developments in the section 2 of the present article. Thereafter, some days before the publication of this issue, HAMAS won the election in Palestine, though unexpectedly to many. No doubt, this win will affect not only the future of Palestine but of the whole region. Rejoinders on the election win of HAMAS and subsequent events are added to the present article. — Editorial Board. ]
From the 15th of August, for a couple of days, the world was witness to a rare sight — eviction of about 8500 Jewish settlers from the Gaza strip and from some of the smallest four settlements of West Bank by the Israeli forces themselves. Thanks to the much hyped publicity of the international media. The world was shown how in spite of protests and despair of the Jewish settlers the Sharon government took such a 'great step' of unilateral withdrawal from Gaza's occupied territory. It is the first instance of such withdrawal since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. U.S. President Bush congratulated Sharon for his 'bold initiative; British Prime Minister Tony Blair commented on it 'as an historic opportunity to pursue a better future for Israelis and Palestinians' towards a just and lasting peace, free from the surge of terrorism'. More than 6000 'embedded' journalists were allowed to accompany the 50000 Israeli forces on this occasion for worldwide media coverage. The international media and intellectuals showed sympathy and praise. Sympathy for the evicted Jewish settlers and praise for Sharon and his governments steadfastness was aroused.
But compare this eviction with the eviction of Palestinians from the Rafah settlement in the same Gaza strip, which took place only last year. It is impossible to miss the stark difference. Rather we may start feeling that there is something amiss. Questions surely ought to arise that is this really a change of heart for the Palsestine bashing Israeli rulers?
Only last year about 14000 Palestinians were forcibly evacuated from Rafah. Did the media then swarm Rafah to show it to the world? No. The Israeli government were not at all willing and neither were its staunch promoters— the U.S. and British ruling classes. But that eviction was a devilish nightmare for the poor, hopeless Palestinians. When the Israeli bulldozers rolled into Rafah it was then still dark, before dawn. Only 5 minutes warning was given to the Palestinian settlers to evacuate. Then, in a swoop, demolition started. Life savings, houses and all were crushed. In the midst of the barking loudspeakers ordering the settlers to evacuate immediately, many didn't even have time to go upstairs and collect as much of their belongings they could. Fleeing with children in the dark night they risked being shot if they turned round or delayed. Between January and October 2004 on an average about 77 houses were mowed down every month. Of course the government-sponsored media was not there in thousands to show us those pictures of brutality. Instead a few foreigners like Rachel Corrie, Tom Hurndall and James Miller standing in the midst of it vainly tried to block the Israeli forces and to record the destruction being carried out. They had to pay with their lives alongside scores of murdered Palestinians. News of this only trickled out into other parts of the world.
During the recent eviction of Jewish settlers the picture is startlingly different. The Israeli forces had undergone special 'sensitisation' training to treat the Jewish settlers humanely. Buses were arranged to take away the evacuees and their belongings. News of the planned evacuation and its deadline was given many months beforehand. Israeli courts sanction was obtained. Discussions took place in Israeli Parliament—the Knesset. And above all, large amount of money as compensation package and houses at subsided prices were arranged for. An average of money and benefit worth US $ 250,000 per family! In addition James Wolfensohn, the former World Bank president and George Bush's current Middle East envoy, raised 14 million US dollar of 'privately' donated money from the US!
What an amazing contrast! Devilish nightmare for one and humane treatment for another! While the ravaged Palestinians had to flee like hunted animals, the eviction of Jews — 'Operation Brotherly Hand' was filled with sympathy and compensation for their losses. Not only the Sharon government, but also even the USA have funded this recent eviction. It has been publicised heavily. It has been hailed. And from it hopes are being raised for solution of the sixty-year-old Palestine problem — 'lasting peace' and ' a better future for Israelis and Palestinians'. Bush and Blair who are spilling blood everyday in Afghanistan, Iraq, maybe tomorrow Iran, are promoting this whole-heartedly. And Sharon, in spite of opposition within his party, his government and his country, has suddenly become a 'haloed' statesman, through his unilateral disengagement from an occupied territory that was stuck under Israel's military might for last four decades and more! Even the Palestine Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas is rallying Palestinian in Gaza for celebration and jubilations. In fact the Palestine Authority coordinated jointly with the Sharon government for this withdrawal for several months. Isn't it amusing? Isn't it inexplicable?
The knotty point really is has Israel suddenly changed its plans from expansion, destruction and aggression in the last few months? Has the imperialist-patronised military machine called Israel and its infamously known 'bulldozer' Sharon changed overnight? Is it truly the eve of formation of the state of millions of homeless, uprooted, battered Palestinians? It is only the answers to these questions in its entirety that can solve the riddle posed by this recent unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. Because these questions constitute the main apple of discord — the formation of a country, a state of the Palestinians free from imperialist America's domination, free from American patronised Israeli bullying. It is for realising that aspiration, thousand of Palestinians are struggling with their lives for the last six decades.
Hence it is on this moot point that Sharon's recent step of withdrawal from Gaza needs to be judged. And it is on this point that Sharon is in for a new game. The 1993 Oslo Accord between Palestine leader Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was on the face of it a 'historical step' towards formation of an independent sovereign Palestine state. But de facto it formalised to a great extent the handing over of military and economic powers over Palestinians to the Israeli government. The Palestinian leaders of Palestine Liberation Organisations, the Fatah party, became dependent on Israel economically, forgoing even its military rights to defend against Israeli aggression. The Palestine Authority was established and its leaders, the rulers of Palestine became appendage of Israeli government. From behind, America, the patron of Israel, implemented its domination on the Palestine Authority. Israel's military aggression and economic exploitation increased unabated. The Palestinian peoples revolt once again resurfaced with much force — the second Intifada from the year 2000. Once again in 2003 'a road map to creation of Palestine state' was discussed in the presence of big powers like America, European Union, Russia and the U.N. It was another fruitless exercise. Now with US patronised Mahmoud Abbas at the helm of Palestine Authority, Israel government and Palestine Authority are coordinating such moves as the present Gaza withdrawal. And Mahmoud Abbas is claiming success for the Palestinians as well. But interestingly while giving away lands to the Palestinians, Sharon is continuing with the Israeli expansion and hegemony in the region. Saying it in other words, Sharon is running with the hare and hunting with the hound. He has roped in the hare Mahmoud Abbas and his troupe while not budging an inch from hunting the Palestine region with the hound of hounds America.
It is in this perspective of the events that the Gaza withdrawal must be seen. In one sense it was the consequence of the mounting losses to Israel in Gaza militarily and economically, which was no doubt due to the stubborn resistance of the Palestinians. But this small stretch of land is a pawn of Sharon's present plan, given away for a bigger prize of territories in West Bank and Jerusalem. It never meant a change of track for an imminent solution of the Palestine problem. In spite of the withdrawal, Israel has retained its full control over air, land and sea borders and kept Gaza isolated as a wretched prison surrounded by electrified wire fencing. The withdrawal is only the first step of Sharon's new game. He has himself made it clear immediately after the withdrawal sweeping away all other speculations. One of the main reasons for Israeli withdrawal is that with growing Palestinian population in Gaza Israel's so-called 'demographic problem'—that is the question of securing a Jewish majority within Israel — remained elusive. But in the same breath he did not forget to remind also that there would be no ' second disengagement,' no withdrawal from the major West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements. On the contrary, the recently 'haloed' leader of withdrawal Sharon said, ' There will be building in the settlement blocks.... 'Each government since 1967 — right, left and national unity — has seen strategic importance in specific areas I will build.. 'This is something you will be able to see in a short time, that there will be no second disengagement.'
In fact, we don't even have to wait for that short time to see it. Craftily arousing false hopes through the Gaza withdrawal Sharon has already started moving ahead with his double game. Some of the 8000 and more Jewish settlers removed from Gaza have simply shifted to the occupied territory of West Bank. Sharon has made it clear he does not oppose this. With not even a week elapsing after the withdrawal the Israeli forces have begun issuing land expropriation orders to Palestinians living near Moaleh Abdumin, East of Jerusalem — one of the largest Palestinian settlements in West Bank. The land seizures are to facilitate the construction of Israel's separation walls. It will cut off direct link between North Palestine towns and cities (Ramallah, Nablus) and those in the South (Bethlehem, Hebron). The expropriation orders of 158 hectars of Palestinian land will be leaving Palestinian grazing grounds, olive grooves and 250 wells on the Israel side of the barrier. Beneath the veil of withdrawal the right wing Zionist movements' plans for establishing a 'Greater Israel' is proceeding in a planned manner. The Palestinians are being further arranged into isolated, encircled smaller territories dependent on Israel for communication with the outside economically ruined.
A very important thing to note is that the US is a wholehearted accomplice of Israel in this game. Behind apparent conflicting statements and some sort of pressure on the Sharon government to solve the problem of creation of Palestine state Bush and Sharon are in full agreement on this path taken by Sharon. Sharon is acting as an unflinching agent of America's so-called 'war on terror' in the Middle —East and Bush is promoting the Israeli expansions in the garb of withdrawal. News reports are showing that in the latest phase of America targeting Iran, Israel has handed over so-called satellite pictures of nuclear arms manufacturing establishments in Iran provoking America to intervene militarily in Iran. Bush is fully assisting Sharon in return.
Supporting the holding of occupied territories of West Bank and East Jerusalem blocks by Israel Bush said, that a permanent peace agreement would have to reflect the 'demographic realities' in West Bank. Reminding about his meeting with Sharon last April he had to say 'As I said last April, new realities on the ground make it unrealistic to expect that the outcome of the final status negotiations will be a full and complete return on the armistice lines of 1949'. Thus on the plea of acknowledging 'new realities on the ground' America is deliberately turning a blind eye to the continuing reinforcement and expansion of occupied territories by Israel in West Bank and Jerusalem. The long wall of separation is being constructed in full violation of all international agreements and laws bringing in more and more fertile parts of the region within Israeli rule. Sharon has secured the support of Bush administration for his insistence that the largest and most important settlement in this region will permanently remain part of Israel. The only objection remains in publicizing such occupations of newer territories. The world must not know about it. Sharon said 'the publicity (regarding occupancies of Maaleh Abdumin) put them [the US —Editor] in a very different spot.'
The further shift in US policy in favour of Israel reneging on previous proclamation has given a green light to Sharon's game. Sharon declared 'It is no secret that like many others I believed and hoped we could further hold onto.. two of the most important of Gaza settlements... But the changing reality in the country, in the region and the world, required of me a reassessment and change of positions.' So the costly burden of Gaza has been sacrificed as returns for the bigger prizes at West Bank and Jerusalem with America sanction. So now Sharon is on the task of carrying out more and more territories in this region and by force of Israel's military might change West Bank and Jerusalem's 'demographic reality'. Palestinians are being swept away and Jewish population implanted. In an interview to an ultra-orthodox newspaper Sharon explained his plan thus "The Americans have often asked us to sketch out the boundaries of the large settlement blocks in Judea and Samaria (in West Bank) and we have already refrained from doing so in the hope that by the time the discussion on the settlement blocks comes, these blocks will contain a very large number of settlements and resistant.." meaning quite categorically that a large Jewish population will already be settled by them changing its 'demographic reality' in favour of Israel.
Thus the recent Gaza withdrawal was only a well-publicised pawn to distract attention from the continuing aggression and expansion in West Bank and Jerusalem. It was decided well in advance during Sharon's visit to America last April. It was then only then Bush started harping misleadingly 'to me, that's were the attentions of the world ought to be on Gaza.' 'We are now ready to help the Palestinians seize the moment that Sharon has provided in Gaza. So that's where our attention is focussed.'
The deceptions of Gaza withdrawal has ushered in a new phase of danger for the millions of struggling Palestinians still yearning for an independent states of their own. While Israel is on its way to fuller consolidate 'Greater Israel' The most dangerous part of it is that the Palestine Authority leaders Mahmoud Abbas and his team in the midst of celebrating the withdrawal is obscuring the designs of Israel. With Hamas coming to the forefront of this militants struggle of Palestinians there are indications of internal strife and struggle for leadership of the six decade old struggle.
Post-Gaza Withdrawal situation:
After the sudden unilateral withdrawal of the Jews from the settlements in Gaza by the Israeli Sharon-led government a number of new developments that may influence the future have occurred. These developments also reflects to a certain extent the inner aspirations of the Israeli and Palestinian societies, which is albeit being sought to resolved in the ways conforming to ruling class interests. Such important facts or developments are:
NEWER DEVELOPMENTS IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
i) After the opposition to Sharon's Gaza withdrawal and withdrawal from 4 small pockets of West Bank within his own Likud Party, Prime Minister Sharon has quit the party and formed a new party 'Kodima'(meaning forward) adopting an apparently centrist stance. He is presently promoting the policy of
(a) settlement of final boundaries of Israel, and is ready to
(b) take unilateral; decision and steps in that regard.
ii) The labour Party of Israel based mainly on the well-to-do, educated, elites has defied all poll assessments and predictions and chosen a new leader from what used to be known as "the Secomnd Israel".
They are Jews with roots in Muslim and Arab world —the Mizradin-who are disproportionately poor, having great resentment against the discrimination suffered at the hands of the rulers of the Israeli state, namely European Jews of the Labour party. Now Amir Pertez, a Moroccan-born Trade Union leader, running Histradut, Israel's Trade Union Centre has come up from this rank tobecome leader of the Israel's Labour Part. He has presented an alternative to Thatcherite, neo-liberal policies of Sharon. This is a break from the previous Labour Party policies which was led by a long time influential leader of Israeli ruling circles Shimon Peres and which served as an important support to the Sharion's Likud coalition government. Peres has been removed and the new leader Pertez has advocated (a) End to Sharon's unilateralism (b) formation of Palestanian State and ushering peace through direct negotiations with Palestenians (c) breaking away from the ruling coalition and forcing new election (the Labour Party recently voted to pull away their 8 ministers) (d) Defence spending and occupation have drained too much money for too long, do the cash currency spent on settlements must go to the Israel's poor instead.
(iii) Along with those in the imminent power struggle in the electoral arena is developing in the two nations of Palestine and Israel as the parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place in January end in Palestine and March-end in Israel. This struggle is gradually emerging from the different lines of approach to the Palestine problem which are newer in shades. Sharon's so-called 'Centrist' being propagated by his new party Kodima is being supported by Shimon Peres, the ousted labour leader and staunched accomplices of Sharon in Likud government. New leader Amir Pertez, relcting in someway the voices of the lower classes, as opposed to Sharon's policies has also a gaining influence with his ideas that economic security of the country can really ensure national security.
Although Likud party's remaining force, who are still in a determining position in the country, are sticking to their old conception of building Greater Israel through oppression and military might, these two lines of thinking of Sharon, and labour leader Pertez seems to be gaining ground among the masses. In spite of the fact that 'Internal security' is still dominant among the Israelis, the force of the 2nd Intifada has a influence on the masses to such an extent that probably they have started realizing the felicity of dominance through military might alone, while the economy has remained tremendously affected. So theissue of Israeli economy's has also come to force, in which Israel has already tested some development along capitalist-imperialist line after 1993 US-Israel Accoed.
(iv) On the other side of the line, in Palestine also, a struggle centred on coming election is visible. Two incidents are evidences of this struggle:
(a) On 28th December dozens of masked gunmen took over election offices in Gaza strip, exchanging fire with Palestinian Police, demanding spaces in the candidates' list for January election. At about the same time Fatah party's two main factions-so-called 'young' and 'old' guards-announced an end to an internal rift that had threatened to bolster the electoral prospect of the militant Hamas. It was decided that Fatah will submit a single, unified list for the election.
(b) The Israeli government tried utmost to prevent of Palestanians of East Jerusalem in the elections. This was a move to block Hamas from participation. Sharon just before his recent attack of stroke, ordered that candidates be prevented from campaigning in Jerusalem, and even threatened to stop voting. The Palestanians built up tremendous pressure and even the present Palestanian leadership, the U.S. and other western powers can not deny the fact that Hamas is a group with the support of a third or more of Palestanian voters can not be excluded from the political process. But the imperialist have laid their conditions, that Hamas must disarm and end its war against Israel once they are represented in the parliament. For the present, ultimately under US pressure Israeli government has also allowed the participation of East Jerusalem Palestanian as before which they feared which they feared with electoral participation of Palestanians from there would further get legitimacy as being a part of future Palestine state and prop up Hamas.
On January the Hamas, a fortnight before elections, has dropped its call for the destruction of Israel from its manifesto for the parliamentary election. The manifesto takes a more ambiguous position by saying Hamas has decided to compete in the election because it would contribute to "establishment of an independent state where capital is Jerusalem". "Our nation is at a stage of natural liberation and it has the right to act to regain its right by using all means, including armed resistance" it says. The Hamas which came into being during the stormy days of 2nd Intifada recently get some notable successes in the local elections. Now it is being spurred by the present situation to fill up the vacuum of the more and more campaignings Fatah, as the question of some final retracing if Israel and Palestine map is once again gaining momentum.
THE PRESENT PLAN OF US-LED IMPERIALISTS IN THE REGION:
A number of recent incidents in the Middle East reveal the present imperialist policies led by the US in the region. After the dismantling of erstwhile Soviet Union, the contending superpower in the region and the 1990-91 Iraq war the US-led forces are moving ahead with their plans of redrawing areas of control in the Middle-East, and Central Asia. Leaving aside the issue of "coloured revolutions" in Central Asia, if we the pattern of incidents in Middle-East resulting from USA's so-called 'war on terror' we will not miss the plan being unfolded. USA is trying by the dint of its military might to install its chosen governments in the name of setting up democracy in the region. And in this it is deftly trying to utilize various contradictions already present in the region to assemble more and more allies from different ruling sections in the region, going beyond the old proven allies like Israel, Saudi Arabia. How far their plan will succeed is another question that may be decided by the conditions of intra-imperialist rivalry and the growing discontent against US amongst the masses. But the Palestine problem being sought to be reduced in a different way at present is very much in conformity with this overall plan.
Here are some instances that reveal US plans:
i) The formation of a new constitution and a new government in Iraq is at the center of this plan. Yesterday such an experiment was started with Afganistan which is still in continuation.
ii) Then came the demonstration suppressed by joint-US in Lebanon which was precipitated by the killing of a former Prime Minister of Lebanon against Syrian influence on the country. The pro-US forces are demanding election under the long established distorted state structure in the name of establishing democracy. Such is the system that it gives the Christian population open, unfair privileges against the muslims. It can open up only the return of pro-US, pro-Israeli influence in Lebanon weakening another anti-Israeli, anti-US bastion.
iii) In fact while pursuing such aims of extending its hegemony in the Middle East, US is practicing much of tight-rope walking, specially keeping in mind the existing antagonisms of Shia-Sunni divide. On one side is the center of Shia forces-Iran and on the another side the important Sunni forces like Saudi Arabia.
Thus according to US calculation, a breakthrough in its plan can be achieved if it can involve Iran with its influence over Shia and Kurds, and Arab countries with their deep rooted ties with Sunnies together. With the incrasing Sunni tension in Iraq and its consequences percolating into the other Middle East countries coming to the surface, a reconciliation conference was promised. Hosted by Arab league, most of the leading forces in Iraq and the Middle East such as —Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria-assembled in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. Thus as much craftily as possible the imperialist forces, that once supported the tyrannical regimes of the region, are now up to put up a fa?ade of democracy, by propping up pro-US regimes through so-called 'elections' and 'democracy'.
iv) Another aspect that also deserves attention, is the question of economy, making a breakthrough out of economic stagnation in which these countries are, especially the not-so-oil-rich ones are entangled. These countries seek industrial and technological development and the imperialist one also seeking this opportunity very much carry on their exploitative programme of globalisation. We have seen this kind of development to a certain extent in Israel and Palestine a la Post-Oslo Accord, where tremendous exploitation of raw, cheap labour has started at the expense of Palestine.
As another instance we can find it another recent ally of US —Jordan. In 1996, six EPZs were created in Jordan to compensate for the small kingdom's pro-US role in the Oslo Peace process. Jordan in the midst of deep recession and unemployment since the 1st Gulf war of 1990s was also yearning for this. 70% of the people are Palestinian refugees. To revive and build up new textile industries, 100% export oriented industrial units were set up with US help, and the preferential access to US's textile market was given. The only other condition, other than playing a pro-US role, was to ensure a place for Israeli industries by producing goods containing at least 8% of value added products from Israeli companies. We have seen similar outcomes in Palestine after Oslo Accord. Thus imperialist hegemony is seeking to bring the establishment of so-called democratic government and rampant economic exploitation in tandem.
CONCLUSION:
Keeping these feature of the Middle East perspective and the recent developments in Jordan and Palestine in mind, the question of Israel and the Palestine Problem after Gaza Withdrawal may be summed up as :
i) After about five decades of continuous war and aggression of Israel on the Palestinians, the state of Israeli economy is thriving by bourgeoisie paved path for the exploitation of Palestine economy through the 1993 Oslo Accord. Now they are yearning for more
The obstacles to this are mass resistance like the 2nd Intifada-which once again proved as jolt to the Israeli's policy of military oppression. It has proved too costly eating way the plan for further development of Israeli bourgeoisie. In Gaza strip about half of the total Israeli troops and associated large scale expenditure had become a burden. On the top of this the Sharon's government's Thatcherite policies of cut in government expenditure, curtailment of welfare measure had added to the discontent among the masses. Especially affected are so-called Ardo Jews, the Israeli under-class, mostly bear the burnt of unemployment. The question that is naturally emerging from the spokesman of the society is continuing war and military expenditure for national security or national development, to ensure national security which will be able to break the impasse? There is brewing dissent against such continued war-mongering. Naturally final drawing of border, consolidation of Israeli state and the issues like development od the national economy are being heard from Sharon and Pertez.
ii) On the hand the Palestinians, dependent like a colony on Israel economy, have been ruined further after the Oslo Accord. P.A. leaders like Mahamoud Abbas being collaborators of US-Israeli economic plans in the region may try hard to sustain and act in tandem with Sharn's new plan to remain satisfied with a small chunk of the pie but the support by Palestinian masses is eroding. Their dissent with Sharon's plans, of cordoning and erection of walls, Fatah party's compromising stance is bringing a more militant organization, Hamas to the forefront.
iii) So for the Israeli ruling class it is a question of redrawing and consolidating the Israeli nation, its boundaries, for further economic development which Sharon has started in a new way is seeking to realize the Israeli ruling classes aim of 'Greater Israel' in a different way allowing certain concessions to the Palestinians and consolidating the better thriving region in occupied territory in Israel's favour. Thus Gaza could be given away as it becomes to expensive to maintain., while the upcoming barrier walls in West Bank halp to consolidate a new boundary for Israel. Palestine can be atomized, broken up and an 'indenpent' state dependent on Israel and imperialist allowed to form.
iv)The US and other imperialist forces is seriously pursuing this Sharon's road to peace and first settlement of the boundaries of the two nations —Israel and Palestine. This is evident when in spite of Israel government's initial opposition by US mediation, a special understanding between the three countries on the opening of Gaza-Egypt border crossing and free movement of Palestinians was reached.
Point of opposition to the Palestinians of east Jerusalem Palestinians by Israel government once again US intervened to allow it.
This is happening with overall strategy in the Middle East at present, USA is promoting the formation of so-called democratically sustainable Israel and Palestine states. Obviously place within the exploitative, hegemonic imperialist-capitalist set-up. For Israeli society is showing the sign of strain of continuing a relentless war and America itself is searching for more and more exploitable regions in the era of globalization to shed of its financial burdens.
Source: I) THE HINDU 08.08.05, 15.08.05, 16.08.05, 17.08.05, 18.08.05, 20.08.05.
II) http://Wsws.org/ RickKelly/18.08.05
III) http://www.workersworld.org.
IV) http://www. Global policy.org.
V) http:// wsws.org/JEANS HAOUL/ 10.09.05
VI) http:// wsws.org/Rick Kelly/ 29.8.05
VII) http:// wsws.org/Rick Kelly/ 16.04.05.
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