Powering Hamas
"Attorney General Mazuz said the plan to reduce power to Gaza needed further scrutiny because of the possible impact on the population."
Reuters, Oct. 29, 2007
President George W Bush last week accused Iran of assisting terrorism by supplying Hamas and Hezbullah, known terrorist organizations. But Hamas gets its electricity and fuel, not from Iran, but from Israel! Without these sources of power, Hamas could not function as a terrorist group. By that token, Israel could be justly accused of facilitating terrorism against itself by supplying energy to Gaza, the base of Hamas.
Although nominally part of the Palestine Authority, Gaza has been effectively dominated by Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Organization, since June of 2007. Unlike Fatah, Hamas openly vows to destroy Israel. Moreover, rockets are fired from northern Gaza into Israel every day, causing terror, damage, injuries, and even death. Each rocket attack is an act of war. Although Hamas soldiers are not firing these rockets, Hamas does nothing to stop those who do.
The government of any territory is responsible for attacks launched from its land, so Hamas bears full responsibility for the rocket attacks, no matter what group actually fires them. Although Israel has periodically bombed launching sites and conducted military operations in northern Gaza to kill or capture the attackers, until now the Jewish State has continued to supply fuel and electricity to Gaza. It is hard to recall any other country that has continued to supply an entity with which it is at war.
The European Union (EU) has warned Israel against imposing "collective punishment" on Gazans (Reuters). The trouble is that collective punishment is the only kind of response that has any chance of pressuring Hamas to halt the rockets. What would any EU country do if it were assaulted by rockets across its border?
Life in Gaza is pretty miserable, and lack of electricity will make it a lot more miserable. But if the people are miserable enough, they just may convince their leaders to keep the peace with Israel. If the Government of Israel is serious about pacifying the Gaza border, it should cut off all electricity and fuel until the attacks stop for good.
Reuters, Oct. 29, 2007
President George W Bush last week accused Iran of assisting terrorism by supplying Hamas and Hezbullah, known terrorist organizations. But Hamas gets its electricity and fuel, not from Iran, but from Israel! Without these sources of power, Hamas could not function as a terrorist group. By that token, Israel could be justly accused of facilitating terrorism against itself by supplying energy to Gaza, the base of Hamas.
Although nominally part of the Palestine Authority, Gaza has been effectively dominated by Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Organization, since June of 2007. Unlike Fatah, Hamas openly vows to destroy Israel. Moreover, rockets are fired from northern Gaza into Israel every day, causing terror, damage, injuries, and even death. Each rocket attack is an act of war. Although Hamas soldiers are not firing these rockets, Hamas does nothing to stop those who do.
The government of any territory is responsible for attacks launched from its land, so Hamas bears full responsibility for the rocket attacks, no matter what group actually fires them. Although Israel has periodically bombed launching sites and conducted military operations in northern Gaza to kill or capture the attackers, until now the Jewish State has continued to supply fuel and electricity to Gaza. It is hard to recall any other country that has continued to supply an entity with which it is at war.
The European Union (EU) has warned Israel against imposing "collective punishment" on Gazans (Reuters). The trouble is that collective punishment is the only kind of response that has any chance of pressuring Hamas to halt the rockets. What would any EU country do if it were assaulted by rockets across its border?
Life in Gaza is pretty miserable, and lack of electricity will make it a lot more miserable. But if the people are miserable enough, they just may convince their leaders to keep the peace with Israel. If the Government of Israel is serious about pacifying the Gaza border, it should cut off all electricity and fuel until the attacks stop for good.
posted by Gerald S Glazer at 9:37 AM
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