Saturday, December 27, 2008

Yahweh

There really is some sort of orwellian logic when it comes to the Middle East and just as Winston was denied his 2+2 = 4, the evidence would seem to suggest that there is a collective denial of the facts when it comes to what is happening in that part of the world. There can be no other conclusion, as the 'Süddeutsche Zeitung' this morning reports that the Israeli government is opening the border in Gaza for humanitarian goods but is retaining the right to "retaliate"* to Hamas rocket attacks.(1) The "retaliation" has in fact begun and here is Israel still being portrayed in the western media as being generous, as being fair. The Hamas rockets have yet to kill anyone and the 'Guardian' writes of 120 dead Palestinians, of smoke rising above Gaza city and of women wandering the streets looking for their children who were on their way home from school.(2) 'Haaretz' reports, at least, 155 and over 200 hurt.(3) One wonders how they might be "hurt"? Of course, this is not "retaliation" it is not even vengeance although I am reminded of the Old Testament God, Yahweh, "to whom vengeance belongs." (3) This is an on-going genoicide. However, I am digressing and the point has to be, how this is reported. What are the facts that appear to have facilitated another wanton slaughter of men, women and children by the Israelis?
Well, perhaps the blockade wasn't starving the people of Gaza quickly enough and maybe, just maybe, had the first starvation deaths been reported from the Gaza ghetto, the "2+2 = 5" media, might have been forced to understand that two plus two is, in fact, four. The facts; Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza, which is depriving the people there of their most basic right, the right to live, Israel then broke the ceasefire and killed three Hamas members, Hamas then reacted by firing "Qassam" rockets into Israel, rockets that are so ineffectual that not only have they not killed anyone in Israel but the only people they have killed are two young Palestinian girls in Gaza,(5) and now the Zionist state is exercising its usual "restraint", it's right to "retaliate" and, while that "restraint" won't help the schoolchildren who didn't make it home on Saturday morning, the rest of us should be grateful for it, because remember this Israel does have atomic weapons and believe me when they cannot get what they want one way or another they might, just might, use them. Yahweh is, indeed, a vengeful God!
The picture shows the smoke after one of israel's "targeted" strikes. Gaza has a population density similar to a Chinese supermarket at about six o'clock in the evening.
* The German word used is "Vergeltung" it can be translated as "retaliation" or "vengeance"
1 'Die Süddeutsche Zeitung', 27,28 December 2008, p1
2 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/27/israelandthepalestinians
3 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1050359.html
4 http://scripturetext.com/psalms/94-1.htm
5 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1050364.html

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello James,
fortunately there is another Israel, that of israeli citizens that work for peace. I recently received a message from Jewish Voice for Peace on this, you can check it at
http://december18th.org/
All the best,

an humanitarian worker in Goma, DRC

http://stopthewarinnorthkivu.wordpress.com

seamus macniel said...

Your comment is appreciated; this, of course, offers us some hope. There are many in Israel who do not agree with what Israel does; there are the people at Yesh Din and B'Tslem to name but a few. Just as there are many people in the West who do not agree with their governments.
Unfortunately, the reality remains that over 200 Palestinians, who were alive yesterday, are dead today and neither those Israelis who genuinely want a peaceful solution nor myself can do anything about that.
The Congo appears to be quiet for the time being, the world is focused on the Middle East, is Nkunda still outside Goma?