Commonweal Never Disappoints
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Don, no one can properly deny Israel its legitimate right of self defense, conducted in accord with basic moral law.
But in the interest of historical accuracy,I think it should be noted that there really wasn’t a “withdrawal” per se from Gaza if by that it’s suggested that the entity become fully self governing. Gaza has been under a blockade since Hamas came to power in 2007. It’s not as if they have ever had de facto sovereignty.
Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think it’s seriously disputed that Hamas became a political force in Gaza with at least the tacit backing of at least some factions in Israel as a counterpoint to Al Fatah, much like the U.S. backed the Islamic radicals in Afghanistan to counter the Soviets; much to our regret after 9/11. Assuming that’s true, and I’ve read it in various accounts, I wonder if in retrospect Israel might not have similar regrets.
May the Peace of Christ truly come upon this troubled part of the world.
Don, no one can properly deny Israel its legitimate right of self defense, conducted in accord with basic moral law.
Plenty of idiots are, including those who stretch the restrictions of Just War so far that no nation could win a war.
“But in the interest of historical accuracy,I think it should be noted that there really wasn’t a “withdrawal” per se from Gaza”
There certainly was, including the removal by Israel of all Jewish settlements in Gaza which involved the resettlement of 26,000 Israelis.
Gaza has been under a blockade since Hamas came to power in 2007.
Untrue. The blockade was due to attacks by Hamas after the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas didn’t become savages just this year.
with at least the tacit backing of at least some factions in Israel as a counterpoint to Al Fatah
Nah, the murderers of Hamas won the 2006 election fair and square. They would also win in the West Bank which is why the Fatah dictatorship on the West Bank hasn’t had national elections since 2006. A plurality of Palestinians support the murderers of Hamas.
Gaza has been under a blockade since Hamas came to power in 2007.
==
No it hasn’t. Israel inspects and disallows some incoming cargo. The inspections are leaky as you can see. Also, both Egypt and Israel strictly ration permission to cross the border. There’s a reason for that.
Actually, Commonweal manifests the dispositions of the liberal chatterati generally, at least that portion which attempts to present itself as respectable rather than as overgrown adolescents. The supercilious poses, the parries and evasions.
With this particular quotation, you’re left to puzzle as to whether they are lying or pig ignorant. Gaza has been under an Arab civil administration since 1994 and has had no Jewish presence at all since 2005. The West Bank remains partially ‘occupied’ because the Arab bosses have twice rejected offers of an Arab state on the West Bank and Gaza. About 89% of the West Bank’s population lives under an Arab civil administration. Israeli security patrols roam through parts of the territory where live about 82% of the population. If they wanted the patrols withdrawn, they could have had that, but it was less important to them than holding on to other fictions they’d have had to discard if they’d actually settled with Israel.
Note that Hamas and the territories’ red-brown parties had no interest in Al Fatah’s double-dealing. They were quite forthright that Israel disappearing was their baseline. Now you’ve got demonstrations of Muslim expats in London and Toronto in support of Hamas, demonstrations which draw five- and six- digit turn outs. There are a lot of people in the occidental world who should be given the choice between deportation and self-deportation.
Hamas managed to make Palestinians worse off and poorer than before they came to power. 24% unemployment, 40% living below the poverty line, 80% receiving aid, widespread corruption, no industry besides covert weapon-production. Hamas concentrated on making its people resent Israel instead of helping to build businesses, grow the economy, negotiating imports/exports, ensuing there was enough food and shelter concentrated on fuelling the anti-Israel rhetoric. Palestinians wanted Hamas.
They claimed “genocide”: Gaza has an annual population growth rate of 2.91% (2014 est.), the 13th-highest in the world.
They claimed “sanctions” brought them to their knees. In 2010 Netherlands was assisting Gaza increase agricultural exports into Europe. The impact of the sanctions was to prevent Hamas military build-up. Egypt was in solidarity with Israel on this because they didn’t trust Hamas.
They claimed “Apartheid”: every citizen of a country that a bound by laws which manage their movement: immigration laws to enter and exit, import/export laws, identification laws when we drive a car. Why would this be any different in Gaza. Especially for a city with a population who hates its neighbours. Even Egypt didn’t trust them, and still don’t want to take in refugees.
After Israel have finished demolishing Gaza, they won’t return back to a self-governed independent State. They had an opportunity to make Gaza into something which worked for the Palestinian and they chose a terrorist organisation who ran the Palestinians to the ground, literally to the point where it is nothing but rubble.
https://news.sky.com/story/amp/how-gaza-went-from-desperately-poor-to-even-poorer-and-why-thats-important-to-the-current-war-12992403
@”Nah, the murderers of Hamas won the 2006 election fair and square”…
-Don Israeli support for Hamas goes back decades per a former Israeli official. Perhaps they thought Hamas could be managed and played off Al Fatah, The U.S. has played such games before, with disastrous effects.
https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/israel-created-hamas-us-foreign-policy-al-qaeda-egypt-president-pakistan-terrorism-news-18019341.htm
Google Ahmed Yassin who founded Hamas in 1987. Hamas is a completely home grown Palestinian creation. Blaming Israel for Hamas is like blaming chickens for KFC.
[…] East: Archbishop Gustavo Apparently is a Military Genius – D. McClarey/The American Catholic Commonweal Never Disappoints – Donald R. McClarey, Esq./The American Catholic Israel to Hamas: No Cease Fire, Surrender […]