Israeli army tanks, warplanes, gunboats and infantry soldiers are gearing up to invade Gaza to free the soldier kidnapped last Sunday in a daring tunnel military operation by Palestinian militias.
This upcoming mayhem is going to cap over two weeks of Israeli bombardments of Palestinian cities from the air, the sea, and from the land. The results were tens of Palestinian civilians were killed and wounded many of them were children.
Israeli politicians have threatened blood and gore and to assassinate Palestinian leaders if the captive Israeli solider was not released. Palestinians militias have offered the release of the solider if Israel would release the 150 Palestinian women and 300 children it holds captive in its prisons. Israel has refused to negotiate with the “ terrorists”
Israel has also refused to negotiate with Abbas, and before that with Arafat, Israel in fact has refused to negotiate peace with any of the 3 million Palestinian “ terrorist” it occupies and from time to time send its F-16s to swoop down and fire missiles on cars carrying Palestinian activists killing them, and killing more civilians in the process.
Before taking the Israeli solider captive, Israel had a free hand to bomb Palestinian towns; killing tens of civilians while the world paid little or no attention to the plight of Palestinians.
But when two Israeli soldiers were killed one taken prisoner, the world rose to help Israel obtain the freedom for its soldier and punish the Palestinians.
US, French and European officials urged calm, and offered help to Israel. Israel’s Arab allies, too, rose to help Israel free its solider from the hand of Palestinian “ terrorists”
The Egyptian government pressed Abbas, and since it has no favor with Hamas.(since in support of Israeli government position it refused to talk to Hamas unless it recognizes Israel)
The Jordanians also, offered their help to Israeli, but they too, have no influence with Hamas, since they support the Israeli position and shunned Hamas politicians.
None of the world leaders or Arab governments noticed the Israeli butchery of Palestinian civilians. That in the eyes of the Palestinian public in the West Bank and Gaza shows how hypocritical those leaders were. In the eyes of those leaders, Palestinians feel that they are less-human and their blood is cheap and it’s ok to be spilled and in large quantities but the Israelis are full human beings and their blood is all too precious.
Abbas has no real power with the Palestinian public, but I won’t be too surprised if his intelligence and security agencies are working day and night to free the Israeli solider to prove their worth and serviceability to the Israeli government.
Today, Israelis officials have threatened Hamas leader in exile, Syrian- based, Khaled Mashaal of assassination, claiming he was responsible for the planning of this operation.
Israeli accusations are all too familiar; in the past they would hold Yaser Arafat responsible for any violence against them, claiming he was not doing enough to combat the Hamas and other militants. Even after they destroyed all of the Palestinians police buildings killed its members thus leaving Arafat basically powerless.
Israel would perhaps threaten to assassinate any of the Palestinian leadership if any Israeli slipped on a banana peel.
Israel feels it can do whatever it please with the Palestinians, it can send its warplanes to bomb a moving car in a middle of Gaza street, have its navy warships bomb a beach killing civilians, or have its tanks fire lethal shells on Palestinian houses.
World leaders would bashfully ask Israel for “ calm” and “restraint” but more than likely Israeli atrocities and crimes would go unchecked and perhaps, Palestinians hold, that it has a measure of support in Washington, Paris, London, Amman, Baghdad, and Cairo.
