Who did the bombing in Gaza? Mostafa Avini

Opinion Editorials, October 2003, www.aljazeerah.info

Who did the bombing in Gaza?

Mostafa Avini

Al-Jazeerah, 10/24/03

In a piece entitled “Palestinians Bomb US Convoy”, October 16, The Guardian reporters do not offer any evidence supporting their assertion in the title of the piece, and in the first paragraph. This is at best a subconscious attempt to blame Palestinian militants for this rare crime against a peace-keeping convoy and at worst a deliberate attempt at libel. In any case this is an example of poor journalism on the part of a “progressive” news source that has claims of being impartial in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Not even the usual word “alleged” is used to indicate the uncertainty of the claim. Their only claim for Palestinian involvement is “…an umbrella organization, the Popular Resistance Committee (PRC), which represents factions of Islamist groups and disaffected Palestinian security forces, later said it had carried out the attack.” The Guardian should have said “An anonymous phone call, allegedly from a PRC militant, claimed that PRC was responsible for the attacks.” The leader of PRC, Yasser Zanoun, later disclaimed this act by saying that it was against Palestinian interests. "We can distinguish between Americans who come to Iraq as invaders and those who come to Gaza as guests," he said. Hamas, Islamic Jahad and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade also disclaimed the attack.

Palestinian authorities have been rather surprised at the turn the events are taking. "No one wants to widen the conflict and I can't believe even Hamas or Islamic Jihad would be stupid enough to do it," a source close to the Palestinian Authority said. “It’s clear that it is very serious and dangerous, not only against Americans, but against all Palestinians," Arafat said.

Haaretz, a liberal Israeli news source, in an article on the same topic, makes no mention of PRC. The author, in fact, makes every attempt to indicate that Palestinian involvement in this case, if true, does not follow logically from the previous records of Palestinian militant organizations. For example, in reference to attacks on American interests, Haaretz says, “Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem host offices belonging to the U.S. Consulate and other American institutions, and none of these have ever been targeted in terror attacks (in 1969, a small explosive went off next to the U.S. Consulate building on Agron Street on the western side of the city; nobody was injured)”.

So if all the Palestinian militant organizations are accounted for, which I think they are, who then bombed the American Convoy in Gaza? The decision will be the reader’s after considering the following facts.

I) Israeli Likude would love to be on the same side as the US in the war against terrorism.

Israeli Likude officials and their counterparts in the US, are equating the attacks on Americans in Gaza with attacks on Israel. A newswire by the American Friends of the Likude, states: "This outrageous attack falls squarely at the feet of both the Palestinian Authority and the government of Egypt" said Dr. Julio Messer, president of American Friends of Likude. "The Palestinian Authority's responsibility stems from their utter refusal to take any real action against terrorist organizations. This is just another indication of how Palestinian terrorism is not just a threat to Israel, but also to America and the entire west." A Haaretz article states: “In the immediate aftermath of the bomb attack on the convoy, Israel is making the argument it has been trying to make since the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the U.S. and since the war in Iraq – that it and America are facing the same enemy. That the enemy in Baghdad is the same as the enemy in Gaza.” Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Israel relates to the attack as if it was aimed at its own citizens. "We will do all we can to apprehend those behind the attacks," he said. Likude actions, to endear the party to American administrations and, thereby, to get a free ride on the US fight against terrorism, has historical precedence. One is a failed attempt by Israeli Likud architects of American public opinion to connect Palestinian activists with Al-Qaedeh. “The United States government has been provided with concrete evidence that the Israeli Mossad and other Israeli intelligence services have been involved in a 13-month effort to "recruit" an Israeli-run, phony "al-Qaeda cell" among Palestinians, so that Israel could achieve a frontline position in the U.S. war against "terrorism" and get a green light for a worldwide "revenge without borders" policy. The question: Does the United States have the moral fiber to investigate?” “Evidence of the Israeli dirty tricks burst onto the public scene on Dec. 6, when Col. Rashid Abu Shbak, head of the Palestinian Preventive Security Services in the Gaza Strip, held a press conference revealing the details of the alleged plot, as his agency had put the pieces together.” How does Egypt come into this equation at this juncture? Israel has been opposing American Weapon’s sale to Egypt. “The chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Yuval Steinitz told the radio (Israel Army Radio) he was worried by Egypt's wild military build-up and is speaking to U.S. security officials on the matter.” Apparently American officials are not putting Israeli interests before American economic interests, and so Israeli extremists are angry. In addition, Israeli tanks have been busy destroying Palestinian homes in Gaza on the pretext that Egyptian arms are being smuggled into Palestine. Now, enabled further by the attack on the convoy, the American-made tanks and Apache helicopters are moving deeper into Gaza, presumably to protect Americans from the vicious Palestinians.

II. Israeli Likud wants no international peacekeepers in the territories.

It is a well-known and well-publicized fact (See “The Likud Plan, Simply Put” below) that Sharon does not want international peace-keeping forces in the occupied territories. Whatever the reason for this may be, we can perhaps force a few hints out of the history of abusive treatment of international fact finding missions and international peace activists. In the case of Rachel Corrie, “abusive” is definitely an understatement. She was murdered in cold blood by an American-made bulldozer who ran over her frail body, twice, and the crime was observed by other peace activists. Two other ISM activists, Tom Hurndall and Brian Avery were severely injured, shot in the head and face, respectively, by Israeli forces.

“The attack (on the convoy) could lead to a further U.S. disengagement from the conflict and could deter the international community from sending large numbers of monitors, a long-standing Palestinian request”, one news source said. Palestinian Minister Saeb Erekat called the bombing a "devastating act" that would undermine Palestinian interests. He said the attack on an official U.S. vehicle would have "harsh consequences" for Palestinian efforts to bring "international observers to the territories."

"The Palestinian terror organizations continue to strike indiscriminately, even at those who are working to try and bring peace to the region," Shalom, Israeli foreign minister, said.

III. Israeli Likud has historically undermined any two-state solution in the territories.

The Likud position has been very clear from the beginning. In a 1996 Jerusalem Post piece entitled “the Likud Plan, Simply Put” by the then MK, Ariel Sharon, he lays Likud opposition to the Oslo Accords “simply” on the table. This is a must read for everyone interested in knowing why the conflict has escalated to this inhuman dimensions. But be prepared for a shudder of disgust and fear at the un-reconciling tone this so-called “ man of peace” takes in his writing. The attack on the American convoy came in the wake of the so-called Geneva Accords (see Hassan A. Barari article, Al-Jazeerah.info, October 16). This is another attempt at a two-state solution that was attacked by Likud officials and their American counterparts. Haaretz, in a piece entitled “What Scares Them So Much” describes the feeling among the Likud in these terms: They were so upset that they emitted cries of concern for democracy and fulminated over the arrogance of "three failed politicians from the extreme left" (Tommy Lapid as if he was making a guest appearance on "Popolitika"), who "against the will of the people" formulated "an eccentric, fictitious agreement while blood is being spilled" (the new-old Ehud Barak). And indeed, those right-wing defenders of the democratic order and peace were in such a hurry to be shocked, that it seemed the draft agreement had in their eyes a pretty good chance of actually making a change.

In the other Israel, on the more recently discovered continent, Sharon’s Likudnik friend, Richard Perle, echoed the Likud cries. “Mr. Perle was speaking to reporters and delegates at the inaugural "Jerusalem Summit," a gathering of Israelis and mainly American Jewish and Christian analysts and politicians opposed to conceding a Palestinian state.” “Pentagon adviser Richard Perle yesterday denounced an unofficial peace plan negotiated between Israeli opposition leaders and moderate Palestinians, saying it would damage Israel's security, undermine its government and "would be illegal in the United States." “He added: "In a democracy we elect people to represent us and [opposition groups negotiating with external opponents of the state] seems to me fundamentally undemocratic." Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian impasse, Mr. Perle said achieving a Palestinian state "may take a long time," and suggested that negotiations with the Palestinians are a fruitless exercise under present circumstances. "Negotiations before the Palestinians have democracy will fail," he said, calling for a "change in fundamental values" among the Palestinians rather than "the concoction of formulas."

So who is the culprit? Palestinians, whose every interest is endangered by this bombing of the American convoy, or Mr. Perle, one of the architects of the Neocon empire, whose every interest is being served by the kind of “democracy” we are observing in Iraq and Afghanistan Now? Or Mr. Sharon, the psychopath, who stood by and lit the way for the Phalangist executioners, so they could bring “democracy” to inhabitants of Sabra and Shatilla? Democracy for entities such as Perle and Sharon means the underhanded, treacherous dealings of the wealthy elite in coats and ties. Democracy is whatever serves their sordid interests. In these entities, Evil is masquerading as civilization. In truth, to them, the words Jew, Muslim, Palestinian, American, Christian, and what have you, means nothing. Every human being, of any color, nationality and faith is just a stepping stone in the dark, bloody path of power. Jews in Egypt were as much a tool to achieve an objective, as the Americans aboard USS Liberty. How naïve could we be, if we believe that the Neocon-Zionist mafia would be interested in any sort of peace that was not subjugated to their twisted and morbid ideology. They have the physical power and the will to use it to their best advantage. If we think even for one moment that we can fight them on their terms, we are already annihilated.

"Civil Disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the state has become lawless and corrupt. And a citizen who barters with such a state shares in its corruption and lawlessness. Every citizen is responsible for every act of his government. There is only one sovereign remedy, namely, non-violent, non-cooperation." Gandhi

References:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20031016_1129.html

http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2003%20Opinion%20Editorials/Octob

er/15%20o/An%20Alternative%20to%20the%20Slaughter%20in%20Middle%20Ea

st%20Justin%20Huggler.htm

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/350295.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3194432.stm

http://news.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/350281.html

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/350334.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1063942,00.html

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/350278.html

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=987985c20343c9d2