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John McCain, Human Nature and Gaza

Imran Khan - 3/23/2008

United States republican presidential candidate, John McCain on 20th March visited Sderot, an Israeli town hit frequently by Palestinian rockets from nearby Gaza Strip. His visit was a part of a fact-finding mission to the Middle East. He has said

"The fact is I come from a border state and if people were rocketing my state, I think that the citizens from my state would advocate a very vigorous response."

True words, there is absolutely no doubt about it. But one can change his words little bit. He said, if people were rocketing his state, what about if people occupy his state and citizens are forced out from their homeland? Perhaps his words would have been like this….

The fact is that our state have been occupied by other people with brutal force, killed many innocent citizens and compelled us out from our land, so it is natural to get back our land through a very vigorous response.

And if a portion of their land was given back to them but while all the controls remained in the hands of occupiers, then his words would have been like this ……

The fact is that a small portion of our state has been given back to us with virtually no rights. But because citizens of our state wants their full rights and land back, so occupiers have made over lives miserable by not providing our basic necessities of life and using them as a tool for collective punishment. Surely it sparks a very vigorous response.

The last para perhaps can best describe the situation in Gaza. Gaza Strip where 1.5 million people lives in a territory of 25 miles long and six miles wide, making it one of the most densely populated area in the world. Where unemployment is 80 per cent even thousands more lost jobs since last June. 80 per cent of the population dependent on food aid, at least 130000 Palestinians are estimated to be food insecure. About 79% of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are living in poverty. The situation there is not new but people are suffering from over 40 years. Israel pulled troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip in 2005, 38 years after capturing the territory in the 1967 Middle East war. It still controls the Gaza Strip's borders, airspace, coastal waters, and completely fenced making it the world's largest prison.

Hamas won 2006 elections and seized control of the territory from Fatah faction in fighting last June. Since then, Israel tightened its blockade of the Gaza Strip, worsening the situation there and creating a humanitarian crisis.

What Mr. McCain has said is just a simple human nature that if someone tries to attack us, we defend ourselves. Simply pressing is not the answer. Everyone knows it but why people can twist the words for their favor and forget others? So Mr. McCain & others in US administration believe that it is the right of Israel to take revenge against rocket attacks on its towns. Let's suppose there judgment is right.

On February 27th , one Israeli person was killed due to rockets attack on Sderot town. It was actually the first of its kind in nine months. Israel immediately launched a military offensive in Gaza, killing 120 Palestinians mostly civilians, including women and children. Since 2000 more then 2600 Palestinians – mostly civilians- have lost their lives due to Israeli aggressions. Millions are homeless because of the occupation of their land by Israel, living refugees in various countries.

So who are the victims? If attack is the base for revenge then who should take revenge?

There have been many efforts to bring peace in the area but no real gains were visible. The real reason for all the failures of the peace talks between Palestine and Israel is that peace makers feel the pain of those who actually given the pain to others.

There is an unofficial ceasefire between Hamas and Israel these days and Egypt trying to break a peace deal between the two. While USA and others also interested in a long term peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

But peace comes with justice. As Israelis have the right to live peacefully, the same is the right for poor Palestinians also. With force Israel or anyone else can not achieve any kind of peace. That's our human-nature, John McCain knows it well… he just needs to think it from Palestinian perspective also.