An Israeli Tells the Truth About Gaza

There's no way to put this mildly: this is the best article on Gaza I've read in the last five years. In fact, it's probably the best article I've read on the entire conflict in the last five years.

Jeff Halper is an Israeli activist. I'll leave it at that for now. Here's an excerpt from his article describing his recent visit to Gaza. Link to full article below this excerpt:

To be honest, we Israeli Jews are the problem. The Palestinian years ago accepted our existence in the country as a people and are willing to accept ANY solution -- two states, onestate, no state, whatever. It is us who want exclusivity over the "Land of Israel" who cannot conceive of a single country, who cannot accept the national presence of Palestinians (we talk about "Arabs" in our country),and who have eliminated by our settlements even the possibility of the two-state solution in which we take 80% of the land.

So it's sad, truly sad, that our "enemies" want peace and co-existence (and tell me that in HEBREW) and we don't. Yeah, we Israeli Jews want "peace," but in the meantime what we have -- almost no attacks, a feeling of security, a"disappeared" Palestinian people, a booming economy, tourism and ever-improving international status -- seems just fine. If "peace" means giving up settlements, land and control, why do it? What's wrong with thestatus quo? If it's not broken, don't fix it.

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Halper continues:

When I was in Gaza everyone in Israel -- including the media who interviewed me -- warned me to be careful, to watch out for my life. Aren't you scared? they asked. Well, the only time I felt genuine and palpable fear during the entire journey was when I got back to Israel.

I went from Gaza through the Erez checkpoint because I wanted to make thepoint that the siege is not only by sea. On the Israeli side I wasimmediately arrested, charged with violating a military order prohibiting Israelis from being in Gaza and jailed at the Shikma prison in Ashkelon. In my cell that night, someone recognized from the news. All night I was physically threatened by right-wing Israelis -- and I was sure I wouldn't make it till the morning.

Ironically, there were three Palestinians in my cell who kind of protected me, so the danger was from Israelis, not Palestinians, in Gaza as well as in Israel. (One Palestinian from Hebron was in jail for being illegally in Israel; I was in jail for beingillegally in Palestine.) As it stands, I'm out on bail. The state will probably press charges in the next few weeks, and I could be jailed for two or so months.

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Me, the Fedster, talking again:

I can't tell you how much Halper's visit to Gaza mirrors my own (except I wasn't arrested, and no one spoke to me in Hebrew, except the rifle-toting Israeli soldiers who had bad breath). Gazans - and Palestinians in general - are very interested in a peaceful solution to the conflict. According to my own independent poll conducted in 1997, nearly 80% of Gazans wanted a future of peaceful co-existence with Israelis in one state, with the same laws applied equally to all citizens regardless of race, religion, or nationality.

One of my Venezuelan Jewish friends also visited in Gaza in the year 2002, and she had a similar experience. Israeli soldiers tried to prevent her from entering the territory, claiming that "those Mozzlims will kill you", but when she entered, she found the exact opposite to be true. Gazans were welcoming, friendly, and eager to discuss peaceful solutions. Israelis, on the other hand, cursed her for visiting Gaza, calling her a traitor - this just for visiting and talking to Gazan civilians. When she returned to Israel, one of the Israeli soldiers spit on her.

Link to Halper's full article:

http://www.icahd.org/eng/articles.asp?menu=6&submenu=2&article=505

Jeff Halper is Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions: www.icahd.org

He is a member of the Free Gaza movement: www.freegaza.org