I want to draw attention on an article on "open democracy" Gaza: the "new war" by Mary Kaldor, who analyzes some aspects of the Israelian war in Gaza. In Gaza - anything to demonstrate for or against? I re-iterated why I sided with the Israeleans in all the conflicts since the foundation of the Jewish state. I do not change position on this and I am still appalled seeing self declared left wingers in Europe or the United States waving Hamas flags and a burning Shield of David.
open Democracy News Analysis - Comments
opendemocracy on "Gaza: hope after attack"
-
So ... you ended your first comment with the thought that "the Arabs must
lay down their arms for peace." You start this one with "Hamas cannot lay
down ...
That doesn't justify the Palestinians' violent response, which has been both morally atrocious and wholly ineffective, but it's important to understanding why Palestinian society sees itself in a war for it's own survival, not for Israel's.
This series of pieces from OpenDemocracy provides a good sense of how control extends to vertical space. That's to say, it's not just about square footage. (The author draws a fascinating comparison between settler outposts and crusader forts.)
It's also about demographics. The standard argument against a one-state settlement is that birth rates would leave the Arabs in the majority. But settler families are also larger than ones in Israel proper, culturally detached and with children claiming exemption from IDF service. That creates its own cultural splinters.
Le Dr Haidar Eid est maître de conférence au département Littérature anglaise de l’université Al-Aqsa, Bande de Gaza, Palestine. Le Dr Eid est membre fondateur du Groupe pour un seul Etat démocratique (ODSG) et membre de la Campagne palestinienne pour le boycott universitaire et culturel d’Israël (PACBI). Il a rédigé cet article pour Palestine Chonicle.com, article qui a été publié sur OpenDemocracy.net.