This Insanity Must End

Here’s a piece by a “palestinian” arguing Gaza paid the price for the release of the terrorists for Gilad Shalit.

Haneen ZoabiWithout doubt, the prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel is a huge achievement for the Palestinians. Ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in 2006 that he would not give in to Hamas and would not release any Palestinian prisoners. The entire population of Gaza was then besieged by Israel in its efforts to find and free their soldier held captive in Gaza, Gilad Shalit; Israel wasn’t prepared to give anything in return for their man. During the siege, of course, Israel bombed and invaded Gaza, killing 1,400 Palestinian civilians, one-third of them children. They could still not find and free Shalit. His freedom came when the deal suited the Palestinians and the Israeli government caved in to their demands.

All the while that Shalit was in captivity, Gaza became politically stable, resisted Israel’s political and military pressure and withstood the siege. Israeli intelligence was given no room to manoeuvre in its quest to locate the soldier.Hence, while Israel didn’t get Shalit free of charge, it did succeed on getting the whole Gaza Strip to pay the price. The inhumane blockade was endured in order to gain freedom for the Palestinian prisoners released as part of the exchange deal. It was besieged Gaza which liberated our prisoners, not the largesse of the Israeli government.

That such a deal could be negotiated while Gaza remains under siege illustrates how important the prisoner issue is to the people of Palestine. The national struggle is incomplete if the issues of our prisoners, Jerusalem and refugees do not form the core.

This was confirmed by our people everywhere in historic Palestine; the solidarity of our youth in Israel with the detainees’ hunger strike was unprecedented. The strike showed that the prison walls do not imprison the will of the prisoners. The youths’ solidarity with the detainees also sent the message that prison walls do not detach prisoners from their community. It also gave the young people inside Israel in places like Nazareth, Umm al-Fahm and Haifa evidence that the struggles of the Palestinian people are indivisible in their many forms, and that there is no meaning to “being part of the Palestinian people” if we are not part of the collective struggles and sacrifices.

However, within that context, although Hamas has said that it will not abandon those prisoners held by Israel who are Israeli citizens, the female detainees or any of the leaders, we were surprised, even shocked, when we knew that only five prisoners out of more than 160 from the 1948-occupied territories were freed. And that Ahmed Saadat and Marwan Barghouti were not part of the deal, and nor were the women prisoners from the 1948 territories: Worood, Khadija and Lina are still behind bars even though the information released claimed that all women prisoners would be set free.

It is not clear how or why Hamas appears to have given up on most of the detainees from the 1948-occupied territories and how or why it gave up on the leaders of other factions. This is at least one question for which Hamas is still to provide an answer to the people of Palestine.

Nevertheless, the solidarity with the prisoners across Palestine and the deal itself has ushered in a new stage of our struggle. This highlights the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority, the relationship between the two main factions, Fatah and Hamas, and the status of the detainees’ issue in our national agenda.

Not unnaturally, there has been talk of Hamas scoring points against Fatah in the power struggle between the main factions. Palestinians must beware of turning the national struggle into a political football. While the people will reward those who bring about political change, they will also push for greater struggle and concern for the national interest.

The exchange agreement gives the Palestinian Authority a tricky task in maintaining the deal as a national achievement. This can be done by limiting or stopping security coordination with the Israelis, which will make it harder for them to arrest Palestinian activists; it simply makes no sense to celebrate the release of prisoners on one hand while helping Israel to round more up on the other. We must build on the momentum provided by the prisoner exchange deal on both sides of the Green Line, and return the issue of Palestinian prisoners still in Israeli jails to the core of the political struggle.

Actually, this was written by an actual member of the Knesset – Haneen Zoabi.

Notice how she fully identifies as a palestinian, speaks of the terrorists as “prisoners”, and sees the entire state of Israel as “occupied land.” While she has already been stripped of her diplomatic passport, entitlement to aid for legal assistance, right to visit countries without ties to Israel, as well as the right to address the Knesset or vote in committee debates until the end of the Knesset summer session (for her role in the Mavi Marmara affair), this is not enough.

She should be banned from the Knesset and tried for treason.

18 thoughts on “This Insanity Must End”

  1. She had to be killed in the flotilla raid last year. I fail to understand why such political parties are allowed to participate in elections.

    Look how they deal with opposition here in Russia — any party that is unwanted by the regime is simply not being registered as a participant of elections under various pretexts.

  2. Protecting political dissent is one of the values Israelis embrace and for which they are applauded by friends and supporters around the world. The Israeli government does not send out its thugs to stifle political opponents as in Syria. Israelis don’t block internet access for their citizens who might object to government policy as is done in Iran. Israel should continue to be the beacon of freedom and tolerance that is woefully lacking in that part of the world.

    1. “Protecting political dissent is one of the values Israelis embrace…”

      This isn’t dissent, it’s treason. When you bring the framework up for grabs rather than one of the particulars, it’s like drilling a hole on the cabin floor of the ship. There are many ideas that can be brought up for debate in the Jewish State, but the idea that it is the nation-state of the Jewish nation isn’t one of them.

      “…and for which they are applauded by friends and supporters around the world.”

      We don’t need your applause. The Jewish people has learned that it is better to be a living wolf demonized by the world than a dead, massacred sheep praised by that world. World praise counts for nothing.

      “Israel should continue to be the beacon of freedom and tolerance that is woefully lacking in that part of the world.”

      Israel will continue to be so. But, if the Jewish populace of Israel values the Jewish State’s survival and gets to have a say in her policymaking, Israel will cease to treat democracy as a suicide pact. The Zoabis of Israel will no longer be shown leniency.

      1. Would you trade the national security “principles” of the Patriot Act for the civil liberties of freedom of speech and assembly? Do you prefer “freedom fries” over french fries? Would you support a bloodless coup if the evil Hamburgler overthrew the administration of Mayor McCheese of McDonaldland? Democracy is worth fighting for. Even in a place tucked into a small corner of the world called Israel.

        1. Jim, what do those American shenanigans have to do with what I said? Where did I ever make a blanket condemnation of freedom of speech and assembly? Did you even read what I wrote?

          In a nutshell, I wrote: All debates permitted, except for debates upon the very framework that holds the nation-state together; in Israel’s case, the idea that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish nation.

          And I also brought forth a nice and simple analogy to make it clear: Sailing on a luxury cruise, you have almost unlimited freedom in your own cabin, but one thing you’re not free to do is drill holes in the cabin floor. As for why that doesn’t fall under the things you’re free to do, well, if the reason isn’t obvious to you, then you have a real problem there.

          1. Zi-like your alter ego Shy Guy, you seem to have a problem with the rest of the world, including Israel’s friends. A “go it alone” policy for Israel is the suicide pact you make with yourself. Israel endures by upholding its democratic principles, embracing its friends, and rejecting the ethnocentric theocratic ideas that your small number try to advance. Now, how many predator drones can we ship out to you?

            1. “…you seem to have a problem with the rest of the world, including Israel’s friends.”

              I have a problem with people who preach at us. Most normal people would have that same problem. Your intentions are probably good, but you have little idea of our situation and challenges, living as you do so far away from us

              “A ‘go it alone’ policy for Israel is the suicide pact you make with yourself.”

              A “go it alone” policy is sanity for any state (or person, for that matter) that knows a bit about history and human nature. You Americans almost got clobbered at that issue yourselves: Having relied on the pledge of aid from the king of France, the American revolutionaries almost got defeated by the British royals because of the French king’s delays in sending his ships.

              “Israel endures by upholding its democratic principles,…”

              Democratic principles are nice, but Israel endures by defeating its enemies.

              “…embracing its friends…”

              Real friends stop encouraging friends to try ideas that were already tried and failed (such as land concessions and other forms of turning the other cheek).

              “…and rejecting the ethnocentric theocratic ideas that your small number try to advance.”

              Just what I said: You don’t know jack about our situation here.

              “Now, how many predator drones can we ship out to you?”

              I take that as being a sneaky way of saying “Or else.” (“Listen to us and our ideas and do what we say, or else you get no Predator drones.”) Good work, Jim: You just succeeded in formulating the most eloquent argument as to why Israel has to go it alone. With friends like you, American politicians offering “aid” which is actually extortion, Israel really doesn’t need enemies.

              My gosh, I thought you were one of the moderate, sane left-wingers. I now see even the not officially “Progressive” Left dishes out more of the same “love” (or “love-but-only-if-you-do-as-we-say”) to Israel. May the Democratic Party in America suffer the most decisive defeat ever next year. You well deserve it.

              1. Oh my. Where to begin? You see preaching where praise is offered. You see a naked threat where a friendly reminder that we are military allies was advanced. Try to stay tuned into IsraellyCool, because, even with all my differences with him, Dave is one of the sane ones out there. We all have our fears. But you shouldn’t let yours overwhelm you and delude you into believing your friends are your mortal enemies. And tell Shy Guy when you see him that everyone isn’t out to get him, either.

                1. There he goes again with his backpedaling shtick. You’ve done that before: Insult the entire Israeli Jewish Right, call yourself a model of sanity, say Israel is doomed unless it listens to its friends (which always happen to coincide with your type—somehow, right-wing Americans calling Israel to deal mercilessly with the Arab settlers aren’t friends of Israel), and when you’re taken to task for it, you say, “No, it’s not like that at all.”

                  All we can really do is agree to disagree. But you could, you know, when I tell you your kind of advice has actually been tried by Israel, acknowledge that fact. And maybe, just maybe, as an almost lifelong Israeli (all except a few years in the U.S.), I know what I’m talking about when I say the opinions of right-wing Israeli Jews are not the crazes of “a small number” (your words above), but a reflection of the will of an ever-growing number of Israeli Jews. Like it or not, the Israeli Jewish populace is turning more right-wing and more religious.

                  1. If I misjudged you, then I apologize. My understanding of your positions is as follows: No Oslo Accords. No Camp David Accords. No evacuation of Gaza. No land-for-peace deals of any kind. West Bank is not the West Bank, but an integral and eternal part of the Jewish nation given unto the Jewish people by God. No negotiations with Arabs and no recognition of Arab aspirations at all.

                    Is this accurate to a significant degree? If so, then I’ll stick with supporting some other formula that has some chance of peace for the Israelis. Your ideals will only lead to a great deal of bloodshed and no peace.

                    1. Not to play “you’re another”, but in all seriousness, I think your ideals will lead to that. (Plus, you have no “skin in the game”.) They led to it in Czeckoslovakia and in China.

                      You have to understand, sometimes there is no answer. I suspect that this concept is agaisnt your religion (or what you substitute for it).

        2. Sounds good.

          Do you have any idea how our country actually operates? I think you only care about principles of liberal democracy when applied to you side of the aisle (the side which, co-incidentally, is trying to get me killed).

          I haven’t heard you condemn any of the things done, legally and illegally, to right-wingers in this country by the government. I can assure you that the sort of freedoms taken for granted in the US, Patriot Act notwithstanding, do not exist in your average European country (or Canada), and certainly not here, where the exigencies of war require certain freedoms be given to the security people.

          Of course, we are an extremely free country in practice, as these are generally not abused, just as the “evil Bush administration” did not abuse the PATRIOT act.

          1. Good to hear from you. I’ve never gotten so much crap for praising the attributes of a friendly country. Maybe a little more specificity might help here. Treason is a very serious crime. I simply don’t agree with Dave and the rest of you that this Arab MK committed treason. I certainly don’t agree with her views. But I don’t think what she did was criminal. Is the Israeli justice system going after her? Let me know when that happens and I’ll then consider myself to be the crazy one.

            1. Silly! The Israeli justice system only goes after right-wingers. You are aware that they are at times imprisoned without trial? Does it bother you?

              (By “sounds good” I meant that I did want a society like that.)

              I would like to see her expelled. I suspect a member of te House or Senate who did that would be. Also, if we are to ban parties, I would like the double standard to be stopped.

    2. In the West, Nazi and racist parties are banned everywhere. Only in Israel such parties (only Arab ones) are represented in the parliament.

      Freedom must have boundaries.

    3. So you want to remove the ban on the party of the late Rabbi Kahane? Wel, then I agree with you on that, as I don’t think parties should be banned for anythign but treason.

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