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The war crime state declares "peace"

The urgency of the protests and outrage

against Israel's war of terror on Gaza must be maintained and mobilized to expand the

movement in solidarity with Palestine.

 August 7, 2014THE LATEST onslaught in srael!s war o 

annihilation against #a$a appears to ha%e

come to a close i the cease&ire and

 withdrawal o sraeli troops in eect as this

article was 'eing written continue()ut the ruins o #a$a are still smoldering(

The human toll has 'een enormous* +ore

than 1,00 dead, including 1,-00 ci%ilians(

Some 10,000 in.ured( The homes o /0,000

people reduced to ru''le( earl a uarter

o #a$a!s 1( million residents on the mo%e in search o somewhere sae to shelter rom

srael!s rampage(

+eanwhile, 'urning uestions are 'eing as3ed around the world* hat was srael!s

month&long oensi%e all a'out5 And i we!%e seen the horrors o war or the past

 wee3s, what will "peace" mean or the people o #a$a5

sraeli 6rime +inister )en.amin etanahu insists that srael!s massacre was

".ustiied" and that e%er ci%ilian casualt was the ault o Hamas or using ci%ilians as"human shields("

e%er mind that e%en the New York Times ac3nowledged that "t8here is no e%idence

that Hamas and other militants orce ci%ilians to sta in areas that are under attac3&&

the legal deinition o a human shield under international law(" The ))9 reached the

 A Palestinian man reacts to the demolition ofhis home in Gaza !ohammed Al "aba#

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same conclusion(

 And ne%er mind that as recentl as last ear, the :nited ations condemned sraeli

soldiers or repeatedl using 6alestinian children as&&ou guessed it&&human shields(

"srael!s8 soldiers ha%e used 6alestinian children to enter potentiall dangerous

 'uildings ahead o them and to stand in ront o militar %ehicles in order to stop the

throwing o stones against those %ehicles," a : report concluded(

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

EA9H ;< srael!s rationali$ations or its rampage through #a$a ma3e ar more sense

 when le%eled against srael itsel( =emem'er the 3idnapping o three settler outh in

>une( Hamas! alleged responsi'ilit or this crime ser%ed as the prete?t or war5 ow,

howe%er, we 3now that sraeli police concluded that the 3idnappers were part o  a lone

cell operating independentl o Hamas(

 And then there!s the larger truth* t!s srael that sstematicall detains, tortures and

a'uses children, pro%ided the!re 6alestinian( +ore than 400 6alestinian children

 were 3illed during the course o ;peration 6rotecti%e Shield(

Stopping the roc3ets rom #a$a5 etanahu sas Hamas ired nearl -,000 roc3ets at

srael and asserts, "o countr would tolerate this(" )ut it!s srael that or ears has

routinel carried out assassinations in #a$a, ' drone, sniper and air stri3e( n recent

 wee3s, it ired some 3,000 tons o high&powered missiles at #a$a(

=oc3et ire rom #a$a too3 the li%es o three sraeli ci%ilians, and Hamas ighters 3illed

/@ soldiers during ground operations( ; the more than 1,00 6alestinians 3illed '

srael, less than 2@ percent were actual ighters ' contrast, B/ percent o those 3illed

 ' #a$a!s resistance ighters were sraeli soldiers(

9losing down the "terror tunnels"5 Egpt sealed the tunnels 'etween its territor and

#a$a last ear&&without destroing a single neigh'orhood in #a$a(

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n an case, the %er term "terror tunnel" 'etras how e%er utterance ' srael is

designed to demoni$e the idea that the oppressed can and should resist their

oppressors( This is an old smear, aced ' the resistance o South Arica!s )lac3

ma.orit against apartheid, Arican Americans ighting >im 9row laws in the South and

countless other mo%ements&&the oppressor in%aria'l portras the resistance o the

oppressed as "e?tremist," "a threat to law and order" and "terrorist("

srael hasn!t accomplished on the 'attleield an o the %arious war aims it has gi%en

pu'licl&&and or good reason( The war was itself the aim&&with the purpose o

ad%ancing srael!s long&term goal o the ethnic cleansing o 6alestine( n etanahu!s

own words* "There cannot 'e a situation, under an agreement, in which we relinuish

securit control o the territor west o the =i%er >ordan("

Cespite some words o criticism, the :(S( go%ernment!s support or srael!s 'ar'arism

can 'e counted on to continue( Stopping srael rom succeeding in its goal o

eliminating 6alestinian societ in #a$a and the est )an3 will reuire the ongoing

resistance o 6alestinians&&and the mo'ili$ation o concrete solidarit ' ordinar

people rom 9openhagen to 9airo to 9olum'us, ;hio(

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

THE 6;LA=DAT; o opinion a'out srael!s ;peration 6rotecti%e Edge has 'een

star3( srael!s >ewish population, the :(S( political class and the American and sraeli

media stand read to .usti e%er last atrocit committed ' srael during the last

month(

<ull B@ percent o sraeli >ews 'elie%e that srael!s war on #a$a was .ustiied, and less

than 4 percent thin3 that srael Ceense <orces used "e?cessi%e orce," according to a

poll conducted in >ul ( A solid ma.orit 'elie%es there will 'e more conrontations with

Hamas to come(

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n the midst o the relentless 'om'ing, the :(S( Senate %oted 100&0 to stand with

srael&&a unanimous %ote that not e%en the :SA 6atriot Act managed to inspire(

+ainstream media igures across the political spectrum&&rom <o? ews! Sean

Hannit to 9)S ews! 9harlie =ose&&critici$ed Ara' and 6alestinian spo3espeople or

their "anti&srael" %iews( the ren$ied media deense o srael was less than

completel unanimous, it was 'ecause o the inluence o independent .ournalists and

social media commentators, which occasionall orced the mainstream media

to ac3nowledge their shortcomings( )ut generall, the media simpl reported srael!s

decepti%e and sel&ser%ing statements as act(

 As part o the truce negotiations 'eing 'ro3ered ' the Egptian regime, srael is

demanding that #a$a 'e "demilitari$ed," while Hamas is calling or an end to the

se%en&ear siege that has plunged #a$a into a hellscape o unemploment,

malnutrition and crum'ling inrastructure( )ut inali$ing the truce ma well e?pose

e%en more the e?tent to which %arious currents in the sraeli esta'lishment 'elie%e the

main pro'lem was that etanahu!s prosecution o the war didn't go far enough(

Hamas has signaled that it is willing to concede to monitoring o #a$a!s 'order

crossing with Egpt ' the ri%al <atah&led 6alestinian Authorit 6AF, as part o an

easing o the siege( )ut it has so ar reused to gi%e up its right to sel&deense( this

ends up unra%eling the cease&ire, the open calls or concentration camps and genocide

that ha%e echoed around sraeli societ&&and not .ust in its right&wing and militaristic

margins&&will no dou't intensi(

<or e?ample, +oshe <eiglin, the deput spea3er o the Gnesset, srael!s

parliament,recentl descri'ed on <ace'oo3 his %ision or the "inal solution"*

There are no two states, and there are no two peoples( There is onl one state

or one people(((The C< sraeli arm8 shall designate certain open areas on

the Sinai 'order, ad.acent to the sea, in which the ci%ilian population will 'e

concentrated, ar rom the 'uilt&up areas that are used or launches and

tunneling( n these areas, tent encampments will 'e esta'lished, until

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rele%ant emigration destinations are determined(((The suppl o electricit

and water to the ormerl populated areas will 'e disconnected(((

The ormerl populated areas will 'e shelled with ma?imum irepower( The

entire ci%ilian and militar inrastructure o Hamas, its means o

communication and o logistics, will 'e destroed entirel, down to their

oundations(((The C< will di%ide the #a$a Strip laterall and crosswise,

signiicantl e?pand the corridors, occup commanding positions, and

e?terminate nests o resistance, in the e%ent that an should remain(

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

THE :(S( go%ernment&&long the world!s most ardent and powerul supporter o srael&&

shoc3ed man with a condemnation o srael!s >ul -0 'om'ing o a : school&turned&shelter, 3illing at least 1B people and wounding man more( "The shelling o a

: acilit that is housing innocent ci%ilians who are leeing %iolence is totall

unaccepta'le and totall indeensi'le," said hite House 6ress Secretar >osh

Earnest(

Strong words o re'u3e or srael coming rom the :(S( are highl unusual, 'ut the

circumstances show how long a leash srael can still count on when it comes tocommitting atrocities against 6alestinians( Ater all, Earnest!s criticism ollowed

the sixthsraeli 'om'ing o a : shelter( Apparentl, attac3ing i%e shelters was

tolera'le, 'ut a si?th was "unaccepta'le("

 hen )arac3 ;'ama commented on the current truce negotiations, he tal3ed a'out

the need or "trust&'uilding" and "gi%ing hope"&&the 3ind o empt rhetoric tpicall

used at the end o an election campaign, not a merciless assault on ci%ilian lie(

; course, whate%er rhetorical censures that ;'ama and mem'ers o his

administration %oiced, no one threatened to withhold e%en one dollar o the - 'illion

in annual aid to srael, let alone call or an end to the siege that has turned #a$a into

an open&air prison(

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:(S( oicials made mild criticisms, the Ara' states were shameull uiet( Ciana

)uttu, a 6alestinian lawer and analst, called the reaction*

remar3a'le( n all the other in%asions and assaults on #a$a, there was at

least some go%ernment that would come out and tal3 a'out how what srael

 was doing was illegal and show some support( This time around, there!s 'een

nothing( The silence is deaening(

The silence was not onl deaening, 'ut it represented a shit in regional politics, as

the New York Times e?plained*

 Ater the militar ouster o the slamist go%ernment in 9airo last ear, Egpt

has led a new coalition o Ara' states&&including >ordan, Saudi Ara'ia and

the :nited Ara' Emirates&&that has eecti%el lined up with srael in its ight

against Hamas, the slamist mo%ement that controls the #a$a Strip(

 Iet the 6alestinian cause continues to 'e em'raced ' the popular classes throughout

the +iddle East&&e%en i those who rule o%er them do not( And to this steadast

regional support is now added the worldwide outrage, e?pressed in large #a$a

solidarit protests around the world(

The protests are themsel%es an e?pression o shiting tides o pu'ic opinion( A #allup

poll in >ul ound that while a ma.orit o Americans o%er /@ 'elie%ed srael!s actions

 were ".ustiied" ' a @@&to&-1 percent margin, the percentages were re%ersed or 1 to

2B ear olds, who 'elie%ed ' a @1&to&2@ percent margin that srael!s actions were

"un.ustiied("

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

THE 6E;6LE o #a$a ma en.o greater support in world pu'lic opinion, 'ut the act

remains that Hamas is politicall isolated(

Last ear!s ouster o Egptian 6resident and +uslim )rotherhood leader +ohamed

+orsi, com'ined with Hamas! estrangement rom ran, lea%es the slamist leadership

in #a$a without an o the 'ac3ing rom regional elites it en.oed .ust a couple ears

ago( And Jatar, which has lirted with oering inancial support to Hamas, has largel

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ca%ed to regional pressures not to do so(

This has re%ealed the dead end o Hamas! strateg o attempting to all itsel with one

or another Ara' regime&&.ust as the 6alestine Li'eration ;rgani$ation tried in past

decades(

#i%en srael!s o%erwhelming militar superiorit, the hard uestion remains* How can

6alestinian li'eration 'e achie%ed i a direct militar conrontation with srael is

unwinna'le5

srael has 'eneited rom the set'ac3s or the "Ara' Spring" upsurges that 'egan in

2011 with the o%erthrow o Tunisian dictator Dine El A'idine )en Ali and Egpt!s

Hosni +u'ara3( This ga%e srael the political space it needed to carr out ;peration

6rotecti%e Edge( )ut the 'itter grie%ances that underla the Ara' Spring ha%e not 'een

resol%ed and are 'ound to uel uture struggles( hen the arise, the will again

inspire 'road solidarit with the 6alestinian cause(

)eond the +iddle East, the growing 'ocott, di%estment and sanctions )CSF

mo%ement represents another ront in the long&term eort to e?pose sraeli apartheid

and its sstematic %iolations o international law and 'asic rights or 6alestinians(

These campaigns&&targeting e%erthing rom sraeli&produced hummus on college

campuses, to artists perorming in apartheid srael, to international conglomerates

engaged in inrastructure pro.ects that e?tend srael!s settlement&'uilding enterprise&&

are an essential component o raising the political price srael must pa, 'oth or its

recent string o war crimes in #a$a and its ongoing oppression o 6alestinians(

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

<;= A intensiied )CS campaign to 'e eecti%e in opening up another ront against

srael, those who support .ustice must conront the political arguments used to delect

their initiati%es( Curing the sraeli onslaught, li'eral pu'lications such as The

 Nationmaga$ine, or e?ample, maintained a stead drum'eat o criticism o Hamas as

at least partl responsi'le or "pro%o3ing" sraeli %iolence or its ighters! decision to

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resist occupation, as is their right under international law(

Li'eral criticisms will come as no surprise to anone who has participated in the

6alestine solidarit mo%ement( )ut man acti%ists ma ha%e 'een ta3en a'ac3 '

similar statements that ha%e come rom sections o the socialist let(

<or e?ample, Gshama Sawant o Socialist Alternati%e, newl elected to the Seattle 9it

9ouncil, included in her statement denouncing the sraeli war a condemnation o

Hamas or iring roc3ets, and a call to "stand in solidarit with the ordinar people o

srael and their desire or securit(" The Militant  newspaper pu'lished ' the Socialist

 or3ers 6art&:(S( went urther, denouncing Hamas or the "targeting o citi$ens in

srael," which has "set 'ac3 prospects or united action ' Ara' and >ewish wor3ing

people("

Such statements are especiall stunning in the ace o the racist war ren$ that

gripped sraeli societ almost unanimousl&&leading to the opinion poll results alread

cited that showed B@ percent o >ewish sraelis agreeing that ;peration 6rotecti%e

Edge was .ustiied(

These attitudes are not merel the result o 'rainwashing( The are ine%ita'le in an

apartheid sstem in which >ewish citi$ens, rich and poor, en.o e?clusi%e rights and

material inancial 'eneits in a militari$ed societ 'uilt around the logic o e?pulsion

and ethnic cleansing(

 A mo%ement that see3s to achie%e .ustice in 6alestine and the 'roader +iddle East

must champion the demands o 6alestinians or sel&determination and em'race the

6alestinian call to organi$e a 'ocott, di%estment and sanctions campaign that can

undermine international support or sraeli apartheid(

there was an sign o hope amid nightmare inlicted on #a$a in the past wee3s, it

 was the sense o urgenc and determination that animated the protests against srael!s

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 war and e?pressions o support or 6alestine( )ecause o the hard wor3 o organi$ing,

especiall around )CS, in the past se%eral ears, the international mo%ement in

solidarit with 6alestine is in a position to connect to this 'roader outrage at srael!s

 war&&and continue to mo'ili$e it or the struggles to come(

 e will do so with the horrors o srael!s war resh in mind to remem'er the 'ar'arism

 we are ighting against&&and with the determination o the 6alestinian people to resist

trann and %iolence to teach us what we are struggling or(

6osted ' Tha%am