Hostages of the Middle East

Gilad Shalit and Binyamin Netanyahu

I was glad today to see Gilad Shalit and 477 Palestinian hostages released unharmed. During his captivity the IDF has killed over 2,000 Palestinian men, women and children, continued the illegal occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and the blockade and collective punishment of Gaza. It has protected over 100 illegal Jewish colonies on the West Bank and the annexation of Palestinian land by the so called “Security Barrier.” Over 5,000 Palestinians are still interred in Israel mostly without any trial with a minority “convicted” by Military Courts by the same IDF army of occupation.


Released Palestinian prisoners arriving in Gaza

The BBC’s reporting was, as always, disgracefully unbalanced focusing on the soldier’s family and Israeli “pain” at the prisoner swap. In this it reflected the amoral “Israel, first, second and always” stance of the United States which provides £1.6 Bn of military aid to Israel annually with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton not mentioning the Palestinian prisoners but only saying she was pleased that Sgt Shalit's "long ordeal" had ended, adding that he had been held for "far too long", unlike the prisoners in Guantanamo and Bagram airbase presumably?


Gilad Shalit's "hometown" of Mitzpe Hila in the western Galilee Hills overlooking the Lebanese border. It was founded under a previous Likud Government in 1980 on the West Bank which is under military occupation and subject to martial law by the IDF. The International Court of Justice and the international community say these settlements are illegal and no foreign government supports Israel's settlements. Israel disputes the position of the international community.The United Nations has repeatedly upheld the view that Israel's construction of settlements constitutes violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Glad too that Gilad Shalit could go back to his family in his northern hometown of Mitzpe Hila unlike 40 of the “released” Palestinians who are being obliged to join the thousands more in exile from their homeland. Mitzpe Hila itself is a Jewish settlement on Palestinian land near the Lebanese border established by the previous Likud government as part of the "Lookouts in Galilee" plan, with residents initially living in prefabricated homes imported from South Africa. When reminded about the thousands of Palestinians held by Israel for so many years, while he was held for five years, the interviewer asked directly: "Is it possible that you would lead a campaign to release all Palestinian detainees who are still in captivity?"

"I will be happy if they are released, to be able to go back home to their land and their parents; I will be happy if that happens," Shalit replied. When asked about his plans for the future, Shalit expressed that he hoped this deal will help bolster the peace between Israel and Palestine.


Wall of Palestinian prisoners

The only way forward for Israel and the Palestinian people is a genuine Two State Solution reverting to the 1949 Line of Control and internationalising Jerusalem. There is no long term strategic interest for the United States in having Israel as its proxy military power in the Middle East and for Israel to rely on military might subsidised by a foreign power for its long term security. And for the United States perhaps when the sugar rush from the killing of Bin Laden has worn off perhaps it might reflect that the two greatest threats to its own security come from its own greed. It’s greed for oil which has made it dependant on the Saudi tyranny and its greed for cocaine which has created violent corrupt narco states in South America, in North America (Mexico) and in Afghanistan. Perhaps the greedy and incontinent consumer has to take some responsibility for the consequences of their own prolifigate greed?

Peace with justice in Palestine.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2011/05/nakba.html