Israel’s War on Gaza: A Defensive Warfare or a Terrorist Act?

The uneven war between Israel and the Gaza strip has created sympathy from Arabs and

non-Arabs around the world that infers that the Israeli attacks on the strip is a war crime

according to Palestinians (A Palestinian View: War Crimes in Gaza Put PA in Awkward

Place). Adhering to the International law on War, Protocol 1 of the Additional to the

Geneva Conventions, 1977, Section 1, Article 48 states: “In order to ensure respect for

and protection of the civilian population and civilian objects (during war), the Parties to

the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants

and between civilian objects and military objectives and accordingly shall direct their

operations only against military objectives”. On the 6th day of Israel’s attack on Gaza an

estimate of 485 civilians including women and children were killed and only 33 reported

Hamas Islamist militants, Israel’s supposed enemy were martyred on the onslaught

(Al-Jazeera/English). Israel’s political appointees further said on their first day of operation

that the attacks were directed only towards Hamas’ military wing and that their operation

in Gaza was far from completion (Shimon). The aggression towards Gaza by Israel since

the last 7 days contradicts Israel’s claims that its only objective was cease the attacks of

rockets by Hamas into Southern Israel because Hamas opted for a ceasefire if Israel will

discontinue its air strikes using advanced F-16 fighter jets to bomb indiscriminately Gazan

residences, hospitals, mosques, and government institution owned by Hamas or Fatah

(Al-Jazeera/English). A Washington spokesman speaking through Al-Jazeera said:

“Whether 16 Israelis were killed since 2001 by rocket fires from Hamas compared to the

380 in Gaza in 5 days, the numbers in Gaza is absolutely meaningless, the United States

condemns Hamas aggression towards Israel” (New Hour). Michael Bloomerg another

Washington spokesman was quick to say that Hamas owns the responsibility for the Israeli
attack and they are to blame (Al-Jazeera/English). However, the use of biased rhetoric in

what can be described as “the defense of the indefensible” further conveys the hatred in

the guise of diplomacy many of the western politicians have for the Arab world,

particularly the Islamist movement like Hamas.

Hamas won the democratic elections in January 2006 by an outstanding victory to the

opposition movement Fatah, the election was nullified. “The fact that the West really

considers democratic elections for Islamists as impermissible for Muslim countries is

documented by the election of Hamas in Palestine in 2006 and the subsequent embargo

and economic deprivation we see continue to this day. The minute it appeared Islamists

were going to win Algerian elections martial law was imposed and a brutal campaign

against Muslims ensued” (Younus 6). The American ideology that believes that democracy

should be implemented in all nations but with the conditionality of loyalty (to them) reflects

that the common interest of the West to secure peace in the region (such as Middle East)

may never be successful. The only practical solution for world peace and particularly the

Middle East is that the Western powers must secure its own borders and careless about

infringing on the fundamental rights of those that resist their policies. Israel should

withdraw the occupied Palestine and revoke their biblical prophecy that says Palestine is

of surety their promised land, if indeed they advocate peace in the region and peace in

the world. It is not arguable that the policy makers in Israel are blood thirsty and believe

the only way to secure their office is to create enmity between Arabs and Israelis further

enabling their populace to conclude they are up to the task for their courage and bravery.

However, the Muslim world, particularly Arabs have a sense of sympathy to dying Muslims

in Iraq, Afghanistan, occupied Palestine, Somalia, just to name a few. The War on Gaza

at this point is not considered to be an even war, Israeli air forces fire rockets at poor
people with nothing to arm themselves except stones and a number of rockets that kills

approximately 16 people in 8 years (Al-Jazeera/English). Israel’s undeclared occupation of

the entire Palestine shows the greed and absolute misuse of power the enemy has

resulted into in the pretext of the slogan, “War against Hamas”. Before the Hamas

movement was established there was war between the two factions, Israel and Palestine;

therefore Hamas has only be used as an excuse to ill-treat the Palestinians and there can

be no prevention of terror if the true terrorist military complex that closes all borders and all

forms of humanitarian aid continues to perpetrate its crime without a check to its operation.

The most disturbing fact of all is the decision of the Arab leaders that purport to seek the

United Nations intervention, knowing their veto of power in the United Nations is far less

than the nations that justify the war formally or through diplomatic processes. Personally,

Israel’s action towards Palestinians since 1948 until date has been an extremist Jewish

indoctrination and Hamas believed extremism is only to defend its people however, the

differences between the two “extremes” is that one has the right to claim what it truly

owns and the others “chronic hypocrisy” known as “diplomacy” is barbaric and is outwardly

–“terrorism”.

This article is written by Femi Salawudeen of the American University in Cairo.

Work Cited:
Abdullah, Younus Muhammed. By All Means Necessary. New York: A Revolution Muslim
Publication, 2008.
Gevena. The Commision of Inqurity for the International War Crimes Tribunal. “Protocol 1 of
the Additional to the Geneva Conventions, 1977”. n/a <http://deoxy.org/wc/wc-proto.htm>
Khatib, Ghassan. “A Palestinian View: War Crimes in Gaza Put PA in Awkward
Place”.Bitterlemons.org 29 Dec. 2008. 4 Dec2008<http://www.bitterlemons.org/issue/pal1.php>
“New Hours”. Narr. Unknown Reporters. New Hours. Al Jazeera English, London. 4 Jan 2009. 7
G.M.T

Shimon, Pres. Interview with Israeli Parliamentary and Journalist. Israel stance toward Gaza.Ch
10, Israeli Parliamentary, West Bank. 28 Dec. 2008. 9.00 G.M.T