RANT: CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST CAN ONLY END BADLY

 

NOT BEING A VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON, I generally have kept to the principle that experienced, trained individuals know what they are doing and should do what they apparently do best. Thus, I have let politicians do what experienced politicians also are supposed to do best, namely: running our country, setting policies, making treaties with other countries, dealing with crises and so on. But my Great Canadian Complacency has been challenged recently by events in Israel and the Gaza Strip.

EARLIER THIS MONTH in East Jerusalem the attempted eviction of several Palestinian families from their long-held homes and the heavy-handed tactics used by Israeli authorities in curtailing Muslim religious services during the final days of Ramadan, triggered a response from Hamas militias in Gaza to launch missiles into Israeli territory, resulting in injuries and, I believe, six deaths. Israel, in turn, has launched a number of bomb attacks into Gaza, with the death toll as of May 12/21 at forty-eight.

There are many who feel, as I do, that Israel’s long-standing oppression of the Palestinian people in Gaza (and the West Bank) is unconscionable and against international law. What difference, really, is there between today’s Israel and apartheid South Africa during the 1980s with its “Bantu” states and segregationist laws? If it walks like a duck, and quacks like one...

 

Canada exported over $30M of military goods to Israel in 2019 according to a tweet by PloughsharesCanada. Also in 2019, Global Affairs Canada rated Israel number one on its non-US “utilized export permits for military goods and services” listing. Point is: Canada has leverage, and could decide to make a principled stand and hold up or curtail such exports* until Israel modifies its policies to the millions of Palestinians under its regime. (Good luck with that.)

The BDS (Boycott-Disinvest-Sanctions) movement is another way Canada could express its concern and solidarity with the Palestinian people. Both the Green Party of Canada and the NDP (during their April 2021 party convention) endorsed adopting a BDS policy toward Israel. The Liberals are staunchly pro-Israel and do not support BDS, though the Prime Minister did criticize the recent evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in Jerusalem which sparked the latest round of violence. So, there’s that.

But, when will Palestinian rights truly be respected? When will the violence end? My personal feeling is it will end, but very badly. We’ll have to see.

 

p.s. There are insidious claims too often made that any criticism of Israeli domestic or foreign policies is inherently  anti-Semitic, full stop. Bollocks! Like many watching the current crisis unfold, my concerns and criticisms are with the Israeli government. Period. 

 

Sorry for the long Rant, but c’mon, fer Christ’s sake!

Cheers, Jake.

 

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*Did you know that Canada exported world-wide approximately $3.7B worth of military equipment and services in 2020? We are the 14^th largest exporter of weapons in the world. Go Canada! (What could possibly go wrong?)

 

[Good short YouTube podcast by Kyle Kulinski at "Secular Talk" on this issue, as well as Max Blumenthal of "The Grayzone" news website on "TheJimmy Dore Show": It's also a short clip that's to the point.]