How and why did it take hours for Israel’s armed forces and security services to respond to the horrendous Hamas Attacks of 7th October last year?
Hamas were able to kill or capture vulnerable civilians and military inside Southern Israel and take well over 100 of them back into the Gaza Strip without an Israeli Defence Force quick reaction force response. Many taken back on vehicles including motorbikes, yet some taken back on foot.
A scenario that begs the question given Israel’s so called professionalism (mostly self proclaimed) and proactiveness in handling their security.
In the wake of that dreadful attack, all of Israel’s failings in Gaza that go against International law within conflict, allow me to return to the above question each and every time…just why were Hamas “allowed” to get away that fateful day with such crimes?
I believe that the answer is becoming clearer by the day. The behavior of the Israeli war cabinet headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, their PM is nothing short of genocidal in my opinion.
They have the US tax payers’ $$$$$$ being used to supply the best military hardware on the planet. They have a powerful Navy, Air Force and Army…against their Palestinian neighbours who barely have a functioning government or police force. For decades (and I spent 18 months in and out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the Second Intifada to witness all, as a security adviser to the media) they have been breaking International law in their military and security behaviour. No doubt about it, taking land and possessions from neighbouring Palestinians in an aggressive manner will only breed aggression in return.
I’ve blogged about this before, meeting Sheik Yassin, the founding leader of Hamas, and the father of the suicide bomber. He said the Israelis have fighter jets, attack helicopters, tanks and artillery…we now have the suicide bomber. As much as I disagree with suicide bombings, his aim was to even things up. However I also disagree with the way Israel uses the settlers to push into Palestinian lands aggressively in order to take those lands and build further towns (illegal settlements) upon those lands.
It’s no different to the way that Britain established its empire, or the USA (post founding) pushed west across today’s USA’ landmass, exterminating and starving (through the slaughter of the buffalo) the indigenous tribes people.
Therefore, when it comes to Israel’s appalling behaviour, just for that reason of dark history alone, it’s then difficult for the leadership of the UK and the USA to condemn Israel.
However, the reason Israel is supported almost whole heartedly by both the UK and USA governments is not due to history at all. It’s more to do with the present day.
A good number of Jewish mates have told me repeatedly that ignoring Israel’s human rights’ violations has more to do with the next election…whether in the UK or the USA. It’s not so much the Jewish vote that they are concerned with, as the Jewish community is very much a minority in both countries. But it’s way more about those Jewish individuals of great influence…the billionaires. Their money is vital to those running for the countries’ leadership, whether the political party in the UK or the individual running for POTUS in the USA. Billions of $$$$$ at stake!
Just look at what’s gone on in this latest one sided conflict post 7th October. Around 35,000 innocent Palestinians dead, mainly women and children, a crazy number for any country to get away with today. Who knows how many wounded both physically and mentally, and of course as the heading to this post shows…malnutrition of the most needy.
The big news from the Strip is of course the killing of the 6 members of the World Central Kitchen team, most being Internationals. And of course when it’s not Palestinians who are killed but Internationals…and White one’s at that, then the media and the the government sit up.
But do they stand up? Apart from a few harsh words, do they act…as actions speak louder than words?
Do the USA and the UK now cut diplomatic ties to Israel, cut off funding and cut off the military supply chain? Of course they don’t…for reasons explained above. There will be meetings, ambassadors will be called, given a dressing down, carefully crafted spinned messages will be parroted by Western media outlets of what has been given by the US and the UK government representatives…and then it will be back to IDF normality…and then another incident for the western media to report on from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, as none are reporting from inside of Gaza…followed by another and another…
To end this post, my heart goes out to all the actors pushing their luck each and every day trying to get food and medical supplies to the people of Gaza…it should be easy under International law, but sadly that’s not how things are inside Gaza.
My heart goes out to those members of the World Central Kitchen team who were targeted and killed.
I want to give a special mention to the three British commercial security lads, all of whom were ex British military. They were doing what I did for 17 years after my military service. I know what it is like to work in an environment run by the IDF…it’s extremely hazardous!
As those lads were on “the circuit” and were ex UK military, they are my brothers. They may be from a younger era than me, but they were doing what I did…and for that we are one.
To their families their co-workers and their friends too, my heart goes out to all of you.
Three ex UK military, doing an amazing job under extreme circumstances in order to feed the famine…you have my highest respect. May you rest in peace…and may the UK and USA governments put decency and humanity before politics.
Bob Shepherd 