Updated Dossier: “Nakba of Gaza 2023”

IN THIS SPECIAL GAZA-FOCUSED ISSUE:

• Over 1 Million People Driven South from the Northern Gaza Strip

• Biden’s Crushing Responsibility

• Two Reports from our Correspondents in the West Bank

• During the Massacres, Business Goes on as Usual

• A Chain of Israeli-American Provocations in Lebanon and Syria

• “Biden: How Many Kids Have You Killed Today?”

• State of Israel: Despite the Repression, Activists Are Fighting Against Genocide 

• “Bernie Sanders Rejects Ceasefire Calls, Says Israel Must Defend Itself Against Hamas”  — Times of Israel (November 6, 2023)

• OPINION COLUMN: “A Secular and Democratic State for All, Jews and Palestinians: The Only Alternative to Violence” — by Naji El Khatib 

* * * * * * * * * *

Over 1 Million People Driven South from the Northern Gaza Strip

“This is the Nakba of Gaza 2023,” said Avi Dichter, Israel’s Minister of Agriculture. (November 11, Israeli Channel 12).

In May 1948, the first Nakba (“catastrophe” in Arabic) was the forced expulsion of 800,000 Palestinians as the State of Israel was founded. Parked in camps for 75 years, the refugees and their descendants have never returned.

And today, with over 1 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip driven from the north to the south of this tiny 360 km² (139 sq. miles) territory, the “Nakba of Gaza 2023” is now under way. This truth has not escaped Netanyahu, who has demanded that his ministers “be very careful about what they say.”

The images speak for themselves: May 1948-November 2023, the same lines of thousands of women, men, women, children and the elderly, loaded down with bundles and whatever else they could carry on the road to exodus. As in 1948, they are fleeing massacres. On November 13, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) estimated the toll of a month of Israeli aggression as follows: At least 11,000 people, including 4,506 children and 3,027 women, have died.

Of the 27,490 people injured, more than 8,600 are children. At least 2,700 people, including 1,500 children, are missing. Women and children account for 67% of victims. The death toll rises daily by staggering proportions. Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children.

In Gaza, 80% of the population are already refugees. So, on the roads of exodus, Al Jazeera English (November 11) showed this 90-year-old woman, forced to walk 3 miles on foot. She was 15 years old in May 1948, when Zionist militias first expelled her from her village. Not far away, another woman carries a newborn baby in her arms: “She was born this morning at 6.30 a.m., and at 9 a.m. we had to flee.

The Israeli attack on Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza’s largest, precipitated the exodus. 14,500 women and children had taken refuge there, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. “If we had remained, we would have been killed. They started shelling us, and we fled,” a woman told the British newspaper The Guardian (November 12).

At the hospital, reports the international press, premature babies are kept warm “as best they can, for lack of an incubator” as there is no electricity or oxygen; the generators have stopped working,” while “the medical staff claim to be targeted by the Israeli army when they approach the windows” (France Culture, November 13). The Israeli government has declared that 1.7 million of the Gaza Strip’s 2.2 million are no longer able to live in their own destroyed or damaged homes.

With no roof, no water, no electricity, no food, no hospitals … what choice but to flee or die? Those responsible for the new Nakba are well-known: Netanyahu, Biden and all the governments who cover up for them. They are responsible for this genocide against the Palestinian people.

* * * * * * * * *

Biden’s Crushing Responsibility

Referring to a “humanitarian pause”, [French President] Macron was immediately “corrected” by Biden, for whom there is “no possibility of a ceasefire.” Macron then apologized; he did not mean “to accuse Israel of intentionally harming civilians” in Gaza!

And Biden? His Secretary of State presented “a vague blueprint for a post-war Gaza that includes a combination of a revitalized Palestinian Authority” and “a peacekeeping force” (The Times of Israel, November 5). In short, a rehash of the so-called “two-state solution,” which will only provoke further massacres and expulsions.

Incidentally, the same Biden administration had envisaged another plan on October 20, referring to U.S. talks with the Egyptian regime to monetize the forced transfer of Gaza’s entire population to the Sinai desert: “This crisis could well lead to cross-border displacement and an increase in regional humanitarian needs, and the funding could be used to meet the evolving programming needs outside the Gaza Strip.”*

Egypt rejected the deal, and Biden was forced to change his tune, declaring that he would “ensure that Palestinians in Gaza are not displaced to Egypt” (October 29).

But it was Biden who produced this transfer plan and who gave the Netanyahu government the green light to proceed carrying out this second Nakba. — D.F.

Endnote:

* Letter regarding critical national security funding needs for fiscal year 2024, White House, October 20.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Reports from our Correspondents in the West Bank

Report 1: “3,000 Youth Have Been Arrested”

A friend was killed by soldiers this weekend, adding to the 220 people who have been killed in the West Bank so far. Each of them has a story, and their story in itself creates a new kind of resistance.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority are afraid of another Intifada in the West Bank. They know it can happen in the streets again. That is why Israeli troops enter the camps and towns every day and every night. Over 3,000 youth have been arrested in one month, most as administrative detainees, held without charge. They know we will fight until the end. We will make a new kind of history. This is not the history of the Arab leaders. This is the people themselves.

Those who hold out expectations for a two-state solution are blind to what is happening on the ground. The Zionists will not leave a centimeter for a two-state solution. Look at what they are doing in Gaza. They are killing children. These children aren’t Muslims or Christians. They only know their games and toys.

We know that we are not alone. There are people in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria who support us. We have been watching the demonstrations in the United States and Europe which are growing every day. People in the West Bank have more trust in people in the U.S. who are showing support than they do for most Arabs and the Muslims, who they don’t see doing anything for the Palestinians.

*   *   *   *

Report 2 from West Bank: “People Feel Totally Devastated”

People in the West Bank feel totally devastated. Nothing is normal. Life has changed 100% in every single way. Roads are closed; you can’t go anywhere outside your town or city. I know people who haven’t been able to return to their cities for days. Ramallah has been closed off and people told to work remotely from home.

Nobody is going out of the West Bank to work; not even the doctors who work in the Israeli hospitals. 200,000 West Bank workers have stayed home. It would not be safe to travel anyway because settlers attack any time and soldiers are shooting people easily and quickly. Aside from shooting people, the soldiers stop us at checkpoints, take our phones, and check to see if we have published anything about Gaza.

It’s been 40 days without money coming in, but people are enduring. Food prices are rising higher and higher – to crazy heights – because of the road closures. Some schools have closed because it isn’t safe for students and teachers to get there and we are working online with students.

No matter how we feel, it is nothing compared to what people in Gaza are experiencing. People are literally devastated by what is happening in Gaza.

•    *    *    *    *    *    *    

“Bernie Sanders Rejects Ceasefire Calls, Says Israel Must Defend Itself Against Hamas”  — Times of Israel (November 6, 2023)

“U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders rejected calls for a ceasefire in Gaza on Sunday, breaking from a growing group of progressive lawmakers who have been urging an end to the fighting,” reports the Times of Israel (November 6).

“I don’t know how you can have a ceasefire, a permanent ceasefire, with an organization like Hamas, which is dedicated to turmoil and chaos and destroying the State of Israel,” Sanders told CNN. “I think what the Arab countries in the region understand is that Hamas has got to go.”

Sanders – who has been hailed worldwide as the most “progressive” figure in U.S. politics, which earned him the support of DSA among others on the “left” – has been warmly thanked by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the powerful pro-Israel lobby group in the United States: “Thank you,” the statement reads, “for your clear opposition to calls for a ceasefire with Hamas.”

Sanders’ former spokesperson commented, “This is the biggest political disappointment of our generation.” But there’s no reason to be “disappointed.” For decades, Sanders has been a loyal “caucus” member of the Democratic Party — which, like the Republican Party, is a capitalist party.— M.J.

* * * * * * * * * *

During the Massacres, Business Goes on as Usual

On October 29, Israeli Energy Minister Katz awarded 12 offshore fossil gas licenses to the multinationals ENI (Italy), BP (Great Britain) and Socar (Azerbaijan).

Back in March 2023, Netanyahu promised that exploiting these fields would help Europe to reduce its dependence on Russian gas in the wake of European and U.S. sanctions. This promise was confirmed in June 2023 in an agreement between Katz, his Egyptian counterpart, and European Energy Commissioner Simson.

In 2022, Israel and Lebanon redefined their maritime border, giving Israel control of an offshore gas field. Then Israel signed an agreement with Egypt and the Palestinian Authority granting control of two gas fields located 35 kilometers off the Gaza coast. On October 12, Minister Katz decreed a total blockade of Gaza: “No electric switch will be turned on, no water pump will be opened, and no fuel truck will enter.” — Jean Alain

* * * * * * * * * * *

A Chain of Israeli-American Provocations in Lebanon and Syria

Ninety dead, 30,000 villagers displaced: that’s the toll of Israeli bombardments in southern Lebanon. On the evening of November 12, “the roar of Israeli aircraft was even heard over the capital, Beirut” (France 24, November 12). Israeli provocations  are a daily occurrence. On November 11, the Israeli Defense Minister declared: “What we do in Gaza, we know how to do it in Beirut.” The Israeli daily Maariv states that “the Israeli army is preparing to launch a powerful and unprecedented strike on Lebanon.”

On November 12, the U.S. Air Force bombed two sites in Syria linked to Iran, for the third time in less than three weeks. What are Netanyahu and Biden trying to achieve by provoking Iran’s allies? According to the Institut des relations internationales et stratégiques (Iris, November 10), “Tehran remains cautious and wants to avoid the risk of an open conflict with the United States”, but “the region could spiral out of control if the current provocations continue.”— J. A.

* * * * * * * * * *

“How Many Kids Have You Killed “Today?”

“Biden, Biden, what do you say? How many kids have you killed today?”

Hundreds of thousands of protesters chanted this slogan across hundreds of cities in the United States, reviving an old slogan from 1967. At that time, the chant was addressed to President Lyndon B. Johnson, a leader, like Biden, of the Democratic Party who was napalming the Vietnamese population. It’s no coincidence that protests in the United States against the massacres in Gaza increasingly resemble the popular mobilization against the Vietnam War.

And with good reason: “For 75 years, the U.S. government has provided more aid to Israel than any other country. From 2001 to 2020, Israel received more military aid from the U.S. than all other recipient countries combined” writes the U.S. media Insider (October 13), which adds: “Aid to Israel enjoys bipartisan [Republican and Democrat – ed. Note] support.” — J. A.

* * * * * * * * * *

State of Israel: Despite the Repression, Activists Are Fighting Against Genocide 

Repression is being unleashed against Israeli activists, who, albeit a tiny minority, are speaking out against the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza.

On October 29, police arrested Jewish activist Yoav Haïfawi after searching his home. “I was duly released the next day, as I had been arrested for doing nothing. In response to my release, the Israeli Minister of National Security who oversees the police, the extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir, posted my photo on social networks, describing me as a “Hamas supporter,” but the main target of his attack was the judge who had ordered my release. As this judge was Arab, Mr. Ben-Gvir called him an enemy from within.”

On November 9, in Nazareth, members of the High Monitoring Committee (which represents Palestinian “Israeli citizens”, i.e., 20% of the Israeli population) were arrested, including several ex-members of the Knesset (Parliament) who attempted to gather behind a banner reading “No to war!” in Hebrew, Arabic and English.

On the same day in Tel Aviv, around a hundred activists gathered in front of the police headquarters, calling on “Jews and Arabs not to fall into the trap” and chanted “No to a fascist state!” The police beat up the demonstrators, arresting 18, including Jonathan Pollak, an activist with Anarchists Against the Wall.

Despite the terror, among the younger generation, some people are publicly asserting their refusal to serve in the army — and they are saying so on social networks: “The army we have in this country is the operational arm of Jewish supremacy, based on the oppression of the people,” says conscientious objector Tal Mitnick. “I reject the idea that murdering children in Gaza will bring security to anyone,” his comrade, Ariel Davidov, adds: “I can’t be part of something so immoral and unjust. It’s a genocide that has been going on since the beginning of Zionism.”

* * * * * * * * * *

What Fate Awaits these Children?

Israeli Journalist Gideon Levy writes in Haaretz (November 12):

“A photo taken by Ohad Zwigenberg of the Associated Press … showed an Israeli army soldier in a child’s bedroom in Gaza, his foot resting on a bed. The room’s pink wall were intended to create a calm atmosphere amid the horror. The room was a mess, torn and tattered, with only a hairless doll scattered about. … Its inhabitants had fled for their lives or were killed.

“The Gazans’ bedroom looked exactly like the destroyed children’s rooms I saw at Kibbutz Beeri, the morning after the massacre,” Levy continues.” It’s impossible to say what will be the fate of these children, here and there.

“If the children of Beeri survive, they can at least hope for a better future. If the children of Gaza survive, no hope awaits them. Children are children, it bears repeating, and we can only be equally horrified by what has happened to them, here and there. In today’s fascist reality in Israel, even this statement is seen as treason, subversion and an expression of hatred towards Israel.”

* * * * * * * * * *

OPINION COLUMN

“A Secular and Democratic State for All, Jews and Palestinians: The Only Alternative to Violence” 

By Naji El Khatib 

The sacred alliance behind the criminal policies of the State of Israel reveals the colonial reflex buried in the deep unconsciousness of the Euro-American ruling classes, which translates into unwavering support for the colonial State of Israel.

This reflex is expressed in the political and military stances of Western states, as well as in most of the media controlled by capitalist centers of power. Once again, we are witnessing the return of colonial judgments about the Palestinian as a barbaric, savage terrorist acting violently against the white, civilized Israeli victim (“who looks like us”).

There is no analysis of the fundamental questions about the roots of what exploded on October 7 in front of the world. It’s a world whose leaders are complicit in the ethnic cleansing practiced against the Palestinians, complicit in the pronounced Apartheid practices that characterize the policy of the State of Israel, complicit in the daily assassinations of Palestinian civilians, and in the rampant colonization and forced exile for millions of Palestinians.

It’s a world whose leaders have remained silent in the face of all these crimes committed by the Zionists over the past 75 years. The explosion of October 7 was a reminder that no one can live in peace without justice for the Palestinian people as a whole, in historic Palestine and in the diaspora.

Justice means guaranteeing the right of return for all refugees from 1948 and 1967.

The Gaza Strip, inhabited mainly by refugees, resembles an open-air concentration camp, a modern-day ghetto — most recently turned into a mass open-air graveyard. Gaza is an expression of the “modernist” savagery of capitalism and Zionism. The only alternative to violence is to transform the colonial, exclusive state reserved for Jews into a secular, democratic state for all — Jews and Palestinians alike.

In other words, an inclusive state from the Jordan to the Mediterranean is the only possible solution, a state that guarantees equal rights to all its citizens without distinction of any kind, a state of citizenship in which Jews and Palestinians will live in peace, equal before the law, which “must be the same for all.” This would put an end to colonial privileges, the exile suffered by millions of Palestinians outside their own country, and the programmed expropriation of Palestinians who are still on their land.

 The Palestinian dream of peace is still alive, despite the massacres committed in Gaza today. It’s a dream of a secular Palestine that will be neither Jewish nor Islamic, but a country without any nationalist, ethnic, racial or religious supremacy. A Palestine establishing the universal values of citizenship, social justice, security, equity and freedom for all its citizens, its current residents (Palestinians and Israeli Jews), but also its future residents (the refugees who have been waiting to return to Palestine for over 75 years).

* * * * * * * * * * *