Gaza Carnage Must Stop

THE toll in human lives that is taking place in Gaza is no different from Israel’s assault on Hezbollah in Lebanon two years ago.

Only this time round, the Government of Israel has declared its enemy number one as Hamas, the legitimate government of Gaza, and is doing its utmost to obliterate this movement from the face of the earth.
Observers have commented that in global terms, this is a proxy war between Western allies against Iran to capture the heart and soul of the Middle East and secure the future of that cauldron of conflict in favour of the West.
The timing of Israel’s assault on the people of Gaza is also seen as a last-ditch attempt to act with impunity. The Israelis enjoy unquestioned US support under the Bush administration, which is three weeks away from handing over the reins of power to Barack Obama who will step into the White House to take charge of American global designs and interests.
Condemnations have poured in from across the globe and right-thinking people have called the Israeli attacks ‘genocidal’.
The Government of Namibia has joined the voices of protest and shock, and has called on the Government of Israel to allow the people of Palestine to exercise their right to self-determination. Our government is unambiguous: ‘The Government of Namibia condemns the Israeli bombardments and ground assault of the Gaza Strip. This naked aggression and disproportionate use of force by Israel is unfortunate and only leads to further escalation of violence.’
The Namibian is in full agreement with these sentiments and applauds the stand taken by our government (even if it was somewhat belated). But while we support the humanitarian appeals for peace and stability in the Middle East, we need to remind ourselves of the following:
First, human rights are indivisible in peace and war. In other words, their violation is unacceptable under all conditions.
Second, no nation is worth defending if it means the brutal murder of civilians. A nation built on the negation of other people’s right to live will not produce healthy citizens. The State of Israel has repeatedly asserted its right to exist, but this assertion has been perennially accompanied by assaults on other States, land grabs for its citizens, unilaterally building walls of separation between its citizens and Palestinians, and regular forays into other nations with its helicopter gunships, fighter jets and its ground troops. Since its formation in 1948, the State of Israel has been hedged about with a military shield. All indications are that it has no intention to abandon its war machine.
Third, US support for Israel is not only a matter of international concern, but its revocation is a pressing imperative if Obama is serious about effecting a sea change in Third World attitudes towards his country.
Fourth, Hamas, as a former liberation movement, was born out of necessity. It was created to defend the people of Palestine against Israel’s occupation and colonisation of its territory. The anger and resentment that built up through years of brutal assaults against its people have resulted in retaliatory actions and resistance through armed force. But while its legitimacy as a popular representative of its people cannot be disputed, it too has maimed and injured Israeli citizens. For this reason, we would appeal to its leaders to stop its own rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.
As Namibians we have had our fair share of brutality meted out against our people by the apartheid state. We rid ourselves of an illegitimate regime and our government is committed to reconciling the different interests that make up our society. We are building a nation out of the old and we are setting new ideals. We are not building our State at the expense of others in the region.
The Namibian urges the Government of Israel to stop the carnage and engage in peace talks which can achieve a lasting and peaceful Israeli-Palestine solution.