The Israeli prime minister recently said: “While I expressed hope for American support, I made clear that, if necessary, we would proceed independently”.
Well, we wouldn’t recommend his plan. But if he wants to proceed independently, then cut off the money American citizens are tempted to give him. And besides, Netanyahu can go FIRST, in front of his troops. Let him show the world what a brave man he is. He speaks all in favor of war when he is safe in his beautiful home.
Hence, while the Israeli Prime Minister is ready to go after Rafa, with or without the support of his Western allies, we say we do not know how one can « end » an ideological terrorist organization. Can you kill a lot of his current members? Of course. Does this mean that their ideological beliefs also die? No Unfortunately. They will continue… like Hamas or something else. It’s not a simple case of good or bad guys in Rafah. We don’t know how anyone can claim otherwise.
Thus, we say to the prime minister: Don’t bite the hand that feeds you why do we get 6 billion a year to a country led by a guy who won’t work with us?
As we know, the longer this goes on, the greater and longer the impact will be. We are on the cusp of a unique catastrophe that could see the number of civilian deaths explode, while aid trucks are kept out of the Gaza Strip by an army and government that appears to have a relationship very distorted with the truth. The level of aggression against the entire Gaza Strip is breathtaking and disturbing.
Israel will not be safer because of this, quite the contrary. It’s a question of leadership, and right now, Netanyahu and his far-right allies pose the greatest threat to Israel’s long-term security. We do not end violence with even greater violence, that is the definition of a cycle of violence. A ceasefire and talks are the only way forward. Hamas must be hunted down, that’s for sure, but not in this way. Instead, focus on their leadership and money supply. With competent leadership, Israel still has the capacity to secure its borders.
It’s enough! We saw thousands of people being massacred, mainly women and children, over five long months. They made us all spectators and spectators of a barbaric assault, and almost accomplices to the genocide because of our passivity.
So, we say again and again: Not in our names!
The Committee For The Release of Political Prisoners Institute – ICL2P / CL2P
Despite once saying Rafah was a safe area, Israel is regularly bombing the southern city in Gaza that’s sheltering more than a million displaced people. And the US says that an Israeli ground offensive on Rafah will ‘deepen anarchy’ in Gaza, with the US President reaching out to Israel and inviting a team for talks in Washington.
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reports from Rafah. (3/11/2024)