and we say it is good

Uri Avnery, an ex-Israeli politician and writer and founder of Israeli peace group, Gush Shalom, on the recent donor conference in Egypt, attended by the great international dignitaries (including Hillary Clinton). The conference tackled the symptoms but not the cause of the assault on Gaza, and of course, did not include a single person from Gaza, including its government (Hamas - not invited), nor a delegation of Gaza businessmen and civil society activists (Egypt would not let them through the Ramallah border). Some interesting observations in his article.

The participants of the conference promised Mahmoud Abbas fabulous sums of money. Nearly five billion dollars. How much will actually be paid? How much of this will actually pass through the sieve of the high-flying set in Ramallah and reach Gaza? According to a Gaza woman who appeared on television, a homeless mother who lives in a small tent in the middle of a huge mud puddle: Not a cent.

Most of the international community and Israel will only deal with Fatah.

The war ended with a fragile cease-fire that is collapsing before our very eyes. In his opening speech to the conference, Mubarak hinted that it is Ehud Olmert who is now preventing an armistice (called Tadyah or calm in Arabic). Nobody at the conference reacted. But when there is no cease-fire, another even more destructive war is looming. It’s just a matter of time – months, weeks, perhaps days. What has not yet been destroyed, will be destroyed then. So what is the good in investing billions to rebuild schools, hospitals, government buildings and ordinary homes, all of which will be demolished again anyhow?

This early February report from the National Lawyers Guild in the States who visited Gaza shortly after the war:

We spoke to Khaled Abed Rabbo, who witnessed an Israeli soldier execute his 2-year-old and 7-year-old daughters, and critically injure a third daughter, Samar, 4-years old, on a sunny afternoon outside his home. Two other Israeli soldiers were standing nearby eating chips and chocolates at the time on January 7, 2009. Abed Rabbo recounts standing in front of the Israeli soldiers with his mother, wife and daughters for 5 - 7 minutes before one of the soldiers opened fire on his family.

The people of Gaza think that the next war will wipe them out for good. It will, beyond a doubt, make sure that any chance of autonomy is blown to smithereens along with the people, I would say. And we let it happen. And we do not protest. And we say it is good.