Isr-Gaza: All is not quiet on the western front; it’s worse

Time seems to have lulled us into a state of apathy or complacency. Some of us have seen the horrors of what is taking place in Gaza, and we have had to turn away. Others have tuned it out altogether.

But we cannot do so. People are dying. I don’t care for a minute if you are pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian. War is not good for anyone.

Except for those in power!

NB: Beginning this week (July 11, 2024, 5:00 PST/8:00 EST), I will be hosting a series of weekly livestreams that will endeavor to provide a framework for understanding the nature of the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world. (Note: these livestreams will live on the Determinetruth YouTube page: after July 11, 2024, you can search for the playlist “Gospel and the Kingdom”).

This conversation is important because it alerts us to the dangers that lurk behind the efforts of empires.

One of those dangers is war. Empire (and I use the word empire in its broadest sense) . . .

NB: I asked Monica [AI for Chrome] to define “empire” broadly, and I like its definition: “Broadly speaking, the term “empire” refers to a large and powerful political, economic, and/or cultural entity that exercises control or dominance over a wide area or multiple territories and populations.”

Empires like war. They benefit from them.

Nations like war. They use war to expand their power.

Corporations like war. They profit from them, especially those that produce the weaponry used to wage such wars.

We might immediately think that we are on to the wares of such things and that we would never allow them to flourish. But, if we feel this way, we are naïve to ways of empire.

Propaganda

NB: I have discussed propaganda in several recent posts)

One of the dangers of propaganda is that it is easily believable. This is even more so when we are its beneficiaries. This is a significant danger for much of Western Christianity. (I will address this and related issues in the upcoming livestream series mentioned above)

I have been arguing from the beginning that we need to find a diplomatic solution in Israel-Palestine that creates a just peace for the sake of everyone. The notion that Israelis and Palestinians cannot live together is part of the political propaganda (though the events of the last year have certainly presented this view more legitimacy) of those in power.

An example of the power of propaganda about the current war on Gaza is the use of “hostages” and “prisoners.”

Hostages and “prisoners” or “detainees” 

One of the issues that drives support for Israel’s assault on Gaza is the damnable attack by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023. During Hamas’ attack, 1189 Israelis were killed, and 243 Israeli civilians were taken as hostages back to Gaza.

Israel’s response to the incursion of Oct 7 is thereby justified because Israel is simply acting in self-defense, and they are attempting to free the hostages.

What is often left out of this discourse is the fact that Hamas claimed several motives for their attack. Chief among them was the fact that Israel has “detained” over 5000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, which Hamas wants to see freed. Consequently, Hamas’ taking of hostages was intended to provide them leverage or a bargaining chip concerning the detainees.

The media, of course, if they have addressed this at all, has portrayed such a swap in terms of “hostages” for “prisoners.” The language is critical.

“Hostages” suggests (and correctly so) innocent civilians.

“Prisoners” suggests criminals. And since they are Palestinian prisoners, it likely conveys terrorists.

The problem is that most of the 5000+ Palestinian detainees that Hamas wants to be released have not been charged with any crime at all, let alone convicted of one.

Israel justifies such detentions on the basis that those detained are linked, or possibly linked, with terrorists or terrorist activities. Thus, they “detain” Palestinians for up to 6 months—which is often extended and sometimes indefinitely—while they investigate whether or not the detainee is safe to be released.

The increase of Palestinian “detainees”

I have heard many times that if Hamas would stop firing rockets and release the hostages, this conflict would end.

Now, there are many reasons to suppose that this is not true—including the fact that Israel’s assault on Gaza has resulted in the complete destruction of Gaza to the extent that the region is unlivable. This suggests that Israel is not merely trying to eliminate Hamas and free the hostages; they are trying to destroy Gaza and remove the Palestinians from the region.

The rhetoric of Israel’s right-wing cabinet members affirms that this is indeed Israel’s goal. Itamar Ben G’vir, who is Israel’s Minister of National Security, has even called for the Palestinian “detainees” to be executed (see Al Jazeerah video at the 2:35 mark).

Furthermore, if Hamas were to release the hostages, it would fail to account for why they took the hostages in the first place, namely, as a bargaining chip. This is, of course, horrific. But the point is that if Hamas were to release the hostages, Israel has no compulsion to release any of the Palestinian detainees.

There is another problem.

Israel has not only failed to acknowledge that it is wrongfully detaining Palestinians (some of the detainees are noted peace activists; others include people like the Director of Al Shifa Hospital), but they have nearly doubled the number of Palestinian detainees since Oct 7. There are now 9000+ Palestinians in Israeli prisons and detention centers; 600+ are children.

If Israel truly wants peace with the Palestinians, then why have they increased the number of detainees?

What is more, is the fact that Israeli guards are reportedly “punishing” many of the Palestinian detainees as an act of revenge for Hamas’ attack of Oct 7. These are not my words. These are the words of Israeli guards (whistleblowers) who have gone public with what is happening in these detention centers.

NB: On Friday, July 12, at 10:00 am PST / 1:00 pm EST, the Christian Forum on Israel-Palestine will interview recently released Palestinian peace activist Munther Amira, who will describe his experience in an Israeli detention center. 

Recently, a Palestinian lawyer and an Arab citizen of Israel, Khaled Mahajneh, was permitted access to one of the Israeli detention centers where he was allowed to interview Muhammed Arab, a Palestinian journalist for Al Araby TV. You can read about his interview in 972+ magazine. Here are some key excerpts:

“The journalist had not been given new clothes for nearly two months, and was only allowed to change his pants for the first time that day because of the lawyer’s visit.”

“Detainees are continually blindfolded and tied up with their hands behind their backs, forced to sleep hunched over on the floor without any bedding. Their iron handcuffs are removed only during a weekly, minute-long shower. “But the prisoners began refusing to shower because they don’t have watches, and going beyond the allotted minute exposes prisoners to severe punishments, including hours outside in the heat or rain,” Mahajneh said.

“All detainees, Mahajneh noted, face deteriorating health conditions due to the poor quality of the daily prison diet: a small amount of labaneh and a piece of cucumber or tomato. They also suffer from severe constipation, and for every 100 prisoners, only one roll of toilet paper is provided per day.”

I say all of this not to make Israel the bad guy. War is the bad guy. Those in power are the bad guys. And this includes those who are waging this war, whether they be Hamas, the leadership in Israel and the US (not to mention the European Union) who are waging this war. 

We must speak up. People are dying: 38,500+ in Gaza; 5,000 IDF soldiers.

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