Too Much Cookies Network

[via Laila El-Haddad] Im Artikel There is no hunger in Gaza in der Haaretz beschreibt Gideon die wahre “humanitäre Katastrophe” im Gaza-Streifen. Der Artikel ist vor allem deshalb so lesenswert, da er ein Reaktionsmuster in der Welt ausmacht: So bald keine toten Kinder mit leeren Mägen auf der Strasse sterben, weil sie nicht genügend zu essen bekamen, macht sich keiner Sorgen.

The use of the term “humanitarian disaster” is actually proof of the dehumanization of the Palestinians. There’s no flour? “Humanitarian disaster.” There is flour? Then there’s no disaster. There’s an assumption that all the Palestinians need is a daily serving of food so they won’t be considered disaster victims. It’s enough that they have water and food in their troughs to conclude that their situation is fine. But human beings, including the Palestinians, have a few other basic needs as well.

But even if they have bags of flour and rice, the living conditions of the Palestinians are chilling. They live in prison. Their daily routine includes humiliation that is no less terrible than malnutrition. Anyone who has to beg for permission to leave his village, to spend hours crowded in line at a checkpoint just to reach his destination, anyone whose bedroom is brutally invaded in the middle of the night by the occupation army, whose time and life is considered valueless, and whose basic human dignity has been trampled into dust, cannot find any consolation in the fact that flour and rice is available. Those who think that all it takes is providing a quota of flour to be free of any responsibility for the fate of the people they occupy, are suffering from a serious case of moral blindness. Does the fact that a Palestinian youth is not hungry in any way blunt the fact that he cannot dream, cannot aspire to a career, an orderly education, a vacation or simple pleasures of life? Does the fact that his belly is not completely empty cover up for the miserable present and the hopeless future?

Deshalb ist es auch für Europäer kein Problem, dass die EU kürzlich beschlossen hat, die Finanzhilfen für den Gazastreifen und das Westjordanland zu stoppen. Auch die USA will (oder hat?) ihre Finanzhilfen für den Gaza-Streifen und das Westjordanland einstellen. Gleichzeitig werden die Finanzhilfen in Form von Militär- und Wirtschaftshilfen an die israelische Regierung aufrechterhalten. Diese Fortzahlungen werden getätigt, ohne von der israelischen Regierung eine offizielle Anerkennung des Existenzrechts Palästinas zu verlangen. Es wird noch nicht einmal von der israelischen Regierung verlangt, “der Gewalt abzuschwören”.

Was wirklich frech ist, ist die Beschlagnahmung von Steuergelder, die der palästinensischen Regierung gehören durch Israel.

Unterdessen hat Israel die den Palästinensern zustehenden Zahlungen aus Steuer- und Zolleinnahmen vorerst eingestellt. Ein Regierungssprecher bestätigte am Montag, daß 200 Millionen Schekel (rund 35,7 Millionen Euro) für den Monat Januar nicht an die Autonomiebehörde weitergeleitet werden.

Travis - Beautiful Occupation

Don’t just stand there watching it happening
I can’t stand it
Don’t feel it
Something’s telling me
Don’t wanna go out this way
But have a nice day

Then read it in the headlines
Watch it on the TV
Put it in the background
Stick it in the bag
Stick it in the bag

For the beautiful occupation
The beautiful occupation
You don’t need an invitation
To drop in upon a nation

Gideon Levy schliesst mit einem Appell:

Those who have been silent until now can remain enveloped in their silence. Those whose conscience doesn’t torture them and whose sleep is uninterrupted by Israel’s behavior in the territories can continue resting in peace. There is no “humanitarian disaster.” Israel will find a solution to the food crisis, and the stores in Gaza won’t lack for flour. But those who regard the Palestinians as only requiring basic food should remember that even in the zoos, where the animals presumably don’t lack for a thing, people are often shocked by the conditions of their imprisonment.