Happy New Year? As a friend of mine points out, "Good Luck This Year" might be more apt.

The humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza and the continued global economic slide don’t have me feeling very hopeful at the moment. However, I’m waiting for Obama’s inauguration and initial policy statements before letting go of that last sliver of hope that he is serious about peace in Israel-Palestine and about restructuring the American economy in favor of social justice. In the meantime, I’m badgering him with letters, encouraging people to retain a critical mind about his administration, and protesting Israel’s unnecessary war against the Palestinians.

But there’s much we know already, and it doesn’t look so good from an international standpoint. Despite making criticisms of American imperialism in his autobiography, he has taken on the same old party line about benevolent American power and exceptionalism.

Domestically, I hold out more hope that he will bring some measure of increased justice, but how far he will go remains to be seen, and depends on what citizens demand from him. Without public pressure and demands, the best Obama can be is a benevolent dictator. If you’re not letting him know what you think, get involved.

On the Crisis in Gaza

As an American Jew, it infuriates and disgusts me to no end that these acts of terror against poor and oppressed people are supposedly being perpetrated in my interests. The Jewish state blatantly mauling and killing children with American weapons and full Democratic Party support? For how much longer?

At the time I’m writing this the toll is 875 Palestinians killed in Gaza in 15 days, including 236 children and 3695 total injured. About a dozen Israelis have also perished.

The viciousness is necessary, Israeli and American governments (and the majority of American media outlets) say, in order to defend Israeli citizens from Hamas, who allegedly broke a truce in November.  First of all, to claim that an attack is made in self-defense is, historically, standard boilerplate rationalization and needs to be examined further.  What level of threat and risk are the Israelis living under? Does it justify military attack? How many Israelis have been killed or injured by Hamas rockets? According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, rocket and mortar attacks have sharply increased in 2008 compared to previous years, wounding 90 in one hit and causing fear and widespread post-traumatic stress. There is no question that a huge perentage of Israelis live–and have been living– in insecurity, and the historical persecution of the Jewish people by one group after another, the genocidal horrors, have understandably had a powerful impact on group identity.

However, during the 5-month truce only 26 rockets were reportedly fired into Southern Israel, none by Hamas, and none causing death or injury. Also, despite Israeli–and thus American media–claims, it was Israel who broke the truce on November 4th with their deadly raid into Gaza.  It’s also easy to forget in all this that Hamas, like the Israeli government, was elected democratically, in an occupied territory no less.  It seems to me they therefore have as much right to exist freely as Israel claims it has. To label them a terrorist organization without right to exist because they deny Israel’s right to exist and use that as rationale for attacking them constitutes in my mind a failure to look in the mirror and a lack of committment to peace. Further, to punish all Gaza’s residents for Hamas policy and actions is collective punishment, illegal under the Geneva Conventions and international law.

It’s crucial here to understand who has the clear power in this relationship. With power comes responsiblity.

Until not very long ago, even during Israel’s attack on Lebanon in 2006, I was defending Israel’s right to defend itself, even if it seemed way over the top and to an extent of death and destruction I was not comfortable with. However, the more I’ve learned the extent of what is actually going on and what the people in the occupied territories have actually been going through at the hands of the Israeli government, my eyes widened and my opinion started to shift. This latest offensive seems even more cruel than 2006.  The people being attacked are caged in and have nowhere to run or hide. For example, a UN school sheltering refugees was bombed, killing 40 civilians, and the UN strongly refutes Israeli claims that militants were firing rockets from there. [Update, Jan 12: Israel now admits no weapons were fired from the school, stating that they missed a target just outside the school. The death toll is now 42.]

Official American pronouncements on the humanitarian crisis, as the UN is calling it, is appalling in its inhumanity. As Glenn Greenwald points out, the split between Democratic voters and Democratic party officials is frighteningly wide. Despite intense pro-Israel propaganda, American Democrats overwhelmingly reject the military assault on Gaza (31% pro, 55% anti, Rasmussen). The will of the people is being ignored while a small elite group, those in control, have their say. Democracy in such a context is fairly meaningless.

Let’s hope Obama is brave here and denounces and demands an end to Israel’s actions in the name of peace, justice, and democracy on January 20th.

Finally, I think it’s rather thoughtless to complain of anti-semitism while supporting and acting in ways that are likely to intensify it. Increased personal and national security are more likely to come through empathy and strength of character, not violence.

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