Thousands of Palestinians have been held hostage in Israeli prisons for years. They have been imprisoned without any charges, held on Administrative Detention. They are women, children, the elderly, as well as young men. In the past, Israel has been willing to exchange several of these Palestinian hostages for one Israeli soldier held by Palestinians. No doubt Hamas believed they would have similar political leverage again after they returned to Gaza from their raid on illegally occupied West Bank territory October 7, 2023. (1)
When Hamas released an 85 year old woman hostage they had captured during the October 7 invasion of illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank, she thanked her captives for their kindness, but was very outspoken about her anger at Israeli authorities for not having provided them protection. She said that for 3 weeks prior to the invasion by Hamas, she and other settlers had been contacting Israeli authorities and soldiers daily complaining about hostilities and asking for protection. (2) However, the Israeli government had withdrawn the soldiers usually stationed at military bases in that area and moved them up North. Could the fact that these particular settlers were known to be “leftists” who had friendly relationships with Palestinians have anything to do with the decision to leave them “unprotected?”
Israel has the most sophisticated spy technology in the world, and has been know to use it even on American officials. Hamas has nothing in comparison to Israel surveillance technology, military equipment or weapons of mass destruction. (3) When Hamas and other Palestinians tore down the confining metal fences, and sailed into the West Bank on hang gliders, there was surely none more “surprised” than they at their ease of entry into their former homeland.
Most Americans have no idea where the West Bank is, or why Gaza is called the “largest open-air prison” in the world. The don’t know anything about the first Nakba, let alone why today’s latest genocidal slaughter of Palestinians by Israelis is referred to as the Second Nakba.” And the mainstream American news sources are not about to explain the 75 year and more history of this “conflict” where Palestinians homes have been destroyed, entire villages and crops up rooted, thousands forced to flee for their lives and not allowed their internationally recognized legal “right-of-return;” along with the daily humiliations and abuse suffered by those indigenous Palestinians who remained in their land Israel now claims as its own, and where only “Jews” are citizens with all the rights thereof. (4) It is estimated that over the past year on average one Palestinian a day was murdered by settlers or the IDF in the West Bank. Most recently some of these have been American citizens. But I should not forget Rachel Corrie (March 2003). (5)
Most Americans certainly don’t know that Israel was the primary financial backer of Hamas back in it’s early days when it was a small, conservative religious sect. Israel financed Hamas to the tune of 100’s of millions dollars with the explicit intention of setting it up to compete with the secular Palestinian Liberation Organization and the annoying Palestinian Authority. Yes; Divide and Conquer. (6)
And, maybe more amazing, most Americans don’t know that thousands of Israelis were in the streets daily protesting against their own government—and they had planned an enormous nation-wide demonstration against the Netanyahu government the same day Hamas launched its attack on the illegal settlers in the West Bank! (7) What luck. Now all Israelis have joined together to support the same government most were accusing of being undemocratic (and even “Fascist”) a few weeks ago. This must just be a coincidence. Israeli intelligence could not have made sure the way was open for Hamas to invade the same day as the nation-wide demo against Netanyahu and company had been planned; could they???…but what a coincidence!! Netanyahu was also facing a trial for his own corrupt financial dealings. (7) Now that will be called off. Funny how things work out.
Self-proclaimed Fascists, and racists in the extremely right-wing Netanyahu government, some of whom have been censored in the past by Israeli courts, have been explicit about their intention to ethnically cleanse Gaza and all the former Palestinian territories of what they call these “human animals.”(8) This population of millions of Palestinians consists of over 1/2 young children. This is not what most Israelis object to, unfortunately. This is what most Americans know nothing about. ( 9)
(2)https://www.democracynow.org/2023/10/24/shalom_hamas_hostage_release_handshake_video
(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(spyware)
(4) “There are over 65 laws which discriminate directly or indirectly against Palestinian citizens of Israel and those living in the occupied territories. The campaign of indiscriminate killing of Palestinians in the West Bank, many by rogue Jewish militias, along with house and school demolitions and the seizure of remaining Palestinian land will explode. Over 133 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by the Israeli army and Jewish settlers since the Oct. 7 incursion by Hamas and thousands of Palestinians have been rounded up by the Israeli military, beaten, humiliated and imprisoned. https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/israels-final-solution-for-the-palestinians
(5) Rachel Corrie was a 23-year-old American peace activist from Olympia, Washington, who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer on 16 March 2003, while undertaking nonviolent direct action to protect the home of a Palestinian family from demolition. The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice
(6) With the coming of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, came a slew of articles in the Israel Times, Ha’aretz and other journals pointing out that whenever Netanyahu was prime minister, Israel propped up Hamas, funneling it up to $1 billion through Qatar, in order to hobble Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority and prevent the formation of a Palestinian state. So in essence, Netanyahu armed Hamas. The Left as Israel’s Sacrificial Lamb
(9) https://www.salon.com/2022/12/17/in-israel-netanyahus-extremist-new-government-rips-off-the-mask/
MARY LYNN CRAMER, MA, MSW, LICSW, has a background in economics and clinical social work, a/w/a Truth and Justice activism. She can be reached at [email protected]
